Search Results for: Selena

Selena: the series The New Netflix Show

Selena Quintanilla Perez

Also known as the queen of tex-mex, Selena was undoubtedly one of the greatest exponents of Latin music, her songs continue to be played on many radios around the world, and keeping in mind the legacy that the singer has left, this is not surprising. If you don’t know who this extremely talented artist was, right now it’s a good time to find out about her story, the new Netflix series called “Selena: the series” shows her artistic career in detail, and it also let us watch an important part of her Personal life.

Selena was not only an icon of the genre she pioneered, but she also greatly facilitated the exposure of many Latin artists that emerged after her tragic death; All this has only made the expectations of the fans who adore the artist continually grow, but is this show just a gift from Netflix for the Selena fans, or is it also capable of pleasing the general public?

How good is the series?

It is important to mention that, as mentioned before, the show does not focus exclusively on Selena’s artistic career, but shows what the life of the Quintanilla family was like, always in a smooth way, without trying to be too dramatic. We constantly observe how what reigns in the family is the union, despite all the adversities that they go through; However, as the series continues, we observe how the tone changes little by little until we reach the last episode, where the approach is clearly cruder than that of the rest of the series.

Despite being a biographical series, the way it is told can be very entertaining, it is a show that seeks not only to tell what the artist’s life was but also to entertain the viewers, even those who watch it without knowing the singer’s story.

Another important aspect to mention is the fact that this series is authorized by the Quintanilla family, which means that the events we see on the screen are very similar to those that have taken place in real life. On the other hand, unlike what many may think when hearing about the series, the first season does not tell the whole story of Selena until the day of her unfortunate death, but focuses on her first steps as an artist, as well as at the beginning of his rise to stardom; However, season two will focus on the artist’s legacy, what it meant to her fans, and how painful and heartbreaking her death was.

The show is highly recommended for all those who want to see a new version of the story, although it is true that what we see on it may not surprise those who are very familiar with the singer’s life, it is definitely worth seeing a different version with the Netflix production in between, plus, it may turn out to be very interesting for those who do not know the history of this iconic artist.

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Puerto Rican American bandleader and singer Elle Jay is proud of her roots

After so many years of coexistence between Latinos and Americans on US soil, there are many citizens who, as a result of this mix, carry in their DNA both identities and that is how they live their lives. Such is the case of Elle Jay, the founder and lead singer of Spanglish Latin American Band, with whom we talked about her life, career, and current orchestra.

Bandleader and singer Elle Jay recording in the studio

Elle’s beginnings in music

Elle has been singing since she was very young. In fact, her mother says that when she was just six months old, she flounced excitedly whenever she heard Latin music. In addition, she comes from a family of musicians, firstly with her father, who played drums in an orchestra, and her mother, who was a singer. For this reason, music was always very present in each and every stage of her life, but she would not become a professional until many years later.

Moreover, once she grew up and became an adult, she felt she did not yet have the skills required to be a good singer, so she had to roll up her sleeves and start to gain experience if she wanted to reach the level she sought. That is how she met the members of a salsa orchestra that played in her area and asked them if they could give her the opportunity to join the group and get better over time. They said yes, and that is when she began to learn everything she could under the wing of various veteran musicians, who taught her to understand the rhythms and clave in the various genres of Latin music.

She also joined other bands like the Orquesta Curaré and Pa’ Gozar Latin Band led by vocalist Laura Sosa, whom Elle considers one of her greatest mentors and teachers in the competitive and complex world of music.

Elle Jay and Jorge Rosario — Guitarist and bassist Jorge Rosario and Elle Jay presenting an evening serenade

How Spanglish Latin American Band got started

Several years later, she finally felt ready to start her own project according to her professional aspirations and therefore stop relying on what others were looking for in a group. In that regard, she took advantage of her half-Puerto Rican and half-American identity and her fluency in Spanish and English to develop an idea that she would share with other musicians she met in her neighborhood. These artists liked it and decided to join her on this road and see what the future held for them.

That was about six years ago, and the project has not done more to grow over time thanks to the tenacity of both Elle and the rest of the team who have made it all possible.

Current and former members of Spanglish Latin American Band

As many other groups of its type, Spanglish Latin American Band has undergone many changes since its founding. One of the few who has stayed in the band from day one is guitarist and bassist Jorge Rosario, who has accompanied Elle at all times and is by her side to this day. He also supports her greatly in everything related to sound and recordings.

The rest of the musicians have come and gone since the beginning. Among the current members of the band are Elle, Jorge, Italian trombonist Mike Matarrazo, and pianist Walter Ávalos. They are currently the most visible and stable faces of the group, while the others only play along with them occasionally.

Elle Jay and the rest of the band — Conguero Mike McSweeney, trombonist Mike Matarrazo, bandleader and singer Elle Jay, drummer Hermidez, bassist and guitarist Jorge Rosario, pianist Walter Ávalos, and bongo player Jay Torres

Half Puerto Rican, half American

In other interviews, Elle has said that she identifies herself a lot with both the United States and Puerto Rico, which she has wanted to reflect in her music. That is why she has always felt a strong connection with artists like Selena, as “The Queen of Tex-Mex” was also very aware of her Latin culture despite being born in the United States. Quintanilla inspired her so much that she wanted to make a tribute to her by singing her famous song “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” in reggae.

Another example of this is the group Sade with the song “The Sweetest Taboo,” which Elle translated into Spanish and covered in rumba and salsa to “latinize” it. She has done the same with many other well-known songs that have been covered in salsa and Spanish by her group.

Although the majority of the public has shown great receptiveness to their work, Elle also points out that this has caused them some problems with producers and event promoters who think that the group is not American or Latin enough, which has negatively impacted them in some bookings. However, the artist assures that both she and her bandmates stand firm in their convictions and should not change the basis of their project just because a few people do not like it.

“This is who I am, and I can’t please everyone. There always will be people who say yes or no because that’s how this business works, so you have to be strong and move forward despite the obstacles you face,” Elle said on the subject.

Elle Jay and her students — Elle Jay with her students during a salsa class. She is also a dance teacher

To communicate with Spanglish Latin American Band, you can do so via social media or email:

Facebook: Spanglish Latin American Band

Instagram: @spanglishlatinamericanband

Email: [email protected]

Young promise of music Sofia Grace Doellefeld tells us about her dreams

During our long journey in the world of music, we have had the enormous privilege of meeting fascinating people who show us that talent can come in many ways and at many ages. One of these people is Sofia Grace Doellefeld, a 15-year-old drummer with deeply held family and religious values that are not common in someone her age.

The young teenager, whose greatest hero and supporter is her father, aspires to go to college after finishing high school, but hopes to combine her academic activities with music as she has done so far. Here is what friendly and kind Sofia shared with us in pleasant and fluid conversation.

Who is Sofia

Sofia is a girl with many dreams and aspirations who is currently in ninth grade, while taking music lessons and playing in her school’s jazz band. The student of a Protestant Christian family has the support of everyone around her, especially her father, whom she describes as her greatest mentor and inspiration in life.

Despite being the first musician in her family, they have been a tremendous support to Sofia, to the point that they always accompany her to her events and performances so she knows they are there for her. Although they have not talked about a formal career in the entertainment industry, she knows they will support any decision she makes.

For now, she aspires to attend Full Sail University to study sound engineering so she can learn how to get involved in music production and all technical aspects related to her art because she thinks her academic background has prepared her for it.

Sofia wants to study sound engineering at Full Sail University in the future

When did Sofia start playing music?

Sofia’s interest in music began when she was 10 years old with the electric guitar, as she felt it would be interesting to replicate the notes she always heard from her favorite artists. The problem was that she never truly connected with the instrument as much as she tried, so she switched to the drums, which she quickly noticed she enjoyed much more and inspired her to try increasingly complex songs and melodies.

Her greatest source of inspiration on a musical level came from various jazz drummers such as Buddy Rich and Max Roach, but they were not the only ones. In the Latin sphere, the artist also enjoys great singers such as Selena Quintanilla and Juan Luis Guerra, and her favorite Latin genre is Latin rock. In fact, she really likes Santana’s songs and other groups of this kind.

Sofia had many inspirations — Two of the most important inspirations for Sofia were Buddy Rich and Max Roach

The drums as a traditionally male instrument

Considering that the drums were traditionally played by men, it is interesting that a young girl like Sofia chose this instrument to take her first steps into the world of music. When we wanted to know her view on the matter, she confessed that one of her biggest motivations for choosing the drums was precisely the fact that it was seen as a male instrument, as she wanted to break that unspoken rule and prove that a girl could play as well as any male musician.

She really thinks she is doing a great job, is very passionate about what she does with music and hopes to continue improving every day to keep breaking the mold.

Although she is proud of what she does alone, many of her closest friends also play instruments and she would like to form a band with them or other musicians in the future, though she feels it is still too early to even consider that possibility.

And speaking of friends, one of Sofia’s great musical inspirations in the real world is one of her best friends, who plays nine instruments and is excellent at each and every one. This makes her a great motivation for her friend and she always tries to keep pace with her peers when it comes to playing.

Sofia chose the drums precisely because she wants to demonstrate that a girl can play as well as a male musician

Other instruments

Sofia would also like to play several instruments as her friend and one she really likes is the piano, as it is applicable for almost any genre or song, making it very versatile and easy to include.

The pianist should know a lot about music theory, rhythms and many other things that provide a very complete training for any artist, which makes it an ideal choice for anyone wishing to know more about music on a deeper level.

Concluding comments on music and interests in this area

To finish with our talk, we asked Sofia for some final comments regarding music in general and the interests she has with it, to which she states word for word that ”music is a great way to connect with oneself and others. It’s also a great way to discover who you are and who you want to become. It’s a blessing to be able to play music”.

North America – December 2020

Héctor Martignon has been one of the most sought-after pianists on the Latin jazz scene in New York

New York based-, Colombian born Hector Martignon has composed, orchestrated, produced, performed and recorded music in a wide spectrum of genres, from Classical and Crossover, to Jazz and World Music, to Rock and Pop.

His five albums as a leader, two as co-leader (MOZART’s BLUE FANTASIES and BACH’s SECRET FILES) as well as his work on over a hundred albums, scores for five feature films, three Broadway Musicals and multiple other projects, showcase his wide-ranging area of expertise.

At Mozart Studios recording Carlos Jimenez’ second CD, + Ruben Rodriguez + Vince Cherico. A pleasure!

After several nominations as a sideman, two of his five solo CDs were nominated for a GRAMMY Award (REFUGEE, 2008, and SECOND CHANCE, 2010).

He arranged and performed parts of the score of Ang Lee’s OSCAR-nominated movie EAT, DRINK, MAN, WOMAN.

His first professional recording was at age 18 (Mikis Theodorakis’s “Canto General”) while one of the most recent was on legendary rock band CHICAGO’s latest production, the Latin-tinged “EXITOS”.

He has written symphonic orchestrations, performed and recorded by the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and compositions like ABRE LOS OJOS, CIERRA LOS OJOS, commissioned and premiered by the MUSICA DE CAMARA STRING ORCHESTRA at St Patrick’s Cathedral in April 2011.

Hector Martignon is currently working on a first CD with his BANDAGRANDE Big Band + String Quartet as well as an album with selections out of a series of 7 solo piano recitals at the Ludwigsburg University of Education (Germany), where he conducts a “compact seminar” on Classic Music-based improvisation every November.

As a requested sideman he has toured the world with such greats as Paquito D’Rivera, Ray Barretto, Gato Barbieri, Steve Turre, Don Byron, Tito Puente and was featured pianist with Max Roach’s PROJECT AMERICA at the 92 St Y.

His joy of teaching has made him a requested guest-lecturer and performance teacher in music faculties and academies in several countries of Europe, Japan, North- and South America.

Hector wrote an instructional book on Latin piano commissioned and published by Hal Leonard, the SALSA PIANO BOOK.

Martignon’s abilities as a pianist have always been enriched by his interest in varied musical genres.

He paid for his studies of classical piano and composition at the prestigious Freiburger Musikhochschule in Germany by performing with the best Afro-Cuban and Brazilian bands of Europe, backing stars like Celia Cruz and Ismael Quintana on their European tours, and recording with Tata Güiness and Arturo Sandoval.

At the same time he was attending seminars of contemporary composition with masters like Gyorgi Ligetti, Luigi Nono and Karl Heinz Stockhausen.

He also performed classical music in recitals and concerts in Germany, Italy and his native Colombia, specializing in Chopin, Bach and Debussy.

One of his latest endeavors has been a Jazz-Classical crossover project, co-lead with star virtuoso trumpeter Joe Burgstaller, in which the music of the classics, from Bach to Ellington is re-created in a chamber-jazz setting, to be enjoyed on their two releases, “Mozart’s Blue Fantasies” and “Bach’s Secret Files”.

Living in Brazil for a one-year love affair with that country and its music, Martignon soon became a requested studio musician and worked for star producer Carlinhos Brown.

Since relocating to New York City, Martignon has been one of the most sought-after pianists on the Latin jazz scene.

He’s toured North and South America, Europe, and Asia with the bands of Mongo Santamaría, Gato Barbieri, Steve Turre and Don Byron, who had him record in his latest CD.

He was featured pianist with the bands of Tito Puente, Mario Bauzá, Chico O’Farrill, Paquito D’Rivera, and Max Roach in his “Project America.” Most notably, Martignon was pianist for the late Ray Barretto’s various ensembles.

During his eight-year association with Barretto, his contributions as pianist, arranger, and composer were fundamental in shaping the sound of the now famous New World Spirit Sextet.

One of his last collaborations with Barretto, “My Summertime,” was a favorite nominee for a Grammy award. Martignon’s versatility has also made him extremely active in the film and television industries.

Besides playing all piano parts, he arranged and produced many parts of the score for the Oscar-nominated film “Eat, Drink, Man, Woman” by Ang Lee and performed the piano and keyboard parts for many movie scores (i.e., “Gloria”, “Relativity”).

He is composer of the original music of two feature films, one of which, “Septimo Cielo”, won international awards. He also collaborated in the production of many Broadway musicals (“Chronicle of a Death Foretold”, Paul Simon’s “The Capeman”, “Selena Forever”) as conductor, arranger, and co-composer. In the fall of 2003 Hector visited Slovenia and Russia to collaborate with singer-songwriter Vitaly Osmsçko’s first symphonic CD.

The Russian Philharmonic Orchestra recorded in Moscow the orchestrations written by Hector.

As a composer, producer and arranger of TV and radio music his record is no less impressive. In 2001 he landed two spots for HBO Latino, and one for Coca Cola.

HECTOR” S FOREIGN AFFAIR In 1998 Martignon performed with his quartet “Foreign Affair”at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s famed annual festival “The Next Wave” on a triple bill with Tito Puente’s “Top Percussion” and Don Byron’s “Music for six Musicians”.

This proved to be a turning point for him and his ensemble, which evolved from the strictly acoustic trio sound of the first two CDs to a more eclectic and electric quartet sound.

The new configuration that evolved from that memorable concert started a series of concerts and recordings, with guitarist Mark Whitfield, Cameroonian bassist Richard Bona and Cuban drummer Horacio “Negro” Hernández.

This quartet performed and recorded live during a weeklong stint at New York’s famous Birdland.

The group has also performed on BET television festivals, at jazz clubs in Manhattan, and made various appearances in clubs and open-air festivals in his native Colombia and in Europe.

Martignon’s third solo project, to be released in the fall of 2003, is not only a reflection of the group’s new musical direction but also of his interaction with other world class musicians.

Eddie Gomez, Jeff Watts, Mathew Garrison, John Benitez, Dafnis Prieto, Willard Dyson have all made their unique contribution to this, Martignon’s new sound of Jazz.

Hector In Amsterdam with daughter Leticia

Hector Martignon never fails to surprise, challenge and delight us. Stay tuned and get involved in this affair.

Site: Héctor Martignon

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