Pepe Aguilar on music, mustaches and concert
Mariachi superstar's "MTV Unplugged" is up for album of the year at the Latin Grammys
Pepe Aguilar on music, mustaches and concert Mariachi superstar's "MTV Unplugged" is up for album of the year at the Latin Grammys Check out this story on LavozArizona.com: https://azc.cc/1NXknrO
Randy Cordova, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 1:44 p.m. MT Nov. 16, 2015
Pepe Aguilar has won four Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards.(Foto: Seitrack)
The latest album from mariachi superstar Pepe Aguilar is a genre-busting collection called "MTV Unplugged." The disc and video, recorded last year in Mexico City, finds the velvet-voiced singer capably moving through rock and pop sounds to ranchera, banda and norteño rhythms. Along the way he performs with such unexpected names as Spain's artsy Miguel Bose and alternative Mexican singer Natalia Lafourcade. The adventurous collection reached the Top 10 in Billboard and is up for album of the year at this year's Latin Grammy celebration (which airs Thursday, Nov. 19).
Aguilar, who has won four Grammys and three Latin Grammys, has no problem pushing musical boundaries: In 2004, he recorded a searing pop-rock ballad called "Miedo" and wound up with one of the biggest hits of his career. The 47-year-old singer, who splits his time between Los Angeles and Zacatecas, Mexico, called to plug his concert at the Celebrity Theatre.
Question: Are you excited about Album of the Year?
Answer: How can you not be excited? It's always fun to be taken into consideration. (Laughing) Well, at least when it comes to music…
Q: It's such a daring album. Were you worried that maybe you went too far?
A: Let me tell you the truth. Even though at the end of the day I did a lot of things on the album, I didn't produce it. Meme (del Real from Cafe Tacuba), produced it, and I think he was the one who had sleepless nights. It's tricky to do something like that. It's not easy, and there's a lot at stake. He definitely had more responsibilities than I did in that department.
Q: The cool thing is it doesn't sound schizophrenic. It sounds like Pepe Aguilar.
A: It could sound schizophrenic. Maybe it does to a certain extent? But we artists are control freaks, and it's very well-justified. These our lives, our expressions. It's our way of seeing life and we want to be heard as clear as we can be. This type of project is a lot more complicated because a lot of people are involved. It's not just one person talking. We were lucky that the group of artists that were selected to work on this project really made some chemistry. We were comfortable; comfortableness leads to creativity.
Q: So what will be next? Will you do a Volume Two?
A: The next album doesn't have a genre, per se. I started in April, and I set my aim at just getting a bunch of good songs and putting them together, regardless of what kind of genre they were. I managed to put my hands on some pretty good songs. Some are cumbias, some are ballads, some are rock songs. It's like, what the hell? I'm going to see what calls me.
Q: You didn't mention rancheras. Are you still a regional Mexican artist?
A: That's the core of my soul, not necessarily of the music I do. I'm more than just one thing. A musician must remain truthful with his feelings. Sometimes I feel like rock. Sometimes I feel like rancheras. Sometimes I feel like cumbia. Sometimes I feel like banda. Why am I not going to do that?
Q: You're able to explore all these genres without losing your audience.
A: I'm proud of what I do, even if it's not your regular artist behavior. I enjoy it, and maybe they follow me because of that. We're skillful. We don't jump into any terrain if we don't think we can add something to it. I'm not in love with tags like some of my colleagues. A lot of artists need to define themselves as something instead of just letting themselves go.
Pepe Aguilar has won four Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards. (Foto: Seitrack)
Q: Is there anything musically you couldn't do? I always think you should sing R&B.
A: I wouldn't do anything I don't feel comfortable at. It's not that I love being in my comfort zone; it's just that I respect music. Like I said, I really take pride in what we do. It's not just to make money or to become more famous. It's really to leave our mark on our concept of music. It can be any kind of music. If you're able to do Japanese music and you're truthful and you know that art and culture, why not? I wouldn't do (Japanese music), because there are those limits and boundaries.
Q: Different subject: You're famous for your mustache. Will you ever shave it?
A: (Laughing) Man, I'm afraid! It's been 25 years since I've had my mustache. I will do it, eventually. I want to see what I look like.
Q: Last time you were at the Celebrity Theatre, you said onstage that it reminded you of a palenque (a Mexican in-the-round venue). Do you like playing in the round?
A: It's a peculiar way of working. As a fan, you don't get the same experience as you would in a place that's designed and constructed to do regular shows. But, you get the experience of being very close to the artist. That's the peculiar part of palenques. The first time I saw the Celebrity Theatre, I wasn't expecting that, but I definitely enjoyed it. It's definitely a place I like to play.
Reach the reporter at randy.cordova@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8849. Twitter.com/randy_cordova.
Pepe Aguilar
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20.
Where: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix.
Admission: $65-$130.
Details: 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com.
Read or Share this story: https://azc.cc/1NXknrO