Interview with Musician

Ann Palathingal

March 11, 2014

Oral History Interview with Christian

Ann: Tell me a little bit about yourself in terms of where you are from and what type of music you play and anything related.

Christian: As you know, my name is Christian and my parents are from the Dominican Republic but I was born here. I was born and raised in the Bronx to be more specific. I play the guitar. I also enjoy and play rock music, metal, classical, and Spanish rock. I’ve been involved in the music industry for about nine years. I must say that I am not saying that I am a well-known musician when I say “music industry.” I haven’t really done a whole lot of street performances but I have been involved in bands, small live performances, and public events.

Ann: Now to go a bit deeper, what types of performances have you done and tell me some details related?

Christian: As I said before, I haven’t done a lot of major performances. I’ve been involved in various bands. One of the projects that I am working on now is with a band called C’Gala. I have been involved for about five years now. C’Gala is a Latin/pop-rock band I play in and our main focus is Spanish music and spreading our culture throughout the Bronx and Manhattan and wherever we can. We perform at restaurants, bars, parks, and many events. Most of our performances are in the Bronx but we have a few upcoming ones in Manhattan and performed there in the past too. Our songs are in Spanish and because of that our main audience is Spanish too. We even played in the Dominican Day Parade last year.

Ann: Can we go back to you for a bit? How and when did you start to become interested in music?

Christian: Well when I was about thirteen years old, my older brother brought home a Linkin Park CD and I just started to love it. I saw the instruments, especially the guitar, and it just sparked me. I began to develop a passion for music and I bought a guitar. I mean I actually started practicing the guitar up to ten hours a day after that. It was weird. I really can’t describe it but it was that day specifically that brought me here. I went out and met up with people and tried to better my playing skills and hey it worked out. I can now be considered a musician, even though I am not famous and all that. I must also mention that the street music in the Bronx and Manhattan influenced me a lot. I began to see the many types of music including Rock, metal, Spanish and other types and just started to admire these people and their music.

Ann: How has New York City influenced you and your career? This is actually the main focus of this interview.

Christian: As you probably know, New York City is ridiculously diverse. There are so many immigrants and my parents are part of that community. As people from Dominican Republic, Ecuador, or wherever come to this city, they bring their culture. This city really exposes you to so many different types of music. I consider it a blessing that I was able to live and learn from this great place. Many people only know one side of music and don’t know much about the many types of music. For example, I would have never been able to be involved in rock or metal if I was not born here and introduced to it. Spanish music wouldn’t have made its way here if it weren’t for immigrants either. People make music out of whatever they have here. Most street musicians aren’t all that well off. I even once saw a group of musicians using cement buckets as drums. I thought that was really cool. Where else can you see that?

Ann: Can you briefly explain how street performers have influenced your music or any interests?

Christian: As I said, New York City has many of them. They display the many styles of the city that not everyone knows about. They are also incredibly down to earth. In fact, I once approached a group of Spanish singers on the street and told them about myself and my dreams. They encouraged me to keep on trying and told about their music and how I can do what they do. That really brought up my self-esteem and showed me that you don’t have to be world famous musician to achieve your dreams. The fact that they were Hispanic made me see myself in them.

Ann: This is a very competitive field. So how does that competition affect you?

Christian: Competition is normal in any field and because of the overwhelming amount of musicians in this city my work is competitive. I am against like what thousands of musicians. Although my band and I don’t face any issues for street performers and small events, during big concerts we face fierce competition. Some other bands would actually be rude to us. At one concert, we have had another band refuse to let us into the coat room and claimed it was their place. It was clear that saw as a threat of some sort. That is the one thing I don’t like about musicians in general. As soon as they get some fame, they become conceited and all. That is the very reason I like street musicians. They have a unique sense of passion for what they do and a great love for the audience that listen to them. This city has many of them and for that reason New York City is a special place for me.

Ann: After being exposed to the various types of music in NYC, is there anything that sparks a new interest in you? Is there something you would like to try on your own?

Christian: Absolutely! There are many but one is particular would be Jazz. It is so interesting. I have even joined a Jazz Club to help myself be involved in the area. Just listening to it relaxes me. I feel it is different from other forms because it is much more calm in terms of beat yet it can be fast. It also holds a lot of culture. A great deal of the Harlem Renaissance was based on Jazz music. During those times, it was a form of freedom and expression. I feel like no other form contains so much history. I have literally learned from Jazz and from what I have heard about the Harlem Renaissance. It also reminds me of how blessed I am. Jazz music was a way for African Americans to play a part in society and music as many years ago there weren’t treated equally. Now that is not the case. People of many different races can live and express themselves here. If that weren’t the case, I would not have been able to reach where I am today.

Ann: Unfortunately, New York City has a lot of crime revolving around the youth today. Many people blame the “bad influence” of street music and rap for this. What do you have to say about this matter?

Christian: I think it is sad that crime is up in this city but that was always the case. Crime always existed and always will. I don’t really believe all music should be blamed for that. I mean some songs have drug and crime references in them but that doesn’t mean all music is like that. As I said, some music like Jazz can have history and culture in them. Some forms can expose us to what goes around us. I was on the four train a few weeks ago and someone performed a rap song in my car. It was very creative and talked about the struggles of living in the projects. I think the youth and general public should learn about these kinds of stuff and not just the sugarcoated stuff. To answer your question, no I do not believe most music offers a bad influence.

Ann: You mentioned that you aren’t really involved in the “street music” industry. Would you like to change that? If so, how?

Christian: Of course I want to be involved! New York City is all about street music. People love seeing people perform in the subway. They choose to donate money and I see that as a way of appreciation and true respect. Many people say that they want to be world-famous and what not. I say that I want to be one of those respected subway musicians like that woman with no arms and hands and played music using her tongue. I haven’t heard about her in a while but she was pretty well known a few years ago. I guess you can see that I absolutely admire and love street musicians.

Ann: So you are in a band. Since it is teamwork, are there any difficulties in working your way past your differences?

Christian: There definitely are struggles. I mean we are all different people who have different interests and personalities. One person may want to perform a show at a local bar while the other wants to do it at a cultural event. Even when we plan things, we must do it based on the convenience of everyone. Above all, we must keep the band together and for that we must look past our differences. We also developed friendships worth a lifetime through this as we all share a common passion, which is music.

Ann: When you write you lyrics or have it written, what do you base it on? Any themes?

Christian: Our main theme is our Hispanic background. We like to give the best of our culture and we keep that in mind with our lyrics. We try to cherish the goal of band. Our goal is to spread Hispanic culture in the best possible way.

Ann: Is there anything else regarding New York City and your music that you might want to share?

Christian: I don’t have much to say but I must say that New York City is the best place for aspiring musicians despite it all. With some struggles and effort, a lot can be achieved.

Ann: Thank you for your time today!

Christian: Your welcome and thank you for your interest!