TrulySignificant.com Presents Austin Songwriter and Singer Estani. She honors her grandmother Rosita Lopez's impact on Conjunto music by reimagining vintgage tapes with help from famed music producer Max Baca.
Join co-host EV Rodriguez as we unpack Tu De Mi Te Acordaris that debuts July 11th.
For young songwriters you will hear how Estani honors sounds of the past, honoring vintage, integral "heart and soul" elements.
Explore how fusion can delicately balance music that delights the ears and hearts.
And hear about Estani's documentary that explores the roots, rhythms, and relevance of Conjunto music in South Texas. Visit https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-V9lLapPwH/ to hear more about vintagefusion.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.
Join co-host EV Rodriguez as we unpack Tu De Mi Te Acordaris that debuts July 11th.
For young songwriters you will hear how Estani honors sounds of the past, honoring vintage, integral "heart and soul" elements.
Explore how fusion can delicately balance music that delights the ears and hearts.
And hear about Estani's documentary that explores the roots, rhythms, and relevance of Conjunto music in South Texas. Visit https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-V9lLapPwH/ to hear more about vintagefusion.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:20):
One contrast, as something SAIDs your.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Friend for a killamork.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Your Lemmy Koraso, it's your premie recorder, It's Impressared Warty.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
For Kallo days say I went to spresso Storey.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Hey, welcome back to success. Made the last songwriter series
on Rick Took. Any of the show is presented by
truly Significant dot com, the center where you can go
and honor the people that help you in your life.
We have a very special guest today and a very
special co host, my friend Evy Rodriguez from the Truly
Significant Band, one of the more talented musical directors I've
(01:24):
ever known. And our special guest today is Astani Frazzell
and Astani, I'm gonna give you a real brief by
on you and then let you tell us about us,
dynamic artist whose musical journey spans genres from Latin jazz, Neo, soul,
Antihani and beyond, and we're gonna be talking about your
(01:46):
latest release and album.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Astani, welcome to our show. Thank you, Thank you for
having me. It is a pleasure.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
It's great to see you. All right, So tell us
a little bit more about yourself, like your hometown and
then we'll jump right into the questions about this latest release.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
All right, Well, my hometown is San Antonio, Texas. I
UH went to school at North Texas for about a
year and a half before transferring to New York and
then New York to Los Angeles. I was in UH.
After graduating college in New York, went to LA been
there for many, many, many many years, and during the pandemic,
(02:23):
I decided it's time to move back. UH back, moved
back to Texas. My daughter got accepted to UT and
that was just kind of the final closure of like, yeah,
this is a sign to move so we're here now.
And UH. I've always been immersed in just a lot
of the Latin Latin genres of music, whether it be
(02:45):
Latin jazz, umya, Tahano, salsa, merengue. I've covered a wide
span of Latin genres. But again, inherently, I grew up
listening to UH soul music, hip hop. My first song
that I ever wrote to was Sam Cook bring It Home,
Bringing on Home to Me and I. But I literally
(03:06):
just got the melody and and they'll and change the
lyrics all around. So I changed it to save it
all just for me. But that was I'll never forget
I was fifteen. I was the first song I ever
wrote to because I think I'm you know, my my
heart was always with the old Otis Redding. I read
the Stevie Wonder. I love that music. But we had
Michael salg You know, my grandma was playing the Hano classics,
(03:30):
Ramon Ayala, Vicente Fernandez, So you know I grew up
with both of those dualities.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
I love it. Okay, speaking of your grandmother, how does
a little girl from San Antonio grow into a genre
bending musical storyteller?
Speaker 5 (03:47):
Oh? Are you talking about me or my grandmother? You?
My dear well? I you know, my grandmother always had
music in our household. So even when we had our
Saturday or weekend UH get togethers for d'arvilladas or barbecues,
there was always musicians coming to the house. So that
(04:08):
was that was one thing. And then I was a
dancer with Ble San Antonio, and I loved all the regions.
I mean I danced every region from Nayiama, Bracruz, Michokan.
And I'll never forget performing at the Arnison River Theater
in San Antonio and seeing the Mariachi perform on that
bridge and seeing the singers, and that was right when
(04:30):
Linda Ronstadts comes Tona and MEPA had come out, and
I was like, I'm doing that I wanted and I
loved it. She was able to span across genres, you know,
she was country rock, she was rock, she was and
she did her jazz album, you know, and then she
went in to mariachi flawlessly and was able to just
transcend these genres and be accepted wholeheartedly. So that was
(04:53):
a big inspiration for me. So I always had music
in the background. And once I started feeling and I
felt that my my writing. I was always a writer,
a storyteller as a kid, you know, even with like
my little my stories in school. What I wrote, I
love to write. And once I decided I wanted to
(05:14):
make music an integral part of my career and make
that as my trajectory for where I wanted to go.
I knew I wanted to write my own songs, and
I felt that I had the background to do it.
And so that's that's how it started. I would and really,
like I said, seeing being immersed in the culture that
(05:34):
I was in and then seeing someone like Linda Ronstadt
take on, take the reins, and be able to go
through all these like multi genres with such finesse and
ease and being accepted. I was inspired to do the
same thing. So I feel that I've been able to
make it work beautiful.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Okay, EV's gonna ask you a few questions about tradition
meeting in a.
Speaker 6 (06:01):
All right, Well, I've been listening to your stuff and
it really kind of transcends different genres. You just brought
that up. And by the way, just to the side note,
I've heard all my career, all my life in music,
that music is the universal language, right, you know, So,
as you say, Linda was able to transcend all these
(06:21):
different genres and understand and be understood. Rather, that was
really a great example of that. You yourself, you walked
the tightrope between different Latin genres jazz soul to hanno
and coombia. How do you blend these sounds? And are
you at risk of losing some of your grandmother's eras
(06:41):
you know, soul by doing that or is it or are
you just creating your own artistic fingerprint? Is it just
your own thing?
Speaker 5 (06:48):
No, That's something that I think about often, and I
vacillate with like what is kind of one of those things,
like what do I stand for musically? And how am
I by going in these different directions? Am I losing
some people they're like or or myself, you know, and like, Okay,
what is it that I really stand for musically? But
(07:09):
I also think that in putting the music out there
that you feel and that you have a connection to
that I feel that authenticity and that emotion will resonate.
But I do, yes, I do have that concern with
my grandmother's music that it's not something that was in
(07:33):
my other songs, in my other creations of music, and
I didn't That is one thing too. There was there's
one song on the record that I did write, Verde.
It's kind of like a haunting lay a type sound
of song that I'd always wanted to have for myself.
But all my other albums and singles I wrote lyrically
and melodically. I was. I'm a top liner. I don't
(07:54):
do the arrangements necessarily, but I core lyrics melodies. That's
that's my strength, I feel. So I wrestled with that
because I didn't want to take the legacy away from
my grandmother. Because when you hear her songs, and you
can go to the La Fronterra website or wholei dot org.
They're affiliated with UCLA Chicano Studies Chris Straqwiz Foundation, you
(08:15):
can hear her singing these songs. They are lost recordings,
they weren't really put out to the masses. That's what
I'm trying to do for her. But at the same time, yes,
I do struggle with I don't want to take away
her legacy and her sound by adding my own. It's funny.
(08:37):
When I was recording this, I was singing the way
I naturally sing, with some runs here and there and
maybe a different stylistic approach. And I really once I
heard it, I had to take a step back and
re do a couple of them because I was like, wait,
this is taking away from the soulful connection that she
had to these songs, and so I really wanted to
(08:59):
emulate that. So it is kind of walking a little
tyrope there with staying staying true to that sound but
then bringing my own, my own authenticity into it too.
Does that make sense?
Speaker 6 (09:12):
Yeah? Absolutely, no, absolutely. I think I listened to your
single off of do I Speak Spanish. Don't know that
was so difficult anyway.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
I don't know why. You don't know how many times
that last part.
Speaker 6 (09:30):
It's a it's a it's a little bit of a
ton twister. But it's a beautiful title. If you're if
you're reading it, you're totally good. If you're you're totally
good anyway, So you okay. So I think actually I
had another question that I made a note of here
for you, but I think you kind of answered it.
You're really striking a balance between your grandmother's music and trying,
(09:53):
at least on this one. It sounds like you're trying
not to modernize the sound too much but still give
your still leave your imprint on it. Would that be
a way to put it.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Yeah, that's exactly right, and it's strange the way I saw.
I'm glad that you brought that up, because I didn't
want to modernize it too much. But at the same time,
I did look to modern artists who are trying to
or not trying, who are doing a great job of
keeping a timeless sound where that still sounds vintage, and
(10:26):
it still sounds it could have been recorded in the sixties,
but you can tell it was it's now like there's
Teddy Swims, even Sanchez. These are modern artists who've had
who've found success on you know, a viral TikTok song
or even just Teddy Swims being just an amazing vocalist
and anyway, but yeah, they have this vintage quality about
(10:47):
their music that sounds like it could have been recorded
today or nineteen sixty four and it would have been
you know, the sound and the heart would have been
the same. That's what I was.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
Trying those musicians. We all stand on the shoulders of
our predecessors, right, no matter how far you go back.
So yeah, I absolutely get you. So some artists, I
think we kind of got ahead on this Rick on
this some of the things that we talked about, asking,
as Donnie, you seem to be chasing reverence. Was there
(11:18):
ever a fear that this homage would be too personal
to you too, Niche?
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Or yes?
Speaker 6 (11:24):
Are you good with Okay? Yes, it's a good answer,
and go ahead. I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
I didn't mean to no, no, no, I know exactly.
So it's it's funny because I was just having this
conversation to Niche in the sense that also I was
worried is the wrong word. I was concerned about how
(11:49):
I would be embraced or not, you know, in this
niche because it can be looked as two separate things,
like from the outside of people who have been doing
and are are so an integral part of Gonjunto music,
made it their their life and this, you know, know,
(12:13):
all the ins and outs of the music which I
have come in as a tribute to my grandmother. I
can't say when you look at my past albums and
singles that this is the music that I've been recording
and creating and and you know, performing I haven't. So
I felt a little like I was I had to
(12:34):
tread lightly in this genre because I don't want it
to necessarily be how can I put this? I would
love if I could to integrate this style somehow in
a way that also blends with what I've done before.
But to come in and say like, okay, I'm doing
this tribute and to feel like I'm going to be
(12:55):
completely accepted out of nowhere, that was where I felt
a little a little concerned about how it would be interpreted.
And that's and that again is why I bring up
a Linda Ronstad or Gloria's Stephan. He's are the eighties
artists who did that at that time. You know, Gloria
Stephan was a pop singer for many years until she
came out with Me and the South albums.
Speaker 6 (13:16):
That you know, love that album. What a great album.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Yeah, it's amazing. I mean her albums are. I mean,
Gloria Stephan is another timeless artist, you know. But and
I see that happening more and more. But it's this niche.
This is a very specific niche. And I'm doing this
documentary as well, and I didn't want to get ahead
of myself. You can tell him and talk her. But
I've interviewed over twenty artists and and just journalists into
(13:44):
music that I've been following this for many years, making
it their lifelong passion. And there's this one side that
is like, do not change the uh traditional four piece
sound that is very like sold to the Earth music.
Do not change it. This is what it stands for.
This is what is you change. It's not going to
(14:05):
be that anymore. But then you have this other side.
It's like we have to progress, we have to evolve.
This is what you know. We're glad that whether I'm
doing it or other younger artists that are coming in
out of the you know, into the spotlight in Quonhunto
music are doing it because I've I interviewed everyone from
sixteen year old that are putting it. There's stuff out
there at Fiesta and San Antonio too, that's great. Eighty
(14:27):
nine who you know Placi Dosalasad who was still a
djit at Kalamo Radio in San Antonio. I mean that guy,
sharp as a whip, amazing and he actually was like, no,
we should evolve, we should progress. But then you have,
you know, you have the diehards that are that say no, no,
we should not do that. So it's hard.
Speaker 6 (14:50):
There's always there's always those guys, and there's an argument
for both. You know, there really is an argument for
that's that's a beautiful thing about music, Rick, I'll turn
it back to you.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
I think, yes, we're going to take a quick break
from one of our sponsors and we will be right back.
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Speaker 4 (16:49):
We are back and we are talking to the one
and only Austin based singer songwriter Astani Frazel, and I'll
turn it back over to ev Well.
Speaker 6 (17:03):
I'm going to say this title again. It's a beautiful title.
But I'm going to go slower this time, so I
don't stop it up for you do. Let's talk about
that title a little bit. You'll remember me. You will
remember me? Are you? Are you talking to your grandmother? There?
Are you talking to everybody? Like? What is the kind
(17:24):
of the thinking behind that title?
Speaker 5 (17:27):
I'm talking to everybody, I think in terms of and
also the it's kind of like a love letter to
Kunhunto music in and of itself, you know, like the
Gunhunklo music will be remembered and I and because I
feel that a lot of the other Latin genres have
evolved and have progressed and have had that platform on
(17:49):
the national and international spotlight. And I'm not saying Kunhunto
music has not, but not in my opinion now that
I've been so immersed in this in a year and
a half, and I wanted to learn more about the genre.
I didn't want it to just be in the tapestry
of my of the fabric of my life, so to speak.
You know that that song, that the music that's in
(18:10):
the background for so many of us, especially us gen xers.
You know that grew up in San Antonio, that like
in the car with our friends. You know, we were
listening to like whatever pop was on the radio and
hip hop and and all all that stuff in the
mid nineties. But we go home, and I mean my
grandma was a diehard. No, we listened to the house
and that is it. Yeah, that's literally what it was.
(18:34):
So gosh, you're enough to redirect me. I went all
the way. I started getting so nostalgic in my memories.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
I well, we were really talking more about were talking
about the title, and then oh who were you talking to? Yeah?
Who were really? Who was who was really the object
of that title?
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Yeah? And so for me to learn more about it,
aside from it just being in the background this whole
year and a half, I really learned that this you know,
a lot of these musicians and artists that are in
conjunto specifically, uh sorry, my daughters call me don't have
(19:15):
that soundboard to really go into a bigger arena. And
so the documentary along with this music, this this album,
this tribute album for someone like my grandmother who recorded
in the sixties and seventies, and and no she was
not well known. I wanted to have a voice for
female conjunko musicians that might feel whether it's some I
(19:40):
don't want to say stagnant, that's not the.
Speaker 12 (19:41):
Word, but you know, whether the leverage is there's not
a lot of leverage to like get out of this ye,
this area of San Antonio, Corpus, McAllen, you know, just
just here. It's this regional music that, like I feel
like a lot of other Latin music has now become
national Internet. And so I want to say you will
(20:02):
remember me regardless of if I made my imprint at
these two places in San Antonio, or I was just
in Corpus, or you know, not even just you know,
this was a passion to me and I want to
be remembered for my small legacy towards the bigger.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Contribution to music. So that was my thought process and
giving it the.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
Title that you want them to remember you. You want
them to remember women singers in this genre, and you
want them to wake up to gonjunto music and remember it. Right,
that's kind of the sumber. Yeah, that's great. And like you,
I grew up in a I'm originally Cuban, so I
grew up in a household it was constantly filled by music.
(20:42):
It was the you know, the old big Cuban big bands,
just that I own Cruz. Everybody knows all these and yeah,
I'm it's it's here, you know, you can't get it out.
It's going to live there for the rest of your
life exactly. And then some your single which I listened to.
It was lovely, really seemed like a very traditional style single, right,
(21:05):
so yeah, my my luck has changed. It's evocative, it's bold,
like where did that come from?
Speaker 5 (21:15):
Meao? It is again. It was on my one of
the songs that I had found on two forty five
of my grandmother's and it was a Saturday and one time. Yeah,
but it was done as a waltz. It was it
was like a ranchera. It was like me sweat yes,
(21:36):
and I was like and I loved it. But actually
it was Max Vaka the lowest text maniacs, who said, hey,
why don't we like make this, you know, a little
more upbeat, a little more lively because a lot of
the not a lot I'll be on all the songs
are more like love letters, boleros and in the uh
in the tracks on in the CD and the album,
(21:58):
I have interludes in my grod they're speaking about each
song where and she says, you know, I loves I
love to sing boleros, so it is primarily bolets on
this record. But this song, I'm really glad that Max
had the idea to make it this upbeat, lively, like
let's just get up and dance, because, uh, it really
added some flair to to the album.
Speaker 9 (22:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:22):
I can hear the influence. Yeah, I certainly can hear
the influence. And it's lovely. I mean it's really I
recommend it. What a great tune, What a great tune.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
So you talked about Max Max Baka his fingerprints are
on this project, right, Yes, what was it like working
with a guy like that who's really kind of a
conjunto like icon, like a legend.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Yeah, it was great, you know, I did it really.
It's it's so funny how there's so many blessings in disguise,
in disguises, blessings in disguise, no blessings like wait, where's.
Speaker 6 (22:52):
My That's a good song title.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Yeah, exactly, that'll be the next one. Because it was
not supposed to be with Max Vacha. Initially, there was
a group in Los Angeles that I knew, and I
was like, hey, you know what, I'm going to record
with this group. Anyway, it didn't work out. They were
(23:16):
a conjunto group in Los Angeles that h just things
didn't didn't come together. So the drummer of that particular
group said, hey, you should contact Max Baca from those
text Maniacs. And honestly, I had never worked with it.
I'd heard of the group because of the genre, but
I just cold called him and he answered and I
(23:37):
was like wow, and I told him what I was
doing and he listened to the songs and why he
started working with me is because who was on the album.
Evidently the people that had produced my grandmother's forty five's
was a guy named Manuel Guerrero, a guy named Toby Torres,
and Lalo Torres. They had all worked with her, and
these are heavyweights I wasn't aware of in conjunto music.
(23:59):
And he got back to me, he said, let me
hear let me hear it first. He's like, oh my gosh,
your grandmother worked with one will get it on and
Toby Torres, and I was like, you know, I really
wasn't aware of who they and so I had to
go do my homework. I was like, yeah, So Uh,
it was really nice to know that I was in
such great hands working with somebody who really had that
(24:20):
foundation and the soul and the heart to know how
to how to lift these songs and give them that
timeless feel, but still hold true to the authentic sound
and just give it that difference just enough from how
my grandmother recorded as opposed to how we how we recorded,
(24:41):
to not make it exactly the same, so to.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
Put your imprint on it. Yeah, great, that's great that.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
I would not have known, honestly, because I I it's
it was a genre, like I said, I've been saying,
I wasn't completely immersed in and familiar with from the inside.
Speaker 6 (24:58):
It's not always easy, I mean, to switch gears, even
though you think you might know the music intimately in
your heart and your mind, but then you actually try
and do it and you go, wow, that's not what
I've been doing, right, So it's different. Yeah, I get you. Yeah,
So I think I've heard you quoted that this album
is a love letter to your family, to San Antonio,
(25:18):
to South Texas area. You grew up in two Mexican women,
Mexican American women whose stories weren't always hurt because Mexican
weren't really very prominent in that music for a long time.
They're getting more so now finally. Yeah, So like what chapter,
what part of that letter? I guess was the most
(25:39):
difficult for you to write? Of this new album was challenging, you.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
Know, I think I think what was most challenging, And
it wasn't necessarily the songs. It was because this was
really it wasn't necessarily singing the songs. It was like
the way I felt singing them, because this was initially
going to be my own version of Buena Vista's Social Club,
(26:06):
but in gounjunto music, I wanted my grandmother to sing
them and I was really hoping that she could be
the like equivalent Oundo or Ibra kim Ferre and get
up there at ninety and be like I can still
do this. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. But with her blessing,
she's she just turned ninety in March, and this was
going to be like paying amage her as a birthday gift.
(26:29):
She allowed me to sing her songs. But it's bittersweet,
you know, because and there was there was one specific
day where she was there while I was recording, and
it hurt me and I can't even get emotional about
it now because I don't know. I felt like she
I can get like it wasn't her. And that made
me sad because they're her songs, you know, and I
(26:51):
felt bad and I could see I almost saw behind
her eyes like I want to do that. And we did.
I have footage of her. I tried, you know, we
we did, and we put the headphones on. Max was like,
oh she got up and and she did. We have
(27:13):
you know, we we have what she what she could do,
and so we have that. But I know she was
very conscious, you know, she would say no, you know,
I mean it's you know, she was just saying, I
feel horse and I I'm not the same. I don't
sing how I used to, And and that was it
was very difficult for me because I didn't want her
(27:35):
to feel that I was taking these songs and making
them like it's tunny is singing, you know. It was.
So that's the most difficult where I felt this like
that's why I put her on the cover of the
album and no, this is this is a tribute to her,
you know. I wanted her to know that this was
to put her out there on on the map. No
(27:56):
matter how big or small, I can make it just
a little part of like this was my family legacy
and because of her, you know, it was such a
bigger music was such a big part of my life
and to want to start to sing. So that was
that was the hardest part of recording this album really
in the songs.
Speaker 6 (28:15):
You know, as a musician, I'll I always feel I
don't care what content I go to, what performance I
go to, that I want to be up there. I
want to be part of the audience to enjoy this
wonderful these wonderful artists, you know, whether it's an international
artist or a local artist. If it's but it's always gee,
they're great. But I could be up there and do
(28:37):
this or that. So I would tell you that your grandmother,
that's just natural. She's never going to lose that. It's
just part of your makeup, right, She's always going to
want to be part of it. But that's cool because
now she's got a judio the pride of seeing you
do her songs. So I've got to believe that that's
satisfying to her. I can't believe that that that would
(28:57):
be hurtful in any way, quite the contrary. Let's get
back to the stories that you're telling, and particularly so
many women in music and just in general, particularly Latino women,
have so many untold stories in life and music. What
(29:18):
what message is there a message? What message do you
think this album whispers or or communicates with those women
listening to that album now?
Speaker 5 (29:31):
Lyrically, I think it just represents h just a soulful
element of just vulnerability and not being a you know,
we're in a time now where it's like, Okay, I'm
gonna tread on like somethin You know, it's okay still
for everybody, men, men and women to be vulnerable. Yes,
(29:53):
we want we want people empowerment, but at the same time,
you know, we want to feel all the pain and
all but all the glory, you know, everything, like the
challenges that make the successes so much better and the
heartbreak that makes the next love so much richer. You know,
(30:14):
what we've learned and what we've experienced, and also that
we never know our life is going to go. You know,
I think that that this is I would love for
women everybody to come away with that when you hear
this album now, is the album all love letters? And
love songs and boletos, Yes, But did I ever think
(30:35):
years later that I was going to be recording this
album and and have it means so much to me
and put it out there for so many And did
my grandmother ever think? You know, you just never know
what you're doing now, how it's going to make a
difference tomorrow, five years, ten years, whatever it may be.
And I think, you know, we're put here to create,
(30:55):
and I feel that I'm always going to be creating.
And I hope that for women that hear this album,
because you know, let's be real this this song, these
songs are all about my grandmother, you know, women that
have it's from a perspective of a woman that's lost
love and that's gain love or her luck has changed,
(31:16):
but she found a new love, and you know, it's
it's a love it's their love songs. But to know
there's a bigger picture at work, you know, And I
think it's more so the sentiment behind the songs and
why the album was even made that there's just you
just don't know how things are going to go and
how you're going to be remembered and taken into that
(31:40):
next generation, or how your legacy will will make an
imprint on whatever it is that you're creating. So I
think I hope that that resonates.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
Very cool, very good. Last question that I have is
is this album is on right now like a one thing,
that one shot thing that you're doing. Is that the
closing of this opening and closing of this chapter or
you do you plan to pursue it and maybe dig
deeper into this story.
Speaker 5 (32:12):
I love that you asked me that. That's I've been
asking myself that is this going to Maybe that's exactly
what I asked. That's because I've been wrestling with that
question and a you know, in the way of like
I would love to continue it, but I I personally
am on the side of evolving this and you know,
my evolving the sound, you know, and how can I
(32:32):
blend it? In two thousand and nine, this is how
long this was. I put out my first to Hanno
album in two thousand and eight. But if I say,
you know, strictly to Hannah, it really wasn't. It was
a blend. It has a little bit of it has
a little bit and I love jazz and so there's
a couple of songs that start off big band swing
and then it goes right into the Vodkas sound. So
(32:55):
you know, maybe I'm not saying that it was these
these this huge release, but I did it, you know,
and I was very proud of it, and I would
love to explore that again.
Speaker 6 (33:08):
You know.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
I have a big picture when I was at the
Levett Pavilion in Los Angeles with this this first album
called Mariposa on two thousand and eight. I was singing
with John Sebastian, who was a regional Mexican star at
the he is and it made me want to explore
my roots again. And all this to get to the point,
there's a picture of me at the Levet Pavilion when
I was, you know, singing the songs to this album.
(33:30):
It was my first concert live, and there's about it's
about eleven piece band, but it has the accordion, but
it has also three horns, and it has the bile
sex del guitarn, you know, drums and gon gas. So
I had everything in there. But I think I took
it for granted at the time because things, you know,
when things come easy, and you got the networking, and
I was on this big tour as a Korisa with
(33:52):
John Sebastian. Things were just coming come and come in,
and I was like, let's put it together, let's do it.
And I look back at that picture and I'm like,
and that concert and I was like, this is what
I would love to do again, you know, I kind
of just and it was funny that concert I ended
with Michael Jackson, Selina s Felia Cruz Medley.
Speaker 6 (34:10):
Oh wow, that's great together. It's beautiful.
Speaker 5 (34:14):
Yeah, and uh, you know, that's something that I would
love to explore again. So I saw I'm on the
side of like, let's keep with the genre, but how
can we evolve it. I'm on that side of very.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
Cool, Well that's great. Yeah, the evolution is so important.
I think I love the traditionalist I get them. But
you know what, music always moves forward. I don't care
if you go all the way back to classical history
through modern history. It always keeps moving. It's one of
the wonderful things about it. I wish you'd it's been
so lovely talking to you. I wish you nothing but
luck with your and I know you probably don't need
a lot of it because it was a great album.
(34:49):
You were new. Do they met us coming soon right. Yes,
with that back to you, Rick.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Hey, do you know why you made today's show?
Speaker 5 (34:59):
Why tell me?
Speaker 4 (35:00):
Because your agent told me that you were truly significant. Yeah,
you just said, you just said the magic words that
melt our heart. We are put here to create. There's
a bigger picture at work. And how will I be remembered?
Oh my gosh, I mean you just right in the center.
(35:23):
You just hit bullseye with us and truly significant. I
want you to tell us a little bit about that
documentary that you're working on. What is your what's the
big vision there for yourself?
Speaker 5 (35:35):
Uh? To like I said, to give con junto music
a bigger platform and just bring awareness to more people
who might not know. As I was that person, you
know that I heard it, but I really didn't know
the struggles, the pains that where it started, how it started.
You know, it was started with migrant the migrant workers,
(35:56):
and just it was more of like the farmer's music
and those things. I really didn't know until I've interviewed
so many people, and I just wanted to have the
story from a perspective of a Mexican American female like
myself and the gen x era who it was always there,
(36:17):
but I guess it wasn't. I don't want to say
it wasn't valued, but it's kind of like a sweater
or an heirloom that you're like, well, that'll always better.
I hate to compare music to a sweater, but something
that you always and that'll always be there until it's not.
Then you're like, what you know when the idea it
wasn't something that I really treasured at the time. When
I was a kid, it was just there. And now
as I'm older and I'm doing this album for my
(36:40):
grandmother again, it's nostalgic and I really want to learn
more about it, and I'm hoping that others do too.
So with this documentary, I wanted to give awareness and
leverage to those people who have maybe always played at
La Vita, but are the most well known accordion players
and just you know, the most talented, amazing, heartfelt, genuine
(37:05):
musicians you could ever find. But that are I don't
want to say even okay, but that have that that
passion for uh wherever they play and wherever, even if
it's only to the to that select few at at
La Vita or Mithira Restaurant. And I went down there
and I get the I got these musicians, and so
to bring awareness to this documentary and to start where
(37:28):
I started, where my cousins were, and give that arc
of where where we were with it and how it
got started. And I'm hoping to bring it to a
younger generation, like I said, who might not know about it.
And it was great because I got a sixteen year
old too. Her name is Mike Mika. I want to
say Mika Revas and I want to give a shout
because she really made an impression on me. Just sixteen
(37:48):
year old. He has Mika Miko Rivas, and I hope
I'm saying her name or I might be Micah. But
the point is sixteen year old accordion player really wonderful.
And when we interviewed her, she said, oh, when I
was when I was seven, I thought, I want to
I love Lady Gaga and I love Michael Jackson and
she said, but you know, this is my family's music.
And then I she saw somebody on TikTok playing the
(38:10):
accordion from Mexico, another female I don't remember the name,
but she said, that's what I want to do. And
she's doing great things. But she's the and she has
you know, tons of shows out here, and she's one
of the uh, one of the girls that said, I
want to make a difference. I want to make this,
you know, I want to make this Gonjunto music as
big as we hear Bad Bunny right now or you
know Shakira or uh, you know all these big groups
(38:36):
that are by Solahoma that are putting it out there.
So anyway, I digress. That was my my my outlook
for the documentary, and I'm hoping to bring a bigger picture,
like I said, the bigger story of Kunjunto to masses
very good.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
In closing, I want you to encourage your generation and
even the generation below that to honor their grandparents and
to sit down, take time and have conversations with them.
Can you close out our show with that advice?
Speaker 5 (39:12):
Yeah, Get the stories, get the legacy. Find those moments
of nostalgia for your grandparents, the vulnerability, the things that
truly brought joy to their lives. How small those memories
(39:35):
might have been at one time, can be bigger than
you've ever imagined. I feel. And if you take the
time to write those things down and pass them on
to the next generation, It'll never be forgotten, and I
think we really need to hold on to those those
moments and the lives of who came before us can
(40:00):
bring it into the next lifetime, the next journey, and
hopefully continue that each generation will want that legacy of
the one before. So I'm proud that I did that
for my grandmother and I'm really hoping that it has
a profound impact on people that listen to it. Fantastic.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Thank you so much for being on. Come back with
and visit with Ev and me when that documentary comes
out so we can talk about it and kind of
dissect it with you. Okay, I would.
Speaker 5 (40:31):
Love to thank you so much for having me. It's
been a privilege and a pleasure. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Welcome folks. We hope that you enjoyed the show. We'll
go out with some music by the Stunny and we
hope that you enjoyed today's program. And as usual, we
wish you success on your way to significance.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
Have great week.
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And warty.
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For KILLO days sad.
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And went to Spressto storey who.
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The progress the.
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Looking at wintry laws.
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Oh canno get us some Ammas. You will be there
as your premiercorra.
Speaker 6 (42:16):
Ok City and say.
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Look, get to my sister yumy hams m me there.
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Look upra song me.
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Loo can I swear rmlost.
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I can o care as.
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To Hammas you'll be around.
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Look, get to my sister Army.
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To Hammas Love the.
Speaker 13 (43:33):
Harm maasmal Leader, Hammas Love the Hammas loveda to harm
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Speaker 2 (00:27):
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Your Lemmy Koraso, it's your premie recorder, It's Impressared Warty.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
For Kallo days say I went to spresso Storey.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Hey, welcome back to success. Made the last songwriter series
on Rick Took. Any of the show is presented by
truly Significant dot com, the center where you can go
and honor the people that help you in your life.
We have a very special guest today and a very
special co host, my friend Evy Rodriguez from the Truly
Significant Band, one of the more talented musical directors I've
(01:24):
ever known. And our special guest today is Astani Frazzell
and Astani, I'm gonna give you a real brief by
on you and then let you tell us about us,
dynamic artist whose musical journey spans genres from Latin jazz, Neo, soul,
Antihani and beyond, and we're gonna be talking about your
(01:46):
latest release and album.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Astani, welcome to our show. Thank you, Thank you for
having me. It is a pleasure.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
It's great to see you. All right, So tell us
a little bit more about yourself, like your hometown and
then we'll jump right into the questions about this latest release.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
All right, Well, my hometown is San Antonio, Texas. I
UH went to school at North Texas for about a
year and a half before transferring to New York and
then New York to Los Angeles. I was in UH.
After graduating college in New York, went to LA been
there for many, many, many many years, and during the pandemic,
(02:23):
I decided it's time to move back. UH back, moved
back to Texas. My daughter got accepted to UT and
that was just kind of the final closure of like, yeah,
this is a sign to move so we're here now.
And UH. I've always been immersed in just a lot
of the Latin Latin genres of music, whether it be
(02:45):
Latin jazz, umya, Tahano, salsa, merengue. I've covered a wide
span of Latin genres. But again, inherently, I grew up
listening to UH soul music, hip hop. My first song
that I ever wrote to was Sam Cook bring It Home,
Bringing on Home to Me and I. But I literally
(03:06):
just got the melody and and they'll and change the
lyrics all around. So I changed it to save it
all just for me. But that was I'll never forget
I was fifteen. I was the first song I ever
wrote to because I think I'm you know, my my
heart was always with the old Otis Redding. I read
the Stevie Wonder. I love that music. But we had
Michael salg You know, my grandma was playing the Hano classics,
(03:30):
Ramon Ayala, Vicente Fernandez, So you know I grew up
with both of those dualities.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
I love it. Okay, speaking of your grandmother, how does
a little girl from San Antonio grow into a genre
bending musical storyteller?
Speaker 5 (03:47):
Oh? Are you talking about me or my grandmother? You?
My dear well? I you know, my grandmother always had
music in our household. So even when we had our
Saturday or weekend UH get togethers for d'arvilladas or barbecues,
there was always musicians coming to the house. So that
(04:08):
was that was one thing. And then I was a
dancer with Ble San Antonio, and I loved all the regions.
I mean I danced every region from Nayiama, Bracruz, Michokan.
And I'll never forget performing at the Arnison River Theater
in San Antonio and seeing the Mariachi perform on that
bridge and seeing the singers, and that was right when
(04:30):
Linda Ronstadts comes Tona and MEPA had come out, and
I was like, I'm doing that I wanted and I
loved it. She was able to span across genres, you know,
she was country rock, she was rock, she was and
she did her jazz album, you know, and then she
went in to mariachi flawlessly and was able to just
transcend these genres and be accepted wholeheartedly. So that was
(04:53):
a big inspiration for me. So I always had music
in the background. And once I started feeling and I
felt that my my writing. I was always a writer,
a storyteller as a kid, you know, even with like
my little my stories in school. What I wrote, I
love to write. And once I decided I wanted to
(05:14):
make music an integral part of my career and make
that as my trajectory for where I wanted to go.
I knew I wanted to write my own songs, and
I felt that I had the background to do it.
And so that's that's how it started. I would and really,
like I said, seeing being immersed in the culture that
(05:34):
I was in and then seeing someone like Linda Ronstadt
take on, take the reins, and be able to go
through all these like multi genres with such finesse and
ease and being accepted. I was inspired to do the
same thing. So I feel that I've been able to
make it work beautiful.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
Okay, EV's gonna ask you a few questions about tradition
meeting in a.
Speaker 6 (06:01):
All right, Well, I've been listening to your stuff and
it really kind of transcends different genres. You just brought
that up. And by the way, just to the side note,
I've heard all my career, all my life in music,
that music is the universal language, right, you know, So,
as you say, Linda was able to transcend all these
(06:21):
different genres and understand and be understood. Rather, that was
really a great example of that. You yourself, you walked
the tightrope between different Latin genres jazz soul to hanno
and coombia. How do you blend these sounds? And are
you at risk of losing some of your grandmother's eras
(06:41):
you know, soul by doing that or is it or are
you just creating your own artistic fingerprint? Is it just
your own thing?
Speaker 5 (06:48):
No, That's something that I think about often, and I
vacillate with like what is kind of one of those things,
like what do I stand for musically? And how am
I by going in these different directions? Am I losing
some people they're like or or myself, you know, and like, Okay,
what is it that I really stand for musically? But
(07:09):
I also think that in putting the music out there
that you feel and that you have a connection to
that I feel that authenticity and that emotion will resonate.
But I do, yes, I do have that concern with
my grandmother's music that it's not something that was in
(07:33):
my other songs, in my other creations of music, and
I didn't That is one thing too. There was there's
one song on the record that I did write, Verde.
It's kind of like a haunting lay a type sound
of song that I'd always wanted to have for myself.
But all my other albums and singles I wrote lyrically
and melodically. I was. I'm a top liner. I don't
(07:54):
do the arrangements necessarily, but I core lyrics melodies. That's
that's my strength, I feel. So I wrestled with that
because I didn't want to take the legacy away from
my grandmother. Because when you hear her songs, and you
can go to the La Fronterra website or wholei dot org.
They're affiliated with UCLA Chicano Studies Chris Straqwiz Foundation, you
(08:15):
can hear her singing these songs. They are lost recordings,
they weren't really put out to the masses. That's what
I'm trying to do for her. But at the same time, yes,
I do struggle with I don't want to take away
her legacy and her sound by adding my own. It's funny.
(08:37):
When I was recording this, I was singing the way
I naturally sing, with some runs here and there and
maybe a different stylistic approach. And I really once I
heard it, I had to take a step back and
re do a couple of them because I was like, wait,
this is taking away from the soulful connection that she
had to these songs, and so I really wanted to
(08:59):
emulate that. So it is kind of walking a little
tyrope there with staying staying true to that sound but
then bringing my own, my own authenticity into it too.
Does that make sense?
Speaker 6 (09:12):
Yeah? Absolutely, no, absolutely. I think I listened to your
single off of do I Speak Spanish. Don't know that
was so difficult anyway.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
I don't know why. You don't know how many times
that last part.
Speaker 6 (09:30):
It's a it's a it's a little bit of a
ton twister. But it's a beautiful title. If you're if
you're reading it, you're totally good. If you're you're totally
good anyway, So you okay. So I think actually I
had another question that I made a note of here
for you, but I think you kind of answered it.
You're really striking a balance between your grandmother's music and trying,
(09:53):
at least on this one. It sounds like you're trying
not to modernize the sound too much but still give
your still leave your imprint on it. Would that be
a way to put it.
Speaker 5 (10:01):
Yeah, that's exactly right, and it's strange the way I saw.
I'm glad that you brought that up, because I didn't
want to modernize it too much. But at the same time,
I did look to modern artists who are trying to
or not trying, who are doing a great job of
keeping a timeless sound where that still sounds vintage, and
(10:26):
it still sounds it could have been recorded in the sixties,
but you can tell it was it's now like there's
Teddy Swims, even Sanchez. These are modern artists who've had
who've found success on you know, a viral TikTok song
or even just Teddy Swims being just an amazing vocalist
and anyway, but yeah, they have this vintage quality about
(10:47):
their music that sounds like it could have been recorded
today or nineteen sixty four and it would have been
you know, the sound and the heart would have been
the same. That's what I was.
Speaker 6 (10:57):
Trying those musicians. We all stand on the shoulders of
our predecessors, right, no matter how far you go back.
So yeah, I absolutely get you. So some artists, I
think we kind of got ahead on this Rick on
this some of the things that we talked about, asking,
as Donnie, you seem to be chasing reverence. Was there
(11:18):
ever a fear that this homage would be too personal
to you too, Niche?
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Or yes?
Speaker 6 (11:24):
Are you good with Okay? Yes, it's a good answer,
and go ahead. I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
I didn't mean to no, no, no, I know exactly.
So it's it's funny because I was just having this
conversation to Niche in the sense that also I was
worried is the wrong word. I was concerned about how
(11:49):
I would be embraced or not, you know, in this
niche because it can be looked as two separate things,
like from the outside of people who have been doing
and are are so an integral part of Gonjunto music,
made it their their life and this, you know, know,
(12:13):
all the ins and outs of the music which I
have come in as a tribute to my grandmother. I
can't say when you look at my past albums and
singles that this is the music that I've been recording
and creating and and you know, performing I haven't. So
I felt a little like I was I had to
(12:34):
tread lightly in this genre because I don't want it
to necessarily be how can I put this? I would
love if I could to integrate this style somehow in
a way that also blends with what I've done before.
But to come in and say like, okay, I'm doing
this tribute and to feel like I'm going to be
(12:55):
completely accepted out of nowhere, that was where I felt
a little a little concerned about how it would be interpreted.
And that's and that again is why I bring up
a Linda Ronstad or Gloria's Stephan. He's are the eighties
artists who did that at that time. You know, Gloria
Stephan was a pop singer for many years until she
came out with Me and the South albums.
Speaker 6 (13:16):
That you know, love that album. What a great album.
Speaker 5 (13:18):
Yeah, it's amazing. I mean her albums are. I mean,
Gloria Stephan is another timeless artist, you know. But and
I see that happening more and more. But it's this niche.
This is a very specific niche. And I'm doing this
documentary as well, and I didn't want to get ahead
of myself. You can tell him and talk her. But
I've interviewed over twenty artists and and just journalists into
(13:44):
music that I've been following this for many years, making
it their lifelong passion. And there's this one side that
is like, do not change the uh traditional four piece
sound that is very like sold to the Earth music.
Do not change it. This is what it stands for.
This is what is you change. It's not going to
(14:05):
be that anymore. But then you have this other side.
It's like we have to progress, we have to evolve.
This is what you know. We're glad that whether I'm
doing it or other younger artists that are coming in
out of the you know, into the spotlight in Quonhunto
music are doing it because I've I interviewed everyone from
sixteen year old that are putting it. There's stuff out
there at Fiesta and San Antonio too, that's great. Eighty
(14:27):
nine who you know Placi Dosalasad who was still a
djit at Kalamo Radio in San Antonio. I mean that guy,
sharp as a whip, amazing and he actually was like, no,
we should evolve, we should progress. But then you have,
you know, you have the diehards that are that say no, no,
we should not do that. So it's hard.
Speaker 6 (14:50):
There's always there's always those guys, and there's an argument
for both. You know, there really is an argument for
that's that's a beautiful thing about music, Rick, I'll turn
it back to you.
Speaker 4 (14:58):
I think, yes, we're going to take a quick break
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Speaker 4 (16:49):
We are back and we are talking to the one
and only Austin based singer songwriter Astani Frazel, and I'll
turn it back over to ev Well.
Speaker 6 (17:03):
I'm going to say this title again. It's a beautiful title.
But I'm going to go slower this time, so I
don't stop it up for you do. Let's talk about
that title a little bit. You'll remember me. You will
remember me? Are you? Are you talking to your grandmother? There?
Are you talking to everybody? Like? What is the kind
(17:24):
of the thinking behind that title?
Speaker 5 (17:27):
I'm talking to everybody, I think in terms of and
also the it's kind of like a love letter to
Kunhunto music in and of itself, you know, like the
Gunhunklo music will be remembered and I and because I
feel that a lot of the other Latin genres have
evolved and have progressed and have had that platform on
(17:49):
the national and international spotlight. And I'm not saying Kunhunto
music has not, but not in my opinion now that
I've been so immersed in this in a year and
a half, and I wanted to learn more about the genre.
I didn't want it to just be in the tapestry
of my of the fabric of my life, so to speak.
You know that that song, that the music that's in
(18:10):
the background for so many of us, especially us gen xers.
You know that grew up in San Antonio, that like
in the car with our friends. You know, we were
listening to like whatever pop was on the radio and
hip hop and and all all that stuff in the
mid nineties. But we go home, and I mean my
grandma was a diehard. No, we listened to the house
and that is it. Yeah, that's literally what it was.
(18:34):
So gosh, you're enough to redirect me. I went all
the way. I started getting so nostalgic in my memories.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
I well, we were really talking more about were talking
about the title, and then oh who were you talking to? Yeah?
Who were really? Who was who was really the object
of that title?
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Yeah? And so for me to learn more about it,
aside from it just being in the background this whole
year and a half, I really learned that this you know,
a lot of these musicians and artists that are in
conjunto specifically, uh sorry, my daughters call me don't have
(19:15):
that soundboard to really go into a bigger arena. And
so the documentary along with this music, this this album,
this tribute album for someone like my grandmother who recorded
in the sixties and seventies, and and no she was
not well known. I wanted to have a voice for
female conjunko musicians that might feel whether it's some I
(19:40):
don't want to say stagnant, that's not the.
Speaker 12 (19:41):
Word, but you know, whether the leverage is there's not
a lot of leverage to like get out of this ye,
this area of San Antonio, Corpus, McAllen, you know, just
just here. It's this regional music that, like I feel
like a lot of other Latin music has now become
national Internet. And so I want to say you will
(20:02):
remember me regardless of if I made my imprint at
these two places in San Antonio, or I was just
in Corpus, or you know, not even just you know,
this was a passion to me and I want to
be remembered for my small legacy towards the bigger.
Speaker 5 (20:17):
Contribution to music. So that was my thought process and
giving it the.
Speaker 6 (20:22):
Title that you want them to remember you. You want
them to remember women singers in this genre, and you
want them to wake up to gonjunto music and remember it. Right,
that's kind of the sumber. Yeah, that's great. And like you,
I grew up in a I'm originally Cuban, so I
grew up in a household it was constantly filled by music.
(20:42):
It was the you know, the old big Cuban big bands,
just that I own Cruz. Everybody knows all these and yeah,
I'm it's it's here, you know, you can't get it out.
It's going to live there for the rest of your
life exactly. And then some your single which I listened to.
It was lovely, really seemed like a very traditional style single, right,
(21:05):
so yeah, my my luck has changed. It's evocative, it's bold,
like where did that come from?
Speaker 5 (21:15):
Meao? It is again. It was on my one of
the songs that I had found on two forty five
of my grandmother's and it was a Saturday and one time. Yeah,
but it was done as a waltz. It was it
was like a ranchera. It was like me sweat yes,
(21:36):
and I was like and I loved it. But actually
it was Max Vaka the lowest text maniacs, who said, hey,
why don't we like make this, you know, a little
more upbeat, a little more lively because a lot of
the not a lot I'll be on all the songs
are more like love letters, boleros and in the uh
in the tracks on in the CD and the album,
(21:58):
I have interludes in my grod they're speaking about each
song where and she says, you know, I loves I
love to sing boleros, so it is primarily bolets on
this record. But this song, I'm really glad that Max
had the idea to make it this upbeat, lively, like
let's just get up and dance, because, uh, it really
added some flair to to the album.
Speaker 9 (22:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (22:22):
I can hear the influence. Yeah, I certainly can hear
the influence. And it's lovely. I mean it's really I
recommend it. What a great tune, What a great tune.
Speaker 5 (22:28):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
So you talked about Max Max Baka his fingerprints are
on this project, right, Yes, what was it like working
with a guy like that who's really kind of a
conjunto like icon, like a legend.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Yeah, it was great, you know, I did it really.
It's it's so funny how there's so many blessings in disguise,
in disguises, blessings in disguise, no blessings like wait, where's.
Speaker 6 (22:52):
My That's a good song title.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Yeah, exactly, that'll be the next one. Because it was
not supposed to be with Max Vacha. Initially, there was
a group in Los Angeles that I knew, and I
was like, hey, you know what, I'm going to record
with this group. Anyway, it didn't work out. They were
(23:16):
a conjunto group in Los Angeles that h just things
didn't didn't come together. So the drummer of that particular
group said, hey, you should contact Max Baca from those
text Maniacs. And honestly, I had never worked with it.
I'd heard of the group because of the genre, but
I just cold called him and he answered and I
(23:37):
was like wow, and I told him what I was
doing and he listened to the songs and why he
started working with me is because who was on the album.
Evidently the people that had produced my grandmother's forty five's
was a guy named Manuel Guerrero, a guy named Toby Torres,
and Lalo Torres. They had all worked with her, and
these are heavyweights I wasn't aware of in conjunto music.
(23:59):
And he got back to me, he said, let me
hear let me hear it first. He's like, oh my gosh,
your grandmother worked with one will get it on and
Toby Torres, and I was like, you know, I really
wasn't aware of who they and so I had to
go do my homework. I was like, yeah, So Uh,
it was really nice to know that I was in
such great hands working with somebody who really had that
(24:20):
foundation and the soul and the heart to know how
to how to lift these songs and give them that
timeless feel, but still hold true to the authentic sound
and just give it that difference just enough from how
my grandmother recorded as opposed to how we how we recorded,
(24:41):
to not make it exactly the same, so to.
Speaker 6 (24:44):
Put your imprint on it. Yeah, great, that's great that.
Speaker 5 (24:47):
I would not have known, honestly, because I I it's
it was a genre, like I said, I've been saying,
I wasn't completely immersed in and familiar with from the inside.
Speaker 6 (24:58):
It's not always easy, I mean, to switch gears, even
though you think you might know the music intimately in
your heart and your mind, but then you actually try
and do it and you go, wow, that's not what
I've been doing, right, So it's different. Yeah, I get you. Yeah,
So I think I've heard you quoted that this album
is a love letter to your family, to San Antonio,
(25:18):
to South Texas area. You grew up in two Mexican women,
Mexican American women whose stories weren't always hurt because Mexican
weren't really very prominent in that music for a long time.
They're getting more so now finally. Yeah, So like what chapter,
what part of that letter? I guess was the most
(25:39):
difficult for you to write? Of this new album was challenging, you.
Speaker 5 (25:46):
Know, I think I think what was most challenging, And
it wasn't necessarily the songs. It was because this was
really it wasn't necessarily singing the songs. It was like
the way I felt singing them, because this was initially
going to be my own version of Buena Vista's Social Club,
(26:06):
but in gounjunto music, I wanted my grandmother to sing
them and I was really hoping that she could be
the like equivalent Oundo or Ibra kim Ferre and get
up there at ninety and be like I can still
do this. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. But with her blessing,
she's she just turned ninety in March, and this was
going to be like paying amage her as a birthday gift.
(26:29):
She allowed me to sing her songs. But it's bittersweet,
you know, because and there was there was one specific
day where she was there while I was recording, and
it hurt me and I can't even get emotional about
it now because I don't know. I felt like she
I can get like it wasn't her. And that made
me sad because they're her songs, you know, and I
(26:51):
felt bad and I could see I almost saw behind
her eyes like I want to do that. And we did.
I have footage of her. I tried, you know, we
we did, and we put the headphones on. Max was like,
oh she got up and and she did. We have
(27:13):
you know, we we have what she what she could do,
and so we have that. But I know she was
very conscious, you know, she would say no, you know,
I mean it's you know, she was just saying, I
feel horse and I I'm not the same. I don't
sing how I used to, And and that was it
was very difficult for me because I didn't want her
(27:35):
to feel that I was taking these songs and making
them like it's tunny is singing, you know. It was.
So that's the most difficult where I felt this like
that's why I put her on the cover of the
album and no, this is this is a tribute to her,
you know. I wanted her to know that this was
to put her out there on on the map. No
(27:56):
matter how big or small, I can make it just
a little part of like this was my family legacy
and because of her, you know, it was such a
bigger music was such a big part of my life
and to want to start to sing. So that was
that was the hardest part of recording this album really
in the songs.
Speaker 6 (28:15):
You know, as a musician, I'll I always feel I
don't care what content I go to, what performance I
go to, that I want to be up there. I
want to be part of the audience to enjoy this
wonderful these wonderful artists, you know, whether it's an international
artist or a local artist. If it's but it's always gee,
they're great. But I could be up there and do
(28:37):
this or that. So I would tell you that your grandmother,
that's just natural. She's never going to lose that. It's
just part of your makeup, right, She's always going to
want to be part of it. But that's cool because
now she's got a judio the pride of seeing you
do her songs. So I've got to believe that that's
satisfying to her. I can't believe that that that would
(28:57):
be hurtful in any way, quite the contrary. Let's get
back to the stories that you're telling, and particularly so
many women in music and just in general, particularly Latino women,
have so many untold stories in life and music. What
(29:18):
what message is there a message? What message do you
think this album whispers or or communicates with those women
listening to that album now?
Speaker 5 (29:31):
Lyrically, I think it just represents h just a soulful
element of just vulnerability and not being a you know,
we're in a time now where it's like, Okay, I'm
gonna tread on like somethin You know, it's okay still
for everybody, men, men and women to be vulnerable. Yes,
(29:53):
we want we want people empowerment, but at the same time,
you know, we want to feel all the pain and
all but all the glory, you know, everything, like the
challenges that make the successes so much better and the
heartbreak that makes the next love so much richer. You know,
(30:14):
what we've learned and what we've experienced, and also that
we never know our life is going to go. You know,
I think that that this is I would love for
women everybody to come away with that when you hear
this album now, is the album all love letters? And
love songs and boletos, Yes, But did I ever think
(30:35):
years later that I was going to be recording this
album and and have it means so much to me
and put it out there for so many And did
my grandmother ever think? You know, you just never know
what you're doing now, how it's going to make a
difference tomorrow, five years, ten years, whatever it may be.
And I think, you know, we're put here to create,
(30:55):
and I feel that I'm always going to be creating.
And I hope that for women that hear this album,
because you know, let's be real this this song, these
songs are all about my grandmother, you know, women that
have it's from a perspective of a woman that's lost
love and that's gain love or her luck has changed,
(31:16):
but she found a new love, and you know, it's
it's a love it's their love songs. But to know
there's a bigger picture at work, you know, And I
think it's more so the sentiment behind the songs and
why the album was even made that there's just you
just don't know how things are going to go and
how you're going to be remembered and taken into that
(31:40):
next generation, or how your legacy will will make an
imprint on whatever it is that you're creating. So I
think I hope that that resonates.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
Very cool, very good. Last question that I have is
is this album is on right now like a one thing,
that one shot thing that you're doing. Is that the
closing of this opening and closing of this chapter or
you do you plan to pursue it and maybe dig
deeper into this story.
Speaker 5 (32:12):
I love that you asked me that. That's I've been
asking myself that is this going to Maybe that's exactly
what I asked. That's because I've been wrestling with that
question and a you know, in the way of like
I would love to continue it, but I I personally
am on the side of evolving this and you know,
my evolving the sound, you know, and how can I
(32:32):
blend it? In two thousand and nine, this is how
long this was. I put out my first to Hanno
album in two thousand and eight. But if I say,
you know, strictly to Hannah, it really wasn't. It was
a blend. It has a little bit of it has
a little bit and I love jazz and so there's
a couple of songs that start off big band swing
and then it goes right into the Vodkas sound. So
(32:55):
you know, maybe I'm not saying that it was these
these this huge release, but I did it, you know,
and I was very proud of it, and I would
love to explore that again.
Speaker 6 (33:08):
You know.
Speaker 5 (33:08):
I have a big picture when I was at the
Levett Pavilion in Los Angeles with this this first album
called Mariposa on two thousand and eight. I was singing
with John Sebastian, who was a regional Mexican star at
the he is and it made me want to explore
my roots again. And all this to get to the point,
there's a picture of me at the Levet Pavilion when
I was, you know, singing the songs to this album.
(33:30):
It was my first concert live, and there's about it's
about eleven piece band, but it has the accordion, but
it has also three horns, and it has the bile
sex del guitarn, you know, drums and gon gas. So
I had everything in there. But I think I took
it for granted at the time because things, you know,
when things come easy, and you got the networking, and
I was on this big tour as a Korisa with
(33:52):
John Sebastian. Things were just coming come and come in,
and I was like, let's put it together, let's do it.
And I look back at that picture and I'm like,
and that concert and I was like, this is what
I would love to do again, you know, I kind
of just and it was funny that concert I ended
with Michael Jackson, Selina s Felia Cruz Medley.
Speaker 6 (34:10):
Oh wow, that's great together. It's beautiful.
Speaker 5 (34:14):
Yeah, and uh, you know, that's something that I would
love to explore again. So I saw I'm on the
side of like, let's keep with the genre, but how
can we evolve it. I'm on that side of very.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
Cool, Well that's great. Yeah, the evolution is so important.
I think I love the traditionalist I get them. But
you know what, music always moves forward. I don't care
if you go all the way back to classical history
through modern history. It always keeps moving. It's one of
the wonderful things about it. I wish you'd it's been
so lovely talking to you. I wish you nothing but
luck with your and I know you probably don't need
a lot of it because it was a great album.
(34:49):
You were new. Do they met us coming soon right. Yes,
with that back to you, Rick.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Hey, do you know why you made today's show?
Speaker 5 (34:59):
Why tell me?
Speaker 4 (35:00):
Because your agent told me that you were truly significant. Yeah,
you just said, you just said the magic words that
melt our heart. We are put here to create. There's
a bigger picture at work. And how will I be remembered?
Oh my gosh, I mean you just right in the center.
(35:23):
You just hit bullseye with us and truly significant. I
want you to tell us a little bit about that
documentary that you're working on. What is your what's the
big vision there for yourself?
Speaker 5 (35:35):
Uh? To like I said, to give con junto music
a bigger platform and just bring awareness to more people
who might not know. As I was that person, you
know that I heard it, but I really didn't know
the struggles, the pains that where it started, how it started.
You know, it was started with migrant the migrant workers,
(35:56):
and just it was more of like the farmer's music
and those things. I really didn't know until I've interviewed
so many people, and I just wanted to have the
story from a perspective of a Mexican American female like
myself and the gen x era who it was always there,
(36:17):
but I guess it wasn't. I don't want to say
it wasn't valued, but it's kind of like a sweater
or an heirloom that you're like, well, that'll always better.
I hate to compare music to a sweater, but something
that you always and that'll always be there until it's not.
Then you're like, what you know when the idea it
wasn't something that I really treasured at the time. When
I was a kid, it was just there. And now
as I'm older and I'm doing this album for my
(36:40):
grandmother again, it's nostalgic and I really want to learn
more about it, and I'm hoping that others do too.
So with this documentary, I wanted to give awareness and
leverage to those people who have maybe always played at
La Vita, but are the most well known accordion players
and just you know, the most talented, amazing, heartfelt, genuine
(37:05):
musicians you could ever find. But that are I don't
want to say even okay, but that have that that
passion for uh wherever they play and wherever, even if
it's only to the to that select few at at
La Vita or Mithira Restaurant. And I went down there
and I get the I got these musicians, and so
to bring awareness to this documentary and to start where
(37:28):
I started, where my cousins were, and give that arc
of where where we were with it and how it
got started. And I'm hoping to bring it to a
younger generation, like I said, who might not know about it.
And it was great because I got a sixteen year
old too. Her name is Mike Mika. I want to
say Mika Revas and I want to give a shout
because she really made an impression on me. Just sixteen
(37:48):
year old. He has Mika Miko Rivas, and I hope
I'm saying her name or I might be Micah. But
the point is sixteen year old accordion player really wonderful.
And when we interviewed her, she said, oh, when I
was when I was seven, I thought, I want to
I love Lady Gaga and I love Michael Jackson and
she said, but you know, this is my family's music.
And then I she saw somebody on TikTok playing the
(38:10):
accordion from Mexico, another female I don't remember the name,
but she said, that's what I want to do. And
she's doing great things. But she's the and she has
you know, tons of shows out here, and she's one
of the uh, one of the girls that said, I
want to make a difference. I want to make this,
you know, I want to make this Gonjunto music as
big as we hear Bad Bunny right now or you
know Shakira or uh, you know all these big groups
(38:36):
that are by Solahoma that are putting it out there.
So anyway, I digress. That was my my my outlook
for the documentary, and I'm hoping to bring a bigger picture,
like I said, the bigger story of Kunjunto to masses
very good.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
In closing, I want you to encourage your generation and
even the generation below that to honor their grandparents and
to sit down, take time and have conversations with them.
Can you close out our show with that advice?
Speaker 5 (39:12):
Yeah, Get the stories, get the legacy. Find those moments
of nostalgia for your grandparents, the vulnerability, the things that
truly brought joy to their lives. How small those memories
(39:35):
might have been at one time, can be bigger than
you've ever imagined. I feel. And if you take the
time to write those things down and pass them on
to the next generation, It'll never be forgotten, and I
think we really need to hold on to those those
moments and the lives of who came before us can
(40:00):
bring it into the next lifetime, the next journey, and
hopefully continue that each generation will want that legacy of
the one before. So I'm proud that I did that
for my grandmother and I'm really hoping that it has
a profound impact on people that listen to it. Fantastic.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Thank you so much for being on. Come back with
and visit with Ev and me when that documentary comes
out so we can talk about it and kind of
dissect it with you. Okay, I would.
Speaker 5 (40:31):
Love to thank you so much for having me. It's
been a privilege and a pleasure. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
Welcome folks. We hope that you enjoyed the show. We'll
go out with some music by the Stunny and we
hope that you enjoyed today's program. And as usual, we
wish you success on your way to significance.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
Have great week.
Speaker 1 (41:11):
One connotrawat a something SAIDs your.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Friend for a killamok the.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Show Lemmy Cooraso, it's your PREMI look corner, It's imprison.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
And warty.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
For KILLO days sad.
Speaker 1 (41:46):
And went to Spressto storey who.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
The progress the.
Speaker 1 (41:56):
Looking at wintry laws.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Oh canno get us some Ammas. You will be there
as your premiercorra.
Speaker 6 (42:16):
Ok City and say.
Speaker 2 (42:22):
Look, get to my sister yumy hams m me there.
Speaker 5 (42:52):
Look upra song me.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
Loo can I swear rmlost.
Speaker 5 (43:02):
I can o care as.
Speaker 2 (43:07):
To Hammas you'll be around.
Speaker 1 (43:12):
In premarycor the orsick s.
Speaker 5 (43:22):
Look, get to my sister Army.
Speaker 2 (43:27):
To Hammas Love the.
Speaker 13 (43:33):
Harm maasmal Leader, Hammas Love the Hammas loveda to harm
Masmal Leader, Hammas Movie the
Speaker 2 (44:00):
Pleas Yeah, I
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