Singer Donnie Yaipén is about to celebrate his first anniversary as a soloist, after having left the Yaipén Brothers orchestra after 20 years. In all these months, the artist has made headlines thanks to his music and the support of his family, among them the members of Group 5. In a recent interview with La República, the cumbiambero assured that he has forged his orchestra based on his own effort.
Donnie Yaipén, who was protected when leaving a hotel with a girl who is not his wife, also gave details of his beginnings in music, his first year as a soloist, his relationship with the leaders of Group 5 and clarified some controversies who added 'hate' to him on social networks, like the time he recorded a song to express his rejection of the marches in Lima.
Donnie Yaipén's beginnings in music
—Who discovered you, who realized your artistic vein?
—My father I suppose, I have always been with him working. Since I was a child, I have accompanied him in part of his career in Hermanos Yaipén. I joined the next year it started, in 2001 or 2002 more or less. I joined him, I went to all the events since I was little and all this time has helped me learn and gain a lot of experience to now be able to lead my own career.
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—Did you ever think about dedicating yourself to something other than music?
—Well, I studied Architecture, but I fell by the wayside because things happened, I had my family, I had to work and I have practically supported myself since I came of age, since I started earning a salary. I could no longer continue studying, life took me down these paths: to follow music. Then I strengthened myself, I have been studying with private teachers, I have studied some diplomas at the Conservatory of Music. Life has always led me through music. It has pulled me.
Donnie Yaipén and the challenge of being a soloist
—Of everything one has to assume as a soloist, what has been the most complicated?
—The most complicated thing this entire year has been starting everything from scratch. Making a new production, without having to depend on a past or that I was in an orchestra (Yaipén Brothers) and hanging on to that, was not the idea. And the most difficult thing was that: starting from scratch as a new artist without mentioning the last name much; simply demonstrating the music, demonstrating the shows and thank God it worked for us and the public has been supporting us throughout this time.
—And the most beautiful thing?
—The public's response, arriving at each presentation and feeling all that support that people give me. Their applause, having presentations with crowds of people. So, starting off on the right foot has been essential for us to continue moving forward, to have more desire to make music and, above all, to receive the love of the public. I think it has been the most beautiful and most important thing in all this time we have.
—How do you want to differentiate yourself within cumbia?
—We are logically maintaining the northern cumbia, which is what characterizes us, but since we have included the accordion that I play, we give it a touch of fusion of northern cumbia with Colombian and we make everything more danceable, more fun, People enjoy it more and that has worked for us.
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—How complicated is it? play the accordion and sing at the same time?
-It's complicated. I'm still studying, every day I prepare, when I can I grab my instrument and start practicing. Yes, it is a little difficult, but with practice everything is achieved.
—Is the issue of internationalization a distant or medium-term dream?
—Everything has a process, it will happen progressively. If it happens much faster, welcome, the better for an artist. But you always have to carry out processes, you have to know how to manage your career, you also have to work musically, you have to have material that can demonstrate that you are ready to compete in international leagues.
—If you had the opportunity to choose the group or the singer at an international level to collaborate with, who would it be with?
—I imagine Carlos Vives, there are many artists that I would like, but we are still a little far from achieving it. Maybe in the very very near future we could do it.
Donnie Yaipén and his relationship with Group 5
—When you released 'Mix Valentina', your cousins from Grupo 5 sent you their regards. How did you feel about that detail?
—Those greetings were recorded a year ago, just when I went solo. Also (supported me) Agua Marina. So, we pay tribute to the artists who have given us their blessing when starting this career as a soloist. It has been nice to have the support not only of my family, but of his followers as well.
—You also opened the 'Elmer lives' show in Monsefú, did it help you measure how you were doing in your own land?
—It was a wonderful experience to share with the entire public who went to see Group 5 and be one of the guests. People didn't expect it, nobody knew, until the publication came out. The response from the public was very nice, they had fun and I had very good comments. We hope to be able to return, we want to go to Monsefú and do another tour of the north. We are preparing something very nice and we hope it will be soon.
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—We saw you enjoy the Group 5 concert at the National Stadium, how have you experienced those three sold outs as part of the industry?
—It is a source of pride for the family, for the entire town of Monsefú. It has been incredible that the name of Group 5 and our land, Monsefú, are now heard around the world. They are in the eyes of all Latin America, Filling three national stadiums is not so easy, especially for a cumbia orchestra. As I tell my cousins and the whole family, it is the result of all the effort they have had over many years. I have witnessed how they have fought day after day and they have not had it so easy, there have been difficult times, there have been setbacks. But based on all that, the result has been very nice.
—Particularly, how did you feel at the show?
—I had already seen the show, but that day I went to enjoy it. I was also there with some relatives, with my aunt Elena (Quesquén), their mother. I felt very proud, very honored to be part of the family. It was very exciting to see that incredible show they did.
—Do you think that the success of Group 5 opens the doors for other artists to be seen abroad?
—The music
industry has grown a lot in cumbia and salsa, it has been taking very big steps. The productions and sets now compete internationally because this type of show was only brought by international artists and that opens doors to internationalize.
—Like your cousin Christian Yaipén, did you feel that responsibility of going to study abroad or did you have more freedom?
—I was independent to make those types of decisions, I have had to move forward practically alone, forge my career alone from the beginning. I have always worked with my father, with Hermanos Yaipén, but the career I have been pursuing has been practically based on my own effort.
Donnie Yaipén says he doesn't like controversy
—When you created a song against the marches in Lima, did you imagine that you would get a lot of hate?
—I'm already used to all the 'haters' on the networks. I have always worked with good intentions for the entire public. I'm not much for generating this type of bad news or having any conflict with someone, that's what I want the least and what I would never do. I always try to follow the path of peace, that everything is beautiful and above all dedicate myself to my music. In all this time I've gotten used to the people who are there behind the cell phone or the computer shouting 'hate'.
—You don't have a lot of hate either.
-Not because I try to keep everything on a clean path, I try not to have any controversy with something so that people only remember me making music, making them dance. It is a much more complicated path, it is more difficult to reach the public because now it is fashionable that if you make a scandal, you become much better known. The idea is to have a clean career and reach the public through your music.
—Is it also because of the responsibility of carrying the surname Yaipén?
—Yes, it is a very big weight, having that responsibility of being able to meet the expectations of the public, because one hears the last name and expects a spectacular show, a very big show and that is what we try to do. At least I try to give an A1 show and we have had very good comments, very good reviews from businessmen, from the people who have hired us and the people who attend our concerts. We have had a very good response and that makes us much more eager to move forward and provide more shows.
—How do you take care of your voice and be able to endure an entire concert?
—It is important to have musical knowledge, knowledge of your own voice, of your own genre that you use and of the limits that one as a singer can have. You have to know a lot about the vocal register, what songs you can sing about and what songs you can't. I am also the musical director myself and I make the entire repertoire and, based on that, I see which song is the most complicated for me. I am putting it according to the space of the entire concert and I am arranging it so that it cannot affect me, we can all enjoy it and be able to be at our best for the entire concert.
—Has the height made it difficult for you?
—Yes, a little because of the pressure issue, vocally I have already gotten a little used to the cold, always with warming up, with breathing practices. So, it's gotten a little easier for me, but yeah, that's always the challenge. And not only the cold, the heat sometimes hurts. Too much heat makes you too tired, it takes away all your energy and giving a whole concert with 40 degrees above us is also complicated.
—Is there a new album or new song coming?
—We are preparing a new single to start promoting our next production and we will be releasing it soon. If I'm not mistaken, we are coordinating for this end of April to be ready for our next concert this Saturday, May 11, which will be at Barley Bar in Pueblo Libre. Tickets are on sale at Teleticket, we will be exclusive all night, more than 5 hours of music and there will be some guests. We are preparing a very nice night of love and party for all the public who wants to go, not only for Mother's Day, but also to celebrate our first year as a soloist.
