Q&A With Producer – Billboard

In December 2023, Juanes unleashed a monitor referred to as “Nacimos Solos” (We Have been Born Alone) that completely laced his signature rock sound with a heavy Western-influenced melody. It was the primary lower from the upcoming Zorro sequence, premiering on Prime Video this Friday (Jan. 19) within the U.S. and Latin America, and on Jan. 25 in Spain.

A second monitor referred to as “Si Me Llevas Contigo” (If You Take Me With You) was launched final week, becoming a member of the highly effective forces of Carin Leon, Keith City and Rosario Flores. 

Each songs, in addition to the total unique soundtrack, had been helmed by Grammy-winning producer Julio Reyes Copello. 

“That is what I actually love. I really like movie scoring,” he tells Billboard. “I’ve carried out fairly a couple of motion pictures and sequence. The truth is, I began my profession doing music for tv in Colombia and now I really feel prefer it’s a great time to return to that. I’ve ready my complete life to have versatility and make related pop songs but additionally movie scoring. I feel an fascinating time is coming for me to proceed doing some of these initiatives.” 

Launched completely by Common Music Latino, the soundtrack was additionally labored hand-in-hand with the label’s president Angel Kaminsky.  

“Though lately, UML has been concerned in essential sync licensing comparable to J Balvin with ‘Agua’ for SpongeBob Squarepants, Quick & Livid sequence, in addition to Karol G with Puss in Boots, that is the primary time Common Music Latin works on an unique challenge this complete with such a wide selection of expertise crossing genres, languages and impacting cultural norms on such a big scale,” he notes.

Under, Copello and Kaminsky share with Billboard extra about bringing the Zorro soundtrack to life.

How did this chance—to supply the “Zorro” soundtrack and launch it below UML—occur?

Copello: I used to be contacted by Secuoya, the Spanish manufacturing firm that made “Casa de Papel,” they’d been engaged on this challenge for some time. Considered one of its promoters, Sergio Pizzolante, who’s the producer of Secuoya in America, had been speaking about this challenge for a while, and when he lastly received the inexperienced mild they usually started filming, he referred to as me.

We started to do what we actually dreamed of, to make a soundtrack for this story that will actually honor the story of Zorro, which is the one one which unites three cultures: Mexican, Spanish, and American. It’s an ideal setting and the timing couldn’t be higher with every part that’s occurring in [Latin] music. I feel it has been a really particular scenario.

Kaminsky: When Julio confirmed me what he was engaged on, I caught wind of what he was doing I knew precisely the place he was going with the fusions of Anglo, Mexican and Spanish sounds. Julio talked about to me that an outdated good friend of mine of over 20 years and a passionate music lover, Sergio Pizzolante – President of Secuoya, was the brains behind this entire factor and it made me much more motivated to make this occur.

How did you search inspiration to deliver the soundtrack to life?

Copello: I’m from the era that noticed the primary “Zorro,” so it’s a story that has accompanied me for a few years. There’s an element that has all the time appeared thrilling to me and that’s that it’s a narrative of bravery. I wished to reap the benefits of that to make a soundtrack that condemns that power of not even being afraid of dying. That’s the DNA, when life confronts one with survival and adversity, one has the power to bend and be very sturdy. So, I attempted to seize that keenness in every part.

Did you produce unique songs for the soundtrack?

Copello: All songs are originals. We did a spectacular tune camp with new composers very near my house [recording studio], Artwork Home. We really devoted a complete weekend speaking about all of the tales and characters from the sequence, and that’s why a lot magic got here out.

What else are you able to share concerning the album’s artistic course of?

Copello: We have now been engaged on this since March 7, 2023, which was once we recorded the very first monitor with Carin Leon, Rosario and Keith City (“Si Me Llevas Contigo”). The vocal recordings had been very difficult as a result of all of the artists needed to coincide. For instance, Morat recorded in Paraguay. Carin needed to file from a distance in Mexico. Keith City in Nashville. Rosario in Spain. However the core of the devices was recorded in Miami.

I began with a guitar riff, then I wished to mix it with sounds from Spain, so I employed a flamenco dancer and we put her within the studio with a tablado (wood platform). All of the percussion heard beneath is a flamenco dancer. Then we recorded guiros, electrical guitars, and properly, the three [musical] cultures are tremendous marked.

Then we wrote lyrics with Joaquina, and with my engineer named Natalia Schlesinger. We formed it, we experimented, and it ended up being a multifaceted collaboration.

The soundtrack options famend artists, comparable to Juanes but additionally rising acts, comparable to Joaquina. How did you go about deciding on the expertise?

Kaminsky: I had the pleasure to work alongside el maestro Julio Reyes Copello and had the loopy thought comparable to bringing collectively three icons from fully totally different worlds comparable to Carin Leon, Keith City and Rosario Flores and convey GRAMMY profitable acts together with Juanes, Luis Fonsi, Morat, Joaquina and Adriel Favela.

Copello: That was a titanic job as a result of it’s troublesome for some of these releases to not coincide with the artists’ private releases nevertheless it was doable due to the Common workforce and Angel Kaminsky who has been basic on this and helped me recruit expertise. We had a dream checklist [of artists] and we managed to overcome at the least 90 % of the [wish] checklist we had.

What do you suppose this challenge represents to the skills concerned?

Copello: All of us adopted this challenge, not solely the artistic half, however I really feel it’s an excellent strategy to launch music these days as a result of it’ll have a everlasting suggestions. The music goes to draw viewers and the viewers are going to hearken to the monitor. And since that is going to dwell on visible platforms, then it’ll be an everlasting suggestions. Let’s hope it brings the outcomes that different profitable sequence soundtracks like “Stranger Issues” have had. That’s what all of us hope with this challenge, that it turns into one thing large and crucial.

Kaminsky: From a Latin cultural panorama as purveyors of leisure, to have the ability to work with a legacy family identify that transcends generations in Latin tradition comparable to Zorro to have the ability to deliver artists to do the soundtrack is a satisfying expertise that we’re very pleased with.