Latin America / Venezuela / Caracas
José Madera Niño, The plastic artist also has the technology to complete his project in the midst of the pandemic
The Venezuelan orchestra José Madera Niño & 3er.Mundo launched its new song “I like it, but…”, in the voice of the guest singer Memo Arroyave, accompanied by a video clip that shows the other facet of Madera Niño: painting. This single is the fifth to be part of his second production titled Matices.
- José Madera Niño
The musician, composer and leader of the orchestra clarified: “This theme of my authorship was already in the post-production phase when the pandemic was announced. Without the technology, dedication and commitment of Irving Manuel and Jorge Estévez, for mixing and mastering, the hours of work of Alfredo Montilla for editing the video clip between Venezuela and Colombia, it would not have been possible to complete this project from our homes” .
José “Flaco” Bermúdez was in charge of the musical direction and arrangements. The sound performance was in charge of Yomar Méndez “Caballo” (timbale), Arnaldo Guacarán “Patatín” (bongo and bell), Wilman Sánchez Jr. (trumpets), Hugo Olivero (saxophone), José Antonio Padilla (trombone), David González (bass) and Irving Manuel (Piano); in the choirs, Rodrigo Mendoza and Eloy Ríos, all under the executive production of José Madera Niño (congas and minor percussion).
Matices combines the diversity of voice colors of each of the solo singers invited to date, such as Pedrito Flores, Irving Manuel and Charlie Guzmán. This salsa album will be made up of ten pieces and will feature the participation of several performers: “We want to give the world good music, food for the soul and spirit during this difficult time we are experiencing.”
MULTIFACETED
It should be noted that José Madera Niño is very multifaceted because in addition to being a plastic artist as a profession, he is a musician by conviction: “I draw since I can remember. At the age of fourteen I entered the Cristóbal Rojas School of Plastic Arts. I alternated this with my high school studies and the weekends were for music”.
Hence, he became a self-taught percussionist from a very young age, thanks to the rise of salsa in Venezuela in the mid-seventies. This synergy between his two passions leads him to form his own orchestra: José Madera Niño & 3er Mundo, which flirts with Latin Jazz. Its purpose is to extrapolate his plastic compositions to music, creating true works of art for the ear of the demanding music lover, but at the same time for the elegant dancer.
His first recording, De amor, desamor y rumba, took four years to come out, due to the pauses that self-management imposes on us: “It’s not easy to make a record without solid financial backing. This first album is a kind of chronicle of the day to day life of any ordinary person. Inspired by all the music I listened to in my adolescence, with a simple and diaphanous language”.
The journalist María Fernanda León recently interviewed him for his second CD, Matices, which consists of ten songs. Between last year and 2020, it has launched four on digital platforms.
-Why the name 3rd World?
-The name was an irreverent way of saying that despite the disadvantages we may have, we are capable of doing great things, from passion, talent and study. We are much more than a rating.
-Why salsa and not another genre?
I listen to all kinds of music. In fact, when we decide to make a living from it, we have to deal with different genres and I enjoy that, but I have a special taste for salsa because it became part of my growth. It was always in the atmosphere while I was playing on the street in my neighborhood, at the high school and on the bus on the way to art school.
– Most of the songs come from your own handwriting. What inspires you?
-Writing always caught my attention, I had many unfinished, shelved ideas. When I started pre-production I dusted off all that stuff and turned it into songs.
-Why nuances?
– This production is a kind of canvas; music is the pigment, the matter. The musicians and singers are its nuances. I think it is a different production from the first but with the same essence.
-You changed your concept of an album with a single artist. Now you invited several…
-For me it was very important to build a sonority, that the public, when listening to a song of ours, recognized us. Gustavo Gerardo was, for a long time, the voice that identified us, but it is not easy to retain someone if you cannot guarantee economic stability. In addition, it was already in his plans to embark on a solo career that by the way is already beginning to bear fruit internationally.
-Those who participate?
-In this second production I have Pedrito Flores, who is an excellent singer and inherited this responsibility leading the band in live performances. In addition, I have the privilege of having several guest vocalists such as Rodrigo Mendoza, Irving Manuel, Charlie Guzmán and Memo Arroyave, among others, who I will be announcing soon. All this with the intention of reaching a wider audience. I think that these types of alliances are beneficial for the genre.
-When will all the songs come out of the oven?
-The themes I have been presenting as singles, every month or every 45 days I make a release, this until completing the ten themes. Since the end of last year and until now there are four. However, the pandemic that affects the entire world delays production a little more, but we continue working.
-You are a plastic artist. How do you alternate your two passions?
-It is not easy but I think it would be more difficult not to do it. I’m not very organized so I live in a constant effort to allocate time. I have participated in more than sixty collective exhibitions and three individual exhibitions. My work is present in several art galleries and private collections.
-Your son also dabbled in salsa last year. What do you think of the support that is offered to talent today?
-I believe that the boys are increasingly better prepared to take on the challenges. The industry has changed and perhaps those of us who have been in this business for years have a harder time assimilating it. Young people know that in addition to recording on their own they must manage the multiple ways of promoting themselves, they know about graphic design, marketing, etc. And that’s very good because there are no longer record companies that invest in emerging artists. There is a lot of young talent.
-How do you see salsa in Venezuela? Is there enough promotion and support?
-There is not enough support so I think we can’t keep waiting, we have to act ourselves. To work hard for our dreams, we must learn to use the tools that technology offers us.
Do you consider your albums a work of art?
– Yes, they consist of the same elements: color, balance, space, atmospheres.
-What does José Madera Niño want to show every time he is on stage?
-A good show, a well-assembled band, appropriate costumes, in short, the respect that the public deserves.
María Fernanda León – ISM Journalist Correspondent – Venezuela
since 2007
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