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How drastic was the change
from being in Kumbia Kings to becoming a solo artist?
It was a big change. To me, it was a relief though. I felt like I
came out of a box, and I was free again. But being on stage is not exactly
the same, although its
perhaps even better. I dont have
the same people there that I used to. I have my own people now. I have
my own band. It was also a big change in the music because we used to
do cumbia, we used to do reggae with a hip-hop twist to it. Now its
R&B, hip-hop, ballads, and stuff like that. It was a big change, but
again I feel a lot more comfortable where Im at right now.
Why did you decide to leave
the group?
I felt like I was being a shadow of the person that was the main guy
in the group. A lot of people would mention the Kumbia Kings, but it was
not like we were known individually. We were just known as the Kumbia
Kings. What I wanted to do was be free of that and let the world know
that I could do the same thing, perhaps even better. So I wanted to expose
myself to my people and expose my music and talentexpress myself
in a free manner. So thats why I decided to leave and build my own
career, and thank God that its been a very successful one. Its
been working so far so I appreciate the love that the fans have given
me
everybody in radio and everybody in the media. Its been
a blessing.
Has there been a time that
you wished you were still a member of the group?
No, never. Right when I made that decision I was pretty much convinced
of what I wanted to do. Theres never been any thought of remorse
or regret, of me thinking, Wow. I need to go back to the group.
Are you in good standing
with the members of Kumbia Kings?
I talk to a few of the guys and we are still cool people. The only
one that I do not talk to is A.B. Unfortunately he wasnt very happy
when I left the group, and my decision wasnt the greatest thing
for him. But I really needed to move on and be my own person. I guess
to him it just wasnt acceptable, so we havent really communicated
with each other. We have never picked up the phone and called one another
or anything like that. After all thats happened Ive really
separated 100% from him and just launched my career.
What has been the hardest
decision you have had to make as a solo artist?
I have never liked to perform with a [recorded] track. I have always
loved the live essence of performing on stage. So I think the hardest
decision that Ive had to make is perform with a track. I am an artist
and I am a vocalist; my view of being an artist is to be able to play
live and perform live. My performing with a track is just the most uncomfortable
thing.
When you write your songs,
where do you get your inspiration?
A lot of my songs come from the heart, they come from experience.
They come from things that have happened to me. Thats mainly where
my songs come from. You know this album here that I have, the English
one and the Spanish one, its like a little book about my life story,
what I have gone through. If you listen to each and every one of the songs,
youll get to know me more and more as a person, not just as an artist.
On a lighter note, how much
easier is it to pick up on women since your career has taken off?
[laughs] Why would you have to ask me that question? Nobody has asked
me a question that was so unique.
Theres times when its a lot easier. And theres times
when its just a lot harder, because a lot of women nowadays, you
know, they hear you on the radio and they expect for you to be cocky with
them. So they become cocky with you and they become hard
Im
not here to pick up chicks because of what I do or who I am. Its
more of the person that I am inside, not who I am on the outside. Theres
times of course that its a lot easier and theres times that
its difficult because, like I said, they become hard because they
think you are going to act a certain way with them.
So do musicians ever get
to take home the hot women in their videos?
[laughs] It depends on the person and if you are the kind of person
that likes to go all out with a woman thats beautiful and just because
shes in your video you think she is going to sleep with you
But
no, not everybody is like that. I mean I know that Im not like that.
I am very professional. I dont like to go up to the girl that is
in my video and go, Hey, can I get your number? Now if I ever
confront her out on the street besides the fact that she is not there
in the environment where we are working
um
well hey, thats
a whole different story. When we are on a set and we are working, its
all professional.
Whats the craziest
thing that one of your female admirers has done?
Well I know that this might not sound unusual but Ive had panties
thrown at me when Im on stage. I mean Im pretty sure you hear
this from a lot of people. Maybe its not the most unusual, but to
me its just, wow, its just a weird thing. For a woman to be
able to take off her panties and say, Here you go!
You are thinking of going
into acting, is that your ultimate goal?
My ultimate goal is basically to do as much as possible, as much as
I can. And a lot of people have come to me and said, You should
get into acting. The more people come to me and ask me or tell me,
You should get into acting, the more and more I believe it.
And hey, to me its not a bad idea. I love being in front of the
cameras. I love being myself in front of cameras, and I dont mind
acting like a fool in front of the cameras. So of course I do have some
plans to, later on in the future, do some acting here and there. But right
now, I am really concentrating on my music. I want to establish myself
here first, before I establish a name in acting.
Were you to start acting
would you dedicate most of your time to acting or give up singing altogether?
I know that it requires a lot when you start acting, so I think you
would have to stop one thing. But hey, if you could do both at the same
time, why not? I dont feel that I might have to stop making music
to go into acting. Nowadays there are just a lot of people out there doing
the same exact thing. Like J. Lo, she did it. She started acting and singing.
I could do the same thing. Hey, if theres a way that I can make
it easy for me to be able to work both careers, then I would love to do
both.
So which actor would you
want to work with if you could become a Hollywood superstar?
Theres a lot of actors that are just great. Theres Al
Pacino. Theres Cuba Gooding, Jr. Theres Denzel Washington.
Wow, I mean all kinds of actors I wouldnt mind working with, any
of these people, because they are just great people, great actors. Once
I get to their level, then maybe I would like to work with them. Because
I would not like to make a fool out of myself.
So whose level do you think
you could get to?
As long as I could get to some type of level. [laughs] Even if there
are ten levels, as long as I get to the first level, I am okay.
Is it more important to
you to get acceptance in the English or Spanish speaking audience?
I think both. I dont think I would choose one more than the
other. I think I would do both, because the fact is I can speak Spanish
and I can speak English. By being accepted by both markets it would be
something very, very, very great for me. Right now I am trying to get
accepted in the English market, in the urban department. And its
difficult, its hard being Latin and singing R&B music.
Which audience do you think
you identify most with?
Both. I think I can identify with both because, like I said, I am
from a Mexican familySpanish has been my first languageand
I can identify with the American market, because I was raised in the U.S.
What advice do you have
for Latino men?
To believe in yourself, keep striving for your dreams. There are no
barriers on your dreams. You cant put any barriers in front of yourself,
or else youre going to stop yourself. The only person that can stop
you is yourself. I think that you just need to have faith in yourself,
have faith in God. Keep going forward, and dont listen to all the
negativity thats out there.
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