Discography
Gardens of Guadalupe
By the time my first electric guitar arrived in my hands, Gardens of Guadalupe had become one of the most vibrant and colorful neighborhoods in all San Salvador. This was an era of a lot of excitement in the air due to all the coming and going that was stemming from North America. Lots of ex-pats were coming to visit, bringing goods and pictures that showed us what the pinnacle of the world looked like. They also brought along with them a certain kind of happiness. A gleeful feeling that wasn't only the joy of revisiting roots, but the warm comfort of knowing that, once their stay concluded, they would head back north again. Gardens of Guadalupe, scented of fireworks' smoke, was full of these folks and their mood was contagious. Specially among young people who where about to leave the country. Once again, denial got the best of me.
Although my Canadian visa hadn't been fully confirmed yet, departure was imminent. At a young age, I was going to leave behind a whole music world (and a beautiful girl, too). In fact, I had everything going for myself to become a young music artist. I'm not sure how long that would have lasted but it was there for me to take, like strawberry flan served on a silver platter. Emigration was going to kill this. I was going to miss forever my music group and had the irreparable and bitter realization that once aboard on the plane there would be no home left for me in San Salvador. Still in denial, I started deliriously absorbing all the music that the city could offer, as if I had just arrived to conquer. Guanaco music artists became my idols and I started to follow their footsteps religiously. Suddenly, wonderful music opportunities surfaced for me. I wouldn't say success snuck up behind me like a windshield on a bug, but I was already becoming, in a poetic and romanticized way and like the song says, "a Beatle or a Rolling Stone". Suddenly time was up. At once I was ripped away from El Salvador and awkwardly dumped and let loose in Canada. Both one single action.
Once I landed, I was left in an agonizing state of confusion and severe loneliness in the midst of Canuck land. My dreams had been completely shattered and right at the time of breakthrough. It was utter tragedy. I had lost my world, missed my golden shot at the big time and was so down in the gutter I apathetically settled for the slaughterhouse. The same as alcohol, time heals wounds. After much needed seclusion and many tears shed, completely by instinct, I restrung my electric guitar again. I cocooned. I sank into deep thought to such degree that it was hard to tell if what I heard was the mellifluous chilly breeze of autumn or the rumor of my tormented thoughts running through my head in search for an answer. Finally I came up with a decision. I was going to straighten things up. The same fate that destroyed my life was going to rebuild it with equal zeal. I gave up all dreams, focused on reality, and decided to put into effect a backup plan I always had in mind. I was going to enroll in university and become a hard working professional. That is, a hard working professional musician.
Twenty four years separate this episode with "Gardens of Guadalupe". The album came about as serendipity. Thanks to my stints in pop music, I was asked to front my own Latin dance music act for a New Year's Eve party. It was a brilliant opportunity that allowed no delay in motion. A new plan was born. I was going to need a new guitar (Sandra), new bed tracks and consequently a demo CD. It seemed like a good point of departure to arrange some oldies and rework them as dance tunes. It was a heartening find. Ever since "Morning in Eden" took flight, I haven't known which direction to follow from there. So I booked studio time again. The recording was facile, simple and joyful. I made several copies for club owners to assess and played the new demo for some of my closest friends. Although there was disappointment that it was simply a promotion copy, they all loved it. Comments were particularly directed to its sonic persona: Positive and upbeat. Encouraged by their feedback I went ahead and pressed. To my surprise and amusement, what they heard in my arrangements is the sound that nurtured the music dreams of my youth.
This is Guanaco sound. This is the sound of the place where I was born and raised. This is the sound that led my first music steps into my first bitter defeats and first taste of success. This is the sound that filled my heart and at the same time left me wanting for more. Without realizing it, after almost quarter of a century later, I finally make full circle to where everything in my music started. Back to when I was a young guitar player, back when all of us were singing, back when we did it alright, back when we all sang about a friendly hand, a trip to the sky, a lady of a name and a day gone by. This is the sound that existed among and within us, there and then, recorded now and forever in our "Gardens of Guadalupe".
Samples from Gardens of Guadalupe
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Morning in Eden
I have always wanted to compose this kind of project since my teens. During my early years, a group of friends and I started experimenting with computer applications and demo recordings. Synthesizers had revolutionized the market and, thanks to sequencers and four tracks, music arranging was now at the tip of our fingers. Save perhaps with electronic music and some work with Serpas Brothers, I have always used a score for my music. However, back then I didn't have the performance skills, nor the composition technique, nor the production expertise I have now. Neither was the technology available to put in use the many tricks of the trade used in this recording. It has been a wait of almost 15 years to finally deliver this package. Morning in Eden was composed, recorded and produced from July 2003 to May 2004. Thanks to Peter D'Amico, sound engineer/right hand man, and to some of you who wish to remain anonymous, this project finally became a reality. Those who have heard it say it is my best effort so far, although it's still too soon for me to speak. Therefore, be the judge and listen to the clips. If you like what you hear, get a CD from me, tell me what you think and tell your friends about it, and if you don't like it... just... don't... tell... anyone.
Samples from Morning in Eden
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Estival
In the spring of 2000, I started to work as a solo guitarist. At the same time, I was offered the chance to have a musical theatre play produced by the drama department of the University of Calgary. It was based on a novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and all I needed to do was obtain permission from the author's agency. Since the reply was going to take a few months, I thought it would be a good idea to get started on the sketch. So while I waited, I wrote during the day and worked at night as a solo guitarist. The wait was long. I had the text nearly completed and I had already sketched some of the music when I received the news that the application for permission was declined due to an upcoming movie production of the unmentioned novel. It was already spring of 2001. My big project had vanished before my eyes and I was left with nothing. In spite of that, I was still working as a solo guitarist. True and grateful to my friend who has always stood by my side in the most difficult moments, I wrote again. It was going to be a solo guitar album. Those who love me warned me about the difficulties of trying to sell an album of this kind. However, I'm an artist and not a salesman. So, with this in mind, I went ahead and recorded. I finished recording Estival on June 28 of 2002, and due to technical problems, time spent writing elaborate program notes and a delay in the order of CDs, it finally arrived in my hands by the end of November of the same year. Nonetheless, The CD release party was held at La Paella Restaurant before a very cool group of patrons, I sold a good number of copies, and at the end of the party, I headed out with my buddy Dozabo somewhere else for a drink up. It was great. I still have copies if you want one.
Samples from Estival
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Serpas Brothers
Officially, we started working in January of 1997, at the Blue House Cafe. It was Memo who landed the gig and from then on we went straight up. Our agendas got full and we met a lot of people. Some of them we met for the better and some others... were just too many chicks from the past. However, thanks to the enthusiasm of everyone, we were encouraged to do an independent recording. And so, in the fall of 1998, our first indie effort came to fruition: The Serpas Brothers CD. Although, we were turned down left-right-and-centre by music bigwigs, we still managed to sell close to 3,000 copies solely offstage. It put a little cash in our pockets and gave us some recognition that was temporary and local. I was hoping for more to come, when I learned of a concept that would change my view of the music world forever: investors (or lack thereof). When the smoke cleared, I had to resume my day job (teaching guitar) and I realized that our duo would hopefully see a brighter light in future days. But we sold our CDs and Memo is still my cool baby bro.
Samples from Serpas Brothers
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For further information, contact music@serpasmusic.com