We are very excited to have Bocatabú and Vicente García here in Altos de Chavón tomorrow Saturday the 28th of December. These two Dominican artists will delight us with a night full of rock and plenty of music, and so in celebration, here we bring you an interview with both Bocatabú and Vicente Garcia.
With the release of his debut album “Melodrama”, Dominican singer-songwriter Vicente Garcia, is currently an artist who likes to redefine musical genres and defy labels. Vicente Garcia has impeccable musical ideas whose influences surround the nostalgic sound of soul and tropical rhythms of his country.
Bocatabú is an alternative rock/pop trio from the Dominican Republic. Their music is a luxuriant blend of classic musical intonations infused with modern melodies and tendencies.
So without further ado, let’s get to know them…
Bocatabú
@cdcliving: How and when did you start to get interested in music?
Music is something that always caught our attention from a very young age. The curiosity began when we heard music at home from our parents or friends and then we started to focus on our instruments. However, the point of interest in common began when we started to attend concerts and we observed how other artists performed the songs that we liked, they completely engaged the audience to the point that they intimidated the public. We loved this.
@cdcliving: How long have you been playing?
We started to play together informally since summer 2007, but as an official band we started in 2008.
@cdcliving: Who or what influences you guys musically?
Our sound goes hand in hand with what we’ve been hearing since a young age. Eduardo is very influenced by rock, Oscar by pop and me (Giorgio) by electronic, I studied classic music for a few years. We mixed these fusions and the result is this project. We are surrounded by different genres and we like artists like Devendra Banhart, Bowie Soda/Cerati, Arcade Fire, The Cranberries, Björk, Beach House and of course The Beatles.
@cdcliving: Are there any other musicians in your family?
No, they are not that crazy.
@cdcliving: What else do you do apart from music?
Creating excuses to continue to do music. Oscar is the producer and has his own recording studio. Gio was a guitar teacher and music teacher for kids.
@cdcliving: How do you feel about your presentation at Altos de Chavón
We are very excited, its been a long time since we performed in La Romana and we’ve been told that the energy at Chavón is really good. Also the view itself is breathtaking. We feel like is an incredible place to pull out a show.
@cdcliving: What are your expectations?
We will be taking music of our tour “Vidas Extraviadas”. We have prepared something special for these two shows with Vicente. The expectations are very high due to the magic of the place. We are very anxious and we want to make it memorable.
@cdcliving: Any plans for future albums?
The idea is to keep developing more and more every in album, we already started to write new material, in fact we have spent most of 2012-2013 checking the songs and playing with the concept of this third album.
@cdcliving: Any advice for potential future artists?
This is a career based on persistence. There will be tough moments, but if you have created something special that has a meaning for a group of people and at the end the things are not fine, that’s because its not the end.
Vicente
@cdcliving: When and how did you start to get interested in music?
From a very young age I’ve felt a huge attraction for music and art, my family always motivated me to build up my passion.
@cdliving: Who or what influences you musically?
A lot actually. I have been influenced by artists who do not limit themselves to one single genre. I like music in general, as a human expression, beyond the trend and the popular sounds at that moment.
@cdcliving: Why did you decide to leave Calor Urbano?
I decided to leave for artistic reasons. I felt that I wanted to expand, I wanted to experiment with Dominican music, I wanted to start new fusions with bachata and create a sound that in some way will represent were I come from.
@cdcliving: How was the transition from being in a group to being a solo artist?
It has been really beautiful to learn in a new stage, to start and play the music I always heard in my surroundings. On the other hand it was very hard to be alone at the time of sharing so many responsibilities and goals.
@cdcliving: How does it feel to have collaborated with artist like Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Maná and Maroon 5?
I feel very lucky and grateful.
@cdcliving: What do you do apart from music?
I like to read, listen to music and investigate about other artists that I feel passionate about… ah and olives.
@cdciving: What are your expectations for the presentation at Altos de Chavón?
I’m very excited with this concert, I’ve always loved Altos de Chavón.
@cdcliving: Any plans for the future?
I’m working on several parallel projects, 2014 is a promising year for music, I will also be visiting Latin America.
Thank you very much to both for sharing this with us, and we look forward to seeing everyone at the “Rock on the Rocks” concert in Altos de Chavón.
Rock at the Rocks
• Saturday December 28th , 9pm
• Plaza Chavón, Altos de Chavón