Tell us a bit about where you are from and how you got into music?
I am from a small fishing village named Rio San Juan on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. I got into music because my grandfather, Fermin Holguin Bono, who was one of the founders of the town, a songwriter, poet, musician and intellectual who wrote his own music and also played various instruments including the mandolin. I come from a long lineage of musicians starting with him and his ancestors.
Also, my mother and sister are musicians and songwriters. My mother is also part of the choir group of the first cathedral of the Americas in Santo Domingo. My sister writes her own music and is part of the alternative rock scene in the Dominican Republic. Both are very active and I have been surrounded my music my whole life. I got into music naturally because of my family and evolved into a musician with my own identity.
What’s the live music scene like in your home town right now?
My town has a music scene as far as Dominican music that is typical. This includes country music, Bachata and Merengue. There are local groups but not any international music groups playing there for the moment. I lived in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, for almost 2 decades as well, and that is a hub of Caribbean music and music of all genres with a very lively live music scene.
Anyone we should be looking out for (bar you, of course)?
There are others in the fusion genre like Tone Vicioso, Duluc, etc. I am most interested in promoting myself and my music at this point because it is very hard to get others to promote you or even mention you in the Dominican Republic as it is quite a biased market which canoe plagued with nepotism to some extent.
Do you think it’s easy to become a victim of our surroundings sometimes?
Yes, absolutely. See the point I mentioned before. In the Dominican Republic, certain music genres are also favoritism like bachata and merengue. This does not leave much room for airtime, for example, on local radio stations for other music genres like Afro Fusion of Folklore Fusion or even avant garde World Music. The reggaeton and dem bow wave has also influenced urban settings too much leaving too little room for an alternative musical culture.
What’s your favourite social media platform to use and why?
I like Instagram because it is versatile and easy to use and has a large user base for someone like me as a Millennial.
We believe it’s essential to have a presence on Facebook, Instagram and X to introduce yourself to all the different types of audiences out there, what’s your thoughts on that?
I think this is great and goes in line with my thinking.
What’s your view on the Music industry today?
Other than the points that I mentioned about the Dominican Republic music industry, I think the global music industry is very commercialized and leaves little room for spontaneous creativity. The quality of commercial music has deteriorated for the sake of easy hits or popularity. You can find excellent music on independent platforms and also on mainstream platforms but you have to be actively looking for it as it will not be presented to you.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned recently as you progress with your music?
I have learned about other rhythms and have adventured into styles that are normally not in my repertoire in order to explore new avenues to make music. I am continuing to explore and investigate rhythms and compositions worldwide in order to integrate them into my own compositions.
What’s currently in your ears and on rotation at the moment?
Right now I am listening to traditional Dominican rhythms (there are over 100 Afro/Caribbean rhythms), blues (Taj Mahal, Muddy Waters, BB King) and other genres like folk mixed with jazz and hip hop like Robert Glasper and so forth. I also listen to a lot of salsa such as Willie Colon, Ismael Rivera, Marc Anthony, etc.
What was your worst experience on stage? Any funny stories to share?
My worst experience is that I was playing with a full band and the electricity went out. We went on without and everyone went with it.
Once we were playing at a locale and the owner decided to have two concerts at the same time with a reggaeton concert above us that initially drowned out our music.. We were lucky as the whole crowd that was above, transferred to our concert and left the reggaeton venue above when they heard our music and as the concert went along.
Got any fun, funny stories from life on the road?
One time we had to be on time and the vehicle had issues so I had to rehearse with a super big Marshall amplifier on my shoulder until a local “Motoconcho” picked me up to take me to the concert venue.
I hear you have new music. What can you tell us about it?
It is a fusion experiment of Latin American Rhythms. I also did a classic merengue, bachata and salsa piece. I keep experimenting with new sounds and new mixes of Afro Fusion.
What was the recording process like?
The process was very intense because it included many days in the studio. It was very fun and dynamic as a team despite everything and every musician gave their best to contribute positively to the album.
Would you change anything now it’s finished?
Not really. The album was already crystallized as far as its ideas and compositions. The recording sessions were bringing these fusions to the forefront.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
I want to keep creating. My mission, as a music lover, is to keep creating music for myself to keep treading my own life path and to also share it with the wider public so that it may positively influence them.
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