North America

El Salsero Mexicano 

Jimmy Rodríguez ”El Salsero Mexicano” is a talented singer born in Mexico City, but spent a lot of his childhood in the city of San Luis Potosí, where he took his first steps as an artist. 

Thanks to his brother and manager, Daniel Rodriguez, we had the opportunity to talk to him and learn more about the interesting career he has had in the world of entertainment. Meet Jimmy Rodriguez and the kind answers he gave to our questions.   

 

Beginnings of Jimmy Rodriguez in music   

By the time he got to high school, his talent for singing and charismatic personality made him the ideal candidate to participate in a talent contest, in which he would come in second place the first year in which he participated.    

Jimmy told us that he entered the contest to live a new experience, but he did not expect to achieve such a high place, so he felt very excited and motivated because of what he could achieve thereafter.    

The following year, he managed to get the first place in the same contest because he had spent a whole year studying and getting ready for that important moment. The previous time, he had only rehearsed the days prior, so he decided to take much more time on this occasion and the effort invested paid off.   

As a result of this achievement, the Group Alfa Omega saw the potential in this young man, so they contacted him and offered him to join them. This would be his first paid job in music, which began to teach him how this business worked. 

He began to play with Alfa Omega in events like weddings, and baptisms, which taught him how to entertain and charm an audience, and he is very grateful for this opportunity he had. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.   

In the end, Jimmy had to leave the group due to his move to Mexico City to continue his studies.   

During his learning process, he developed their skills in playing the guitar and dancing in order to perform better on stage, keeping inmind that singing was his thing and that was not going to change.   

When Jimmy arrived in the United States, he began taking singing lessons for more than nine years to improve his voice. Today, he continues with his vocal learning, as there is always something new to learn in this field.   

Musical genres   

It is not common to find a Mexican who sings salsa professionally, and more if we take into account that many of the most famous Mexicans sing ranchera, norteño music and corridos tumbados. So, we wanted to know why he chose salsa as the genre he wanted to pursue.   

Jimmy explained to us that the first time he sang with a salsa orchestra on stage, half the musicians were Colombian and the other half were Mexican. At that moment, I felt like I had found my soulmate and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Besides, dancing is very important in salsa and I have always loved to dance,” Jimmy said.   

He finished by saying ”salsa combines my three most important talents, which are singing, dancing and charisma”.   

When asked whether he would enter more typical genres of his country, he pointed out that he loves ballads and would have no problem in performing fusions and collaborations, but his north is still salsa for the moment.   

The Voice and proceeds from the show 

Being in The Voice has always been one of Jimmy’s biggest dreams, which he finally achieved a few years ago and whose judges were Luis Fonsi, Carlos Vives, Alejandra Guzman and Wisin. The best of all is that he made it to the final and he says that his secret to achieving this feat is to always be focused, to give the best of himself, to have a good relationship with show’s production and his colleagues and, above all, to choose a genre that was not typical for a Mexican.    

This particularity made people call him ”El Salsero Mexicano”, a nickname he has continued using to this day with pride in what has been achieved so far.    

While he was still participating in the contest, Adolescent’S Orquesta contacted him to have him in the group, which Jimmy accepted and became the first Mexican to be part of this Venezuelan orchestra. In addition to that, Jimmy kept releasing new music in order to stay alive in the public spotlight, as the singer understood that the fame that came La Voz was momentary and he had to take advantage of it.    

Today, he continues touring with Adolescent’s Orquesta, working on an album with Marc Anthony‘s producer and taking singing lessons to further improve his vocal technique.   

And speaking of Marc Anthony, this Puerto Rican artist has been one of the greatest inspirations for the Mexican, who wishes to one day reach that level of talent and fame, although he knows it will not be an easy way. 

In addition to the already mentioned salsero, Jimmy has also been inspired and influenced by the styles of Rubén Blades and El Grupo Niche.   

He has also had the opportunity to share the stage with Tito Nieves, Willie Colón, Jerry Rivera and many others.    

Salsa and comparisons with other genres   

When we wanted to know what Jimmy feels with the current situation of salsa, he says that he is well aware that this musical genre is not going through a good moment due to the popularity of trap, reggaeton and, more recently, corridos tumbados.   

However, he ensures that he does not see this fact as something negative, but as a challenge of bringing salsa back to the place it occupied for years in past decades, so he gives his best every day to offer a fresh sound that appeals to new generations, and not only to fans aged 30 and older. 

 

It is what has led the artist to make modifications in regard to the technical aspects, arrangements, lyrics and other details. In the specific case of lyrics, he has opted for simpler words and phrases that can be understood by anyone who listens to them. He continues to maintain the quality and heart that salsa should have, while taking into consideration what new generations are looking for. 

Jimmy understands that everything happens very quickly nowadays due to social media, so he has had to adapt his style to what young people are looking for on digital platforms. That is why when he shows his music on his social networks, he always tries to communicate what he wants from the first second so as not to lose the public’s attention.   

End 

The conversation concludes with a thank-you to all the people who still support the salsa genre and a recommendation to new talents to never give up on their dreams and to work continuously to achieve all what they want. 

Jimmy used his case as an example, remembering that he started singing on buses to help his family and now he assists international awards and reach the level that he has today, so he ensures that dreams come true and we must not lose heart until we achieved them. 

Read also: Life, Career, and death of Juan Carlos Formell