Latino Music News: Gustavo Santaolalla Sounds off on Latino Rock
Rock en espanol super producer Gustavo Santaolalla is considered by many to be the architect of Latino rock, so any time he opens his mouth, I’m of course all ears. He being the super talent that he is in the field of Latin rock has his own perspective on things, and shared it with the Chicago Tribune:
“I always felt that in Latin America we had tremendous talent and content for alternative music, but we didn’t have the skills to turn that music into great records,” he says. “That’s one of the things that I set up as my goal in the States, and why I got more involved in producing. I set about identifying bands in Latin America that had something to bring to the world in rock, some type of conscience of what is going on in the world.
I believe the music from Third World countries has that element, more so than a lot of music I hear in the States, and that’s why it is important that it be heard on a level field with everything else. If it is, people will realize that it’s more than just a bunch of bands trying to sound like U2 or the Police with Spanish lyrics.”
But then with folks like legend Ritchie Valens being at the forefront of the beginning point of rock n’ roll, I’d pity the fool who’d try to accuse a Latino rockero of trying to emulate U2. It’s the other way around, bay-bee.
Pic Credit: BMI
