North America

We talked with announcer Tatiena Mezarina

The world of broadcasting is of utmost importance to the promotion of Latin music and today we are talking to one of its greatest exponents. We are talking about Peruvian broadcaster and host of the show ”Con Sabor Y Amor Latino” Tatiana Mezarina, who very kindly agreed to talk to us about her career and current projects.

Tatiana began by thanking us for inviting her and telling us how she became interested in the world of radio. All this enthusiasm for this interesting world of communication began since she was very little in her native Peru, at which time she worked as a school correspondent for one of the most famous newspapers in Latin America, ‘‘El Comercio”. On the radio, she began on the radio station Radio Libertad, specifically in a program show ”Viva Juventud”.

Since a very early age, Mezarina was very involved on all types of media, both print and audiovisual. Then, she had the opportunity to work in television with a show dedicated to music called ”El Mañanero”, which was in charge of broadcasting all kinds of artists and rhythms in her country.

When he started working for ”Canal Global”, he received a scholarship to study Communication Sciences in Germany and worked in German media such as Deutsche Welle and Berlin Channel. Both there and in the United States, she has had many shows linked to social causes and dedicated to informing her listeners about important issues.

How ”Con Sabor Y Amor Latino” started

In the case of her most recent project ”Con Sabor Y Amor Latino”, Tatiana wanted to work on all these issues and give a friendly voice to help Latinos living in the United States so that they know that we are the largest ethnic minority in this country, so we should not be harassed by anyone. At the beginning, this show sought to keep the Latino community informed, but as time went by, it also wanted to offer good music. This is how Tatiana began inviting Latin artists from all over the world and of all musical genres, but she always had a special tendency to salsa because it is her favorite type of music.

In September 2019, the announcer decided to create ”Con Sabor Y Amor Latino”, a name inspired by how delicious Latin food is and how loving much of us Latinos are. This was her first project of this type since arriving in New York and arose from the need for Latinos to have a window through which they could communicate in their native language and feel comfortable to express themselves.

Music has been very important as dancing and joy are part of our identity. Music is part of our DNA and salsa has always identified with the Latino.

Is academic training important for communication?

Mezarina states that she has no problem with communicators without any training long as they do this job responsibly. However, she also argues that a person with training tends to offer a higher quality work, but this is not always the norm.

The communicator confesses that she herself took a radio and television course there in New York, which was aimed at people who had never done radio before, but wanted to learn about this profession. This is how she became interested in this branch of communication and is the one she currently works in.

”There can be all kinds of communicators, but it’s up to to everyone to decide who to follow and what to listen to,” says the announcer.

Non-recommendable behaviors in communicators

When asked what behaviors which no communicator should have, Tatiana says that ”unverified information should never be disseminated. When we stand at a microphone, we have the responsibility to be careful with what we say because we reach thousands of people in a matter of seconds. If things are not done right, we confuse people and do not honor the truth.”

Future projects

As for her future projects, the communicator has said that she would never want Con Sabor Y Amor Latino to be cancelled, as she considers that much remains to be done from that platform. Unfortunately, she has been unable to dedicate 100% of her time to the radio show, but she hopes to be able to do so in the future. Similarly, he also hopes his content will be broadcast on one of the major television networks in the United States.

Meanwhile, the goal of Mezarina and her team is to keep the community informed on everything a Latino in the United States need to know to avoid inconveniences and to give publicity to artists from all genres who are unable to make their talent public through traditional radio stations and channels.

Read also: The multifaceted artist Yamila Guerra and all her projects

Who is carlos Rodríguez?

We have been fortunate to talk with founder and bongo player of the Son Latino de Orlando Orchestra, Carlos Rodríguez, who started out with him thanking us for the opportunity to talk a little about the group he leads and how has the process of reaching more and more audiences been.

Rodriguez started in the world of music in the 70’s in his native Puerto Rico, where he was part of a few orchestras. His first group was Imperial Orchestra and later he played percussion with Conjunto Secas in the town of Sábana Seca, but it was not long before he created the Sabrosona Orchestra. He started making vocals with Tony Vega and very small performances until he decided to retire for a while and go to Florida.

While in the United States, he realized that his love for music was still intact and decided to form another orchestra in the city of Orlando about eight years ago, which he decided to name ”Son Latino de Orlando ”. It was Carlos himself who decided to name his group that way while he was at home one day, which was when he thought of ”Son Latino” and decided to add ”de Orlando” in honor of the place where they are living and working.

In addition to being the owner and founder, he also plays the bongo, does vocals and plays minor percussion. Another role he plays in the orchestra is to carefully select the members who will become part of his orchestra, but he confesses that he has been lucky enough to have several of the same collaborators for many years, such as Davin Rojas, Rafael Rico, Luis Soriano, Danny Rojas, Chris Torres and Kevin Figueroa (music director of the orchestra and pianist). All of them have been very important in the group’s growth in recent years from their very specific roles. If there are any changes, they are made known to the fans so that they keep it in mind.

Biggest challenges

Carlos tells us that one of the biggest challenges faced by he and his guys is that those who usually hire their services do not pay what is fair for their work. Club owners are not really interested in paying for a good orchestra that offers a quality show, so they just choose the cheapest.

One of the biggest problems they have had to face is that if contractors consider that those in charge of the orchestra are asking for a very high payment, they will always choose the group that less money demands, no matter its quality is not the best.

Rodríguez makes it clear that at no point does he criticize any colleague for this, since all musicians do what is necessary to survive and excel in the industry through the work they do. However, he thinks that club owners and managers should modify the elements relied upon by them to choose their artists, since the bigger loser is always the audience.

How to balance business affairs with the love for art and music (título 3)

”You have musicians behind you and you have to meet with them. To be able to keep your orchestra, you have to go outside to look for your events and guarantee your work” was the first thing the musician said when we asked him how he balances business with the love for music. It is he himself who is in charge of knocking on the doors of the establishments, making his proposals, waiting for calls, indicating prices, signing contracts and arranging dances. 

He also stated that it is very important to always lay out the terms of each contract so there are no unpleasant surprises such as last minute cancellations or misunderstandings.

How to balance original music with covers

”We always try to have a balance between romantic salsa, melodic salsa and hard salsa,” says Carlos. The orchestra has three singers who take turns on lead vocals depending on the type of salsa to be played, but there are mamy times when they are all combined in one song and adapt to the rhythms.

In all its performances, the orchestra sings both covers with different arrangements and original numbers. Depending on the place and the type of event, they always try to combine the music and build up a whole repertoire based on that specific audience preferences.

Opinion on new talent

On this topic, Rodriguez said that there are very talented new artists, but they must be allowed to grow and be original. ”Just because you have a middleweight name doesn’t mean you have to be arrogant and put aside humility. You have to be willing to listen and learn from the older guys in the business” said the artist.

For the bongo player, the speed of progress in this career makes many talented kids lose the north and get carried away by arrogance and the desire to know everything. He always tries to give advice to the kids who want to devote themselves to music with whom he has the opportunity to talk so that they can do their best.

Read also: Producer, composer, and singer D’ William tells his story

Young Joseph

Joseph Gonzalez has been one of the greatest Latin percussion icons of our time and it is worth talking about his past and current accomplishments. He was born on March 12, 1953 in the San Juan Hill section of Manhattan and grew up in a mixture of cultures with Puerto Rican and Italian roots, which ensured that the young Joseph and the rest of his siblings were raised with the best of each.

According to the musician himself, his passion for music started in the 1950s when he listened to all kinds of genres and rhythms at home, which trained the young man almost without him realizing it. At home, his family used to enjoy the talent of Frank Santana, Machito, Jerry Vale, Tito Puente, Mario Lanza, among many other artists of the time. Upon hearing these names, one can already get an idea of what Gonzalez’s vocational training would be like in the future.

From a young age, he would liven up family parties by playing the conga. At the age of 15, the boy first became interested in music as something more than just a hobby to kill some time. The teenager gave signs that music would be a very important part of his life.

Already in the 1960s, Gonzalez had made his first long-playing record with Frankie Nieves, vocalist and neighbor of the artist who had set himself the goal of taking over the boogaloo world and become one of its greatest exponents. The album was called ”The Terrible Frankie Nieves”, was under the direction of producer Stan Lewis and contained all kinds of popular genres for those years such as R&B, guaracha, mambo and much more.

Self-taugh musician

Something very striking about this music is that he never attended an institute or school of arts, but learned everything by himself through the experience he gained in San Juan Hill, where the best Latin music orchestras were always heard and whose musicians lived and some even resided in Amsterdam Houses.

In 1971, he became  a member of the Ruben Betancourt’s orchestra, with whom he would play the group’s first LP entitled ”Orquesta Tentación” and published by the record label Mañana Records. A few years later, he married and soon he and his wife had their first daughter, to whom they gave the name Audrey Valentina. Around the same time, he separated from Rubénm stayed with ”Felix Morales & Orchestra Caprí” for two years and was part of ”Son De La Loma”, whose members were veteran musicians who taught Joe everything they knew.

Cover of the album ‘’62nd and 10th’’

During the 1980s, there was a dramatic decline in the Latin music scene, which caused Gonzalez to look for a regular job that could support his family and provide them with the the finaltial security they need. In those years, he partnered with jazzman Mario Bauzá and his orchestra, a group with which the percussionist finally achieved the level he was destined to get to.

He started making very important appearances in a lot of concerts with the Bauzá’s orchestra and recordings that would lead him to have access to many other opportunities on TV shows, film soundtracks, tours, awards, among many other things. This led him to be worthy of the Latin Grammy on several occasions and perform with stars such as Celia Cruz, Papo Vázquez, Arturo O’Farrill, Daniel Poce and many more.

His most recent album is entitled ”62nd to 10th”, which is absolutely dominated by Latin jazz and whose compositions are written by Gonzalez himself, except for one track. In this album, Joe Gonzalez once again demonstrates that he has not forgotten everything he has learned and is still as strong as ever.

Read also: Tribute to Larry Harlow about a year after his departure

 

By Johnny Cruz, ISM Correspondents, New York, New York City

How they got their start in the world of the arts

There have been many artists of Latin origin who have become known in much of the world thanks to their talent and dedication to what they do. A perfect example of this are the Mexican siblings Isaac and Esteban Hernandez, who have given much to talk about in major media outlets both in Spanish and English.

These boys, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, are two of 11 siblings in a very large family. They are children of two dancers and one of them is Héctor Hernández, who taught the youths to dance from an early age thanks to the wide experience he gained in this profession. Isaac and Esteban have commented in some interviews that their father built a barre and both used thin pieces of wood as a ballet floor, which they used to practice their moves.

In addition to that, they were home-schooled by their mother, Laura, which helped a lot to train them in dance and allow them to devote more time to these activities.

These brothers think that they have managed to change their lives in a relatively short time thanks to the effort and dedication to dance, a discipline that they love so much. However, they knew that the path might not be as easy as they would like it to be.

When questioned about machismo and the feedback they might get on being men who dance ballet, they said that their father has prepared them very well for that moment. When they asked him to teach them to dance, he warned them that it would not be easy for them to start a real career in this discipline, but they did not care and moved on.

Service to the Latino community

After achieving this level of fame, they have set out to help new generations of dancers in any way possible so that they can get ahead in the world of the arts, specifically in dancing. In the past, it was very difficult to bring dance schools and talent auditions to many Latin American countries, which has made it difficult for young people interested in learning all these disciplines to have access to the necessary training to succeed. However, established artists such as Isaac and Esteban have played a very important role in the turning of things.

In the specific case of Mexico, it has been possible many children throughout the country to have access to the opportunities they need to climb positions in the world of entertainment, as even as it was with these professional dancers.

While it is true that dancing on the most important stages of the world and being judges in competitions fill their souls and makes them feel very lucky, the use of all their potential to change the lives of so many people in their Latino community excites them in an indescribable way and makes them understand the great social responsibility they have.

Presence in the media

Given that Latino Heritage Month had just been held, many digital media outlets took advantage of the brothers’ popularity to make reports on their great work and all they have achieved in such a short time. There are many online newspapers or websites that have highlighted the talent of the Hernandezes and all the achievements obtained through the effort and hard work put forth by both of them.

In one of those many reports, it is highlighted that Esteban is considered as one of the most influential Mexicans and has become one of the main dancers of SF Ballet. For his part, Isaac has received a Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts from the President of Mexico at the time, Enrique Peña Nieto, is also part of the SF Ballet as a main dancer and is one of the judges in the dancing competition ”Mira Quien Baila”. 

Both Isaac and Esteban are clear proof that dreams come true and everything can be achieved with effort and dedication no matter where we came from.

Read also: A new salsa talent with Latin parents and born in Boston

Who is Yamila Guerra

Yamila Guerra is a Cuban singer, dancer, actress and TV host who has always felt a great passion for music from an early age and knew she wanted to devote her life to the world of entertainment. She is the daughter of the famous Cuban duo Rosell y Cary and sister of famous producer, bandleader, arranger, composer, classical guitarist Yalil Guerra, who is a great friend of International Salsa Magazine.

We had the honor of talking with Yamila for a while and know a little more about her both personally and professionally. It was really a pleasure for us to have had her here and to know more about her great career.

Inclination for the arts from an early age and academic background

Yamila reveals that she has always felt very attracted to the art world and started this journey doing impressions of certain Cuban and foreign artists who she saw on TV. Some of them were friends of her parents’or colleagues because they shared the stage with them in all the activities they did in Cuba.

Evidently, the fact that she grew up in an artistic and musical environment included a lot in the inclination she had towards this world, but it was not the only thing that made her dedicate herself to all this. She always felt a natural and organic attraction to the world of entertainment, music and art.

Seeing that her career began at the Cuba’s National Ballet School, it can be said that the first area in which she began to develop was dance. When she took the physical tests, she was admitted to the institution and attended as a listener until she was old enough to be able to participate in the classes. She feels that she had a complete training because, besides studying classical ballet, she learned all the Cuban dances such as contradanza, Cuban son, cha cha chá, danzón, among others.

At the School of Artistic Varieties, she developed in areas such as acting, singing, music and much more. All these disciplines mentioned above helped her a lot with her professional future.

Once in the United States, she studied at Berkley College of Music and took singing lessons in some genres such as blues, jazz, country, ballads, among others. At other schools, she studied art history, marketing, business, sales and other areas that have served her professionally speaking.

Life in Spain

Guerra tells us that she left Spain and moved to Miami because she could not tolerate its cold climate and wanted to be closer to her family in Cuba, but she has many good memories and is thankful to the European country, as it gave her the opportunity to be a TV host on channels such as TVE, Canal Satélite Digital, Antena 3 and Telecinco. Likewise, she was able to take her music to different stages and many parts of Spain. She felt that the Spanish people welcomed her art with open arms.

Once she moved to Miami, she worked on  ”Sábado Gigante” as an actress with Don Francisco, whom she thanks for the opportunity his team gave her.

How business, economics and legality have helped her in her career

One of the first pieces of advice Yamila gives to anyone who wants to work in entertainment in the United States is to master the English language. The artist defines herself as an eternal student because she has always liked to learn everything, especially languages. In fact, when she was in Spain, she paid for an English academy once a week to learn that language because she knew it would be very important in her career in terms of negotiation.

She also stresses that it is important to find out about legal and business issues to deal with clients and partners in the best possible way and avoid loopholes that naturally arise in the entertainment world. Yamila believes that it is very important to separate art from business and ”not to be trusted with money”. The Cuban highlights the importance of being pragmatic about making decisions and not allowing the artistic part to prevent people from making the right decisions at the level of business.

Social media

The talented performer considers that social networks are a fundamental part of her work and promotion, so she thinks it is important to have a presence on each and every one of them and design a strategy depending on the characteristics of each one. She considers that it is very important to post videos and photographs in order to promote her work, but also use her platforms to talk about other more personal topics such as family, beauty, nutrition, love and other things. That variety of facets is what attracts so many people to her content.

As for her personal tastes, she confesses that she loves Tik Tok because she considers it a very organic and authentic platform. This is where she posts videos of herself acting and giving her opinion about all kinds of topics, something that gives her great exposure.

On this same issue, she stated that social networking has become essential to all types of professions and that we must all be present on them as much as possible because they have become part of our letter of introduction to others.

Tradicional Cubano

Yamila had been wanting to make an album fully dedicated to traditional Cuban music, which she considers to be the most flavorful, since it does not need a lot of instrumentation to feel it. It is very old, but it does not lose its flavor and its validity over the years. This is how her latest album ”Tradicional Cubano” came about.

This album includes composers such as Ignacio Piñeiro and Celina González. Guerra wanted to rescue this repertoire that she listened to when she was a child, since it always caught her attention and she was fascinated to be able to portray the Cuban culture and the lives of Cubans.

Read also: We interviewed IndiviDúo singers Tiffany Joy and Maqui Reyes