1 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,760 Speaker 1: Hey, what's up? Family, Latino USA is coming to Los Angeles. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 1: We're having a live show on Sunday, June twenty sixth 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: at the Theater at the Ace Hotel, and we want 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:20,480 Speaker 1: you to take center stage. So here's what we're asking 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: our dear listeners, who are Angelinos. What do you love 6 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: about your city? What's your favorite spot? What makes La 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 1: such a special place for Latinos and Latinas and Latinx. 8 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: Call us at six four six five seven one one 9 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,080 Speaker 1: two two four with your message and we might play 10 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,319 Speaker 1: your call on stage at our live show. Also, why 11 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 1: don't you join us in person. The show is part 12 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,320 Speaker 1: of kpcc's public Radio POLUSA. You can buy your tickets 13 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: at kpcc dot org slash Pealosa. We can't wait to 14 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: hear your love notes to Los Angeles, Miss Gei, loci 15 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: getidas inos bemos fronto la lo te ba yas. 16 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 2: I really do come to terms with the things that 17 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 2: I share because I've kind of made a contract with myself. 18 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 2: It's something that I'm going to have to live with 19 00:01:14,520 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 2: for the rest of my life, and knowing that it's 20 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 2: something I have to grow old with. It's not that 21 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 2: I listen to older work and I'm like, yeah, this 22 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: is great, But I'm also not like, oh wow, I'm 23 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: like cringing, this is terrible. I'm not ashamed of any 24 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: of it. So try The music that I've made is 25 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 2: more like milestones in my life. 26 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: From Puturo Media, it's Latino Usa. I'm aria Ino Hoosa today. 27 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 1: Blurring the lines between life and art with musician e lagonegro. 28 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: When Roberto Carlos Lange was picking out his stage name, 29 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: he didn't want to limit himself. 30 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 2: I wanted allow Negro to be something that you kind 31 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 2: of didn't know what to expect. 32 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 3: You know. 33 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 2: It's this idea of food that didn't exist at the time. 34 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 2: It's kind of just like, what's the flavor? You have 35 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 2: no idea what it is. And I like that there 36 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 2: can be that representation in food and in music and 37 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 2: in sound. I think it's something that I always. 38 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 1: Liked as a lavor. Neegro Roberto composes dreamy, psychedelic soundscapes. 39 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: You can hear all sorts of influences woven into his work. 40 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: A little funky bass here, some jazzy keys there, some 41 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:59,520 Speaker 1: electronic glitches winking across his discography. His voice softly dances 42 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: over the music, floating through the cosmos until arriving at you, 43 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: the listener. Elado Negro's songs are often quite personal. Please Please. 44 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: He's influenced by his Ecuadorian roots and by his childhood 45 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 1: in Florida, and you can hear it in his music 46 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: from the way his lyrics slide between English and Spanish 47 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: to explicit declarations of pride in his culture, his history, 48 00:03:42,280 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: and his skin grow glow. In two thousand and nine, 49 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: when he was twenty nine years old, Roberto released his 50 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: debut album as e Lado Negro. From there, his music 51 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: took off. He's dropped seven albums as e ladon Neegro 52 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: in the years since. His latest, called far In, was 53 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: released last fall. With a new album came a new 54 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: chapter in Roberto's life. Now in his forties, he realized 55 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,839 Speaker 1: he wanted to reassess well a lot of stuff, his 56 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: relationship to music, his audience, his career, and also a 57 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: lingering sense of burnout. After more than fifteen years in 58 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: New York City, Roberto traded urban chaos for a different 59 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: kind of adventure, and he moved to Asheville, North Carolina. 60 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: He was looking to learn more about the world and 61 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 1: about himself. On this episode of Latino Usay, Roberta gets 62 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,359 Speaker 1: real about his journey in music and what it's like 63 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: sharing his own life through his art. 64 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 2: Hello. Hello, I'm a Lala Negro and I make songs. 65 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 2: If I want to describe my music to somebody, I 66 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 2: think it depends on the somebody that I'm talking to. 67 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 2: If I was talking to like my grandmother, I'd be like, oh, 68 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 2: you know, it's me singing really like tender slow jam 69 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 2: sometimes because if I was talking to you, what does 70 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 2: my music sound like? My music sounds like just me 71 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 2: mostly to It's my history is built up on top 72 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 2: of each other, intertwined with sound, and it's kind of 73 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 2: just this embodiment of me. It's the non physical form 74 00:05:52,240 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 2: version of me. Because I was born in South Florida 75 00:06:01,760 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 2: and grew up in South Florida between Ladder Hill, Fort 76 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:08,880 Speaker 2: Lauderdale and Miami, I guess an alley way of hurricanes 77 00:06:08,920 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 2: and a lot of alligators and swamps. I think as 78 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 2: a tourist, maybe people go there to understand it as 79 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 2: like a place to vacation or a place to disappear 80 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 2: for a while, disappear from your mind maybe. But being 81 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 2: from there, you understand the nuances that exist there, like 82 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 2: the food and the culture and the music being so 83 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 2: Latin American but also being so otherworldly as well in 84 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:42,839 Speaker 2: terms of its own identity, and even small things just 85 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 2: like oceans of pavement and the pavement's always hot and 86 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 2: there's like a specific smell of you know, that pavement 87 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:52,599 Speaker 2: when it's summertime, and you know they're always repaving something, 88 00:06:52,880 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 2: and lizards and traffic, and also just family gatherings dancing. 89 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 2: I guess that's kind of like an impressionistic perspective from 90 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 2: me of Florida. I'm making the assumption that my family 91 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 2: moved from Ecuador on both sides for work mostly, I think, 92 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 2: and I think falling into the category of following the 93 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 2: American dream like anyone else who comes to the United States. 94 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: At that time, I think that was still pervasive, you know, 95 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 2: this idea of like you can have it all in 96 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 2: the United States. I don't know if it's still true anymore, 97 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 2: but I think there's something to be said about that. 98 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 2: How there's a strange inferiority complex to a lot of 99 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 2: Latin American countries that was like ingrained into people who 100 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 2: lived there, who maybe felt where they're at was not 101 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaker 2: enough and what they had was not good enough. Growing up, 102 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 2: it wasn't hard to be around Ecuadorians because my family 103 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 2: made it a point to always be around Equadorians. I mean, 104 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 2: my dad was a part of all these Equadorian societies 105 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 2: and we would be at functions every weekend. They're you know, 106 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 2: meeting new people and hanging out with just Equadorian kids 107 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 2: all the time. So that was my life mixed and 108 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 2: intertwined with that we're other people from other countries all 109 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 2: the time. I always knew somebody from somewhere. 110 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: For me. 111 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 2: As I look back on it, and as I have 112 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 2: looked back on it, I kind of cherished the fact 113 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,319 Speaker 2: that that did happen, you know, in the moment as 114 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 2: a kid, it's like the opposite. You don't want to 115 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 2: be hanging out with your parents' friends, you know. But 116 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 2: now I'm just like, you know, I love the fact 117 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 2: that that's what I was exposed to. When I'm working, 118 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 2: when I'm making music, when I'm writing, or doing anything 119 00:08:50,200 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 2: that I'm doing that has some kind of formal expression 120 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 2: that I'm going to share, it's almost always about just 121 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 2: my experience and who I am and the people that 122 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 2: I've been around and the things that I've encountered, and 123 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 2: so first and foremost, I really try to never speak 124 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 2: for anyone else. There's a bigger idea of like the 125 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 2: people who feel represented because of me or through me, 126 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 2: and I respect that a lot, and I feel like 127 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 2: people identify with the music that I've made historically and 128 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,959 Speaker 2: now because of that representation. The thing that I learned 129 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 2: at a really young age is that there is a 130 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 2: diversity in the culture itself throughout Latin America through so 131 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,720 Speaker 2: many voices speaking. I learned that when the first time 132 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 2: I went to Ecuador when I was eight, and I 133 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 2: blew my mind because I was living in the United 134 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,520 Speaker 2: States for so long, and then when I went there 135 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 2: as a little kid and then started spending my summers 136 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 2: and Christmas is there, I have really started to understand 137 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 2: the world in a completely different way, and how big 138 00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 2: the world was and how so much more that people 139 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 2: we're experiencing. That was just so outside of anything that 140 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 2: I would ever know, just even through music, you know, 141 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 2: Like a second I heard cover songs of the Beatles 142 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 2: that were saying in Spanish before I actually heard the Beatles, 143 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 2: you know, and I didn't even know who the Beatles were, 144 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 2: you know, stuff like that, where it's like the culture 145 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 2: is so much bigger than just one idea or LATINX 146 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 2: identity or you know, these ideas of Latini that that 147 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 2: have kind of been constructed. I've come to understand that, 148 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 2: and I've also evolved and like I've come to understand 149 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 2: more so about what it is that I want to 150 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 2: represent and continue to represent and to try to uplift 151 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 2: and support. I really always try to communicate that it's 152 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 2: really just about me. You know, these are my words 153 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 2: about my life and that's about it. But also in 154 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 2: the context of making work, you know, there's a feedback 155 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 2: loop that people are going to take it in different ways, 156 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 2: and it's something that I've kind of had to learn 157 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 2: how to process as well. People approach me about the 158 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 2: work that I make and how they see themselves in it, 159 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,679 Speaker 2: or maybe respond or react to a specific song or anywhere, 160 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 2: whether it's relating to you know, identity or the way 161 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 2: we look, you know, being brown, or being children of 162 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 2: immigrants from Latin America or you know, there's there's always 163 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 2: different different things. I think I'm always grateful that folks 164 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 2: are even just into it. I'm really lucky to even 165 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 2: have the ability to do this what I do. I 166 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 2: definitely pinched myself most days when I'm waking up and 167 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 2: just working on music and thinking, you know, this is 168 00:11:55,880 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 2: really cool that I can do this. But the flip 169 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 2: side of that is I remember touring Private Energy, which 170 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 2: is an album I made few albums ago, and on 171 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:17,480 Speaker 2: that album was a song called Young Latin Proud, and 172 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 2: also a song called It's My Brown Skin in the 173 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:27,079 Speaker 2: Dog Shot in the Lies. There were a lot of 174 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 2: people who'd come up to me after shows and just 175 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,679 Speaker 2: pour out their hearts about their different experiences growing up 176 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:37,680 Speaker 2: and the things that have happened to them. That's just 177 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,679 Speaker 2: for me. Sometimes people would be in tears and it 178 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:44,400 Speaker 2: was just so hard for me. It was hard because 179 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 2: in that specific situation, I had just gotten offstage. You 180 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 2: pour so much into that performance. You wake up early, 181 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 2: you drive to whichever city you're going to do sound check, 182 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,679 Speaker 2: you're an alien in the city you don't know, and 183 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 2: then you perform and then depending on your situation, you're 184 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 2: like interacting with people at the end in a really 185 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 2: weirdly conflicting way because you're at the merch table and 186 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:12,400 Speaker 2: you're like, oh, my god, I want to sell you 187 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 2: this thing because I need to pay for gas or something. 188 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 2: So it's like someone's being really vulnerable to you. But 189 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 2: you're also like in this really bizarre moment of pure 190 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 2: capitalist exchange where you're just like and you're at my 191 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 2: merch table. Now you know, it can be so not cool. 192 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 2: I'm just like, oh, my god, just take this. Don't 193 00:13:29,760 --> 00:13:32,600 Speaker 2: I don't know, don't pay for this, you know. And 194 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 2: I think there's just learning lessons for me more than anything, 195 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 2: you know, to kind of like further understand how to 196 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 2: like create dialogue with myself and become more aware of 197 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 2: like how I'm interacting with people through different situations. This 198 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 2: idea of what we do in terms of making art 199 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 2: to make money, I think is definite lifelong question. But 200 00:13:56,640 --> 00:14:00,560 Speaker 2: I think there is no honest work, Like there's a 201 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 2: way to even like define that. I think if you've 202 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 2: grown up here, possibly anywhere in the world, you have 203 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 2: to pay somebody something to do something that you want 204 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:15,000 Speaker 2: to do. I think it's just making a decision about 205 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 2: how you want to spend your time in this lifetime. 206 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 2: I could get a job doing anything, but I don't 207 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 2: necessarily think anything is better than anything else. I mean, 208 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 2: definitely there's things that are terrible, like I don't know, 209 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 2: starting wars. I think making music and having the ability 210 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 2: to sustain my life through it is okay with me. 211 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,120 Speaker 2: I don't live any kind of like lavish life. I 212 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 2: live in Asheville now, and you know, I don't make 213 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 2: a lot of money. I make enough to kind of 214 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 2: get by and pay rent, and sometimes I hadn't, you know, 215 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 2: sometimes I couldn't. Most times I was really just not 216 00:14:56,640 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 2: getting by. I was just kind of wishing and praying 217 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 2: that something would appear. So it's okay. It's okay with 218 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 2: me to make money off of the work that I make. 219 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 2: I don't feel conflicted based on what I share either. 220 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:15,240 Speaker 2: I really do come to terms with the things that 221 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: I share because I've kind of made a contract with 222 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:20,960 Speaker 2: myself knowing that it's something that I'm going to have 223 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:22,680 Speaker 2: to live with for the rest of my life, and 224 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 2: knowing that it's something I have to grow old with. 225 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 2: It's not that I listen to older work and I'm like, yeah, 226 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:43,320 Speaker 2: this is great, but I'm also not like, oh wow, 227 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 2: I'm like cringing, this is terrible. You know. I'm not 228 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 2: ashamed of any of it. The music that I've made 229 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 2: is more like milestones in my life. The things that 230 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 2: maybe happen with this kind of work is, Yeah, there's 231 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 2: the possibility of getting burnt out for sure. My first 232 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 2: real experience of burnout was living in New York and 233 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 2: working on so many projects and kind of trying to 234 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 2: upkeep and maintain this need and want to work on 235 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 2: all these things, but also balance how rent was going 236 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 2: to get paid or something like that and all these 237 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 2: other things. With a friend of mine, we talked about 238 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 2: it as New York constantly exists with this ambient stress. 239 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 2: It's like a perfume that kind of permeates through everything, 240 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 2: and as much as you have to, like we're taking 241 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 2: care of yourself and these mental and physical ways, you're 242 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 2: constantly fighting against that. So I think that burnout that's 243 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 2: the stuff that has nothing to do with music. That's 244 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 2: just the life stuff to participate. And then the music 245 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 2: stuff is like the language of the business, the way 246 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 2: people talk to you. You hopefully you talk to somebody 247 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 2: who's like really generous and kind and will be like, yeah, 248 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 2: this is what this means, and you should talk to 249 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 2: this person because they're great. But sometimes you just talk 250 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 2: to people who are just like you know, they be 251 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,440 Speaker 2: little because you don't know anything. So there's so much 252 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,159 Speaker 2: burnout in music in itself. It's not just behind the scenes, 253 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 2: it's kind of in the fabric of the everyday things 254 00:17:22,840 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 2: that you do with it. I think I'm still healing. 255 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 2: I don't think I've healed and burnout at all. I 256 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 2: got burnt out a long time ago, probably in like 257 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 2: twenty ten, twenty eleven, I'm serious. And then I've been 258 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:48,120 Speaker 2: touring downstop in different ways, and I don't think there's 259 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: a beginning and end to any of it. I think 260 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 2: the fire is hot, and you kind of have to 261 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 2: know when to be around it and when not to 262 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 2: be around it. I think that's more it than anything. 263 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:08,639 Speaker 2: I think it never goes away. I mean, routine is beautiful, 264 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 2: but I think with this line of work, I think 265 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:15,640 Speaker 2: a lot of times routine isn't like a savior. Routine 266 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 2: can also be part of the burnout. You know, Routine 267 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 2: can also be a detriment in respect to what you 268 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:24,320 Speaker 2: really need, and a lot of times you kind of 269 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:32,720 Speaker 2: really need to just feel what you're feeling. The process 270 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 2: to make this record was very confusing. It was confused 271 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 2: it was literal, it was meaningful, but it was also 272 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 2: like it started one way and it ended another. Maybe 273 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 2: that's how most things are. But I think because there 274 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:49,680 Speaker 2: was an interruption with the lockdown and COVID, I think 275 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 2: that was kind of very much an unanticipated understanding of 276 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,879 Speaker 2: how the world was going to be. So it was 277 00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 2: confusing in that sense because there was like a plan 278 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 2: and there wasn't, and then it all kind of began 279 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 2: to reveal itself. 280 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 1: You know. 281 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 2: I was in Marfa, Texas when the lockdown happened, and 282 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 2: I stayed there for six months and I wrote a 283 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,439 Speaker 2: lot of things there. But also previous to that, I 284 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 2: had written tons of work while on tour, and my 285 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,320 Speaker 2: intention was like I was going to have a bunch 286 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 2: of friends in the studio together, working and writing and 287 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 2: doing it all together, which I had started to do, 288 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 2: and then I couldn't. I think Gemini and Leo is 289 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,679 Speaker 2: like a really cool song because I think it is 290 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 2: a product of that initial intention and process. It was 291 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 2: a combination of a few folks. My friend Opel Hoy 292 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 2: who was by Zennazen. My friend Jay Tramp played drums, 293 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 2: my friend Jen Wassner, she was by flaccadimes, and it 294 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,000 Speaker 2: was a very unique thing where it was like born 295 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 2: and from a very primitive and strange idea of mine 296 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 2: and collaboratively created through all of us. It's a really 297 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 2: proud moment for me because I think it's testament to 298 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 2: the idea that I had that I wanted to do 299 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 2: the initial idea. Another fun one that kind of resonates 300 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 2: that same idea is Lena Rangha. My friend Taja Cheek 301 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:36,199 Speaker 2: who goes by Lorraine. She has her band Lorraine. You know, 302 00:20:36,280 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 2: she came over and we're in Brooklyn still and we 303 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 2: were just like I just had these like loops and 304 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 2: then she started playing bass and guitar and the lyrics 305 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,440 Speaker 2: just appeared. It was just that moment that you always 306 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 2: want to happen. 307 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 3: Oh. 308 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 2: I was trying to continually keep that theme, but I 309 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 2: had to do so many things remotely, and you know, 310 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,280 Speaker 2: things got confused because it's just like the energy felt 311 00:21:02,359 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 2: way different and had to find a new center with it. 312 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 2: In the end, it was just me on working in 313 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:22,280 Speaker 2: the studio alone mostly. I was videos was a very 314 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 2: healing song for me that was like the impetus to 315 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 2: begin recording again. It was like the first one I 316 00:21:33,680 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 2: recorded in Marfa, and it was kind of just like 317 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 2: an explosion, and not a loud explosion, but just kind 318 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 2: of like a high speed video of a flower blooming. 319 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 2: It's kind of like that, that kind of explosion. I 320 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 2: went somewhere in Texas and you know, having a beautiful day, 321 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:06,199 Speaker 2: having a perfect day, and like having a great experience 322 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 2: environmentally and physically and with people. And then I wrote 323 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:13,480 Speaker 2: the song the next day and it all poured out 324 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 2: of me, like it was just just happened, and I 325 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 2: was like, wow, I love this. You know, it's just 326 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:29,960 Speaker 2: like a constant reminder that this is possible. Excuse I 327 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,439 Speaker 2: was pretty as is kind of just the thing that 328 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 2: I wish would happen all the time. But I'm glad 329 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:43,359 Speaker 2: it doesn't. God, They're all my favorites, but those are 330 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:46,199 Speaker 2: some that speak to all of these things, you know, 331 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 2: these ideas of identity, these ideas of process, and these 332 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:57,360 Speaker 2: ideas of burnout. Know. I was living in New York 333 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 2: City for about fifteen or sixteen years. I had moved 334 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:04,560 Speaker 2: to Asheville last July. I moved to Ashville in the 335 00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 2: hopes to just try something new. I think there's like 336 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 2: something that I was continually saying, which was, you know, 337 00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:15,719 Speaker 2: the world is beautiful everywhere, to fully understand that and 338 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 2: to kind of just feel and understand other places than 339 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 2: other people. There's a culture here that's way different than 340 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:23,200 Speaker 2: New York. And I think the culture in New York 341 00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 2: is beautiful and I've always enjoyed it, and you can 342 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,960 Speaker 2: kind of fall into like all these like micro worlds 343 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 2: and macro worlds, you know. But I think there's also 344 00:23:33,359 --> 00:23:38,200 Speaker 2: the ability to interrupt yourself. I think the ability to 345 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 2: look at what's automatic in your life. I feel like 346 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 2: I've been recognizing that about myself a lot. Is how 347 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 2: to not respond and react the way that I'm expected 348 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,800 Speaker 2: to or that maybe I've expected myself to, which is 349 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 2: like to pursue a career and like be a part 350 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 2: of things that are part of big cities and seeing 351 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 2: like culture and things moving a specif big way, and 352 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:05,159 Speaker 2: just not be so automatic and just pause and I 353 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 2: think about or what's something that I can do to 354 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 2: change that in a real way. Physically being somewhere will 355 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 2: do that to you, And so I'm seeing what can 356 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:20,000 Speaker 2: happen and what's new and so far so good. 357 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 1: You know. 358 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 2: There's like a bear that lives behind me, so that's 359 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 2: kind of strange. Things are slow and things are okay. 360 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:03,880 Speaker 1: This episode was produced by Alejandra Salasad and edited by 361 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: Daisy Contreras. It was mixed by j J. Carubin. The 362 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: Latino USA team includes Andrea Lopez Cruzado, Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, 363 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: Julia Ta Martinelli, Victoria Strada, Rinaldo Leanos Junior, Patricia Sulbaran 364 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: and Julia Rocha, with help from Trau Perees. Our editorial 365 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,639 Speaker 1: director is Julio Ricardo Barella. Our director of engineering is 366 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: Stefanie Lebou. Our senior engineer is Julia Caruso. Our associate 367 00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:34,280 Speaker 1: engineer is Gabriela Biaz. Our marketing manager is Luis Luna. 368 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: Our theme music was composed by Zenia Rubinos. I'm your 369 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,159 Speaker 1: host and executive producer Mariano Josa. We'll see you on 370 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 1: the next episode and remember not te vayas and Ciao. 371 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 3: Funding for Latino USA is coverage of a Culture of 372 00:25:54,119 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 3: Health is made possible in part by a grant from 373 00:25:56,720 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 3: the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Latino US Say is made 374 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:04,199 Speaker 3: possible in part by the John D. And Catherine T. 375 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 3: MacArthur Foundation and the Ford Foundation, working with visionaries on 376 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 3: the front lines of social change worldwide. 377 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 2: When I was little, I would sing in front of 378 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:22,240 Speaker 2: my parents and their family. I would sing like songs 379 00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 2: by like Leolan or like Lafayel at parties at home, 380 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 2: kind of more like baladi jams from Latin America.