Ruby Palomino is one of the Peruvian singers who will carry the name of Peru before the eyes of the world, as part of the folklore competition of the Viña del Mar Festival 2024. She is aware that the path she had to travel has not been easy and, at times, she still cannot believe that she will represent her country. The remembered winner of 'La Voz Perú' spoke with La República to tell us details of this new experience, just hours before her dream debut on the Quinta Vergara stage. Besides, He has every confidence that his compatriots will give him their full support with their votes and, with their help, bring the long-awaited silver seagull to the country.
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—You are already in Chile to participate in Viña del Mar 2024 this Sunday, how do you feel living this new experience?
—Well, I definitely feel happy, honored and grateful to God, and to the universe, but also to myself because it has not been an easy path. Actually, I think that both me and Lita Pezo are competition artists, they have seen us on so many shows that I think this time everything has come together so that we can be here representing them and I am very happy about that.
—What has the whole path been like for you to reach this important moment in your career, the moment when you said: 'I want to dedicate myself to this'?
—Since I was very little, my parents have been folklorists, so my mother has always been on stage, and my father too. I imitated them and because of their example I fell in love with music and that's why I say I want to be a singer. My mom and dad told me: “Well, we're not interested, we need you to study an academic profession because art is treacherous.” Well, art, no, in the society in which we live, folklore and culture is not so supported. I had several interviews today, but Paolo Guerrero has monopolized everything. It's like Lita Pezo and I were coming to the Pan American Games if you want to see it (like that) even as a World Cup, representing our country in music, in which we should, well, have the support of the press at least because to be here is to have gone through many filters. It's not that they felt like it and now, no, we have had to compete against our own compatriots and against other countries. This is like a semi-final and the final is practically the competition of the six remaining countries.
The support of our country is very important because we have already done our homework, Lita has already won two contests just like me. That's what it is, but my parents knew that art and more than anything folklore is a quite beautiful path, but also for the brave because there are many falls. They decided not to (he would dedicate himself to music), I turned 16, I finished school and I promised my mother that I was going to study a career, but that she should leave me anyway because I come from a fairly humble family where there was no money for university. So she said, “Well, promise me you're going to do it.” And by singing I paid myself (my careers); I am a dental technician, my first career; and (also) I am a psychologist, my second career; I am a Gestalt psychotherapist because I specialized in that. What I promised my mother, I kept it. Everyone thinks that my Psychology degree financially supports my musical career, but no, it's the other way around, I have been able to pay for everything with music and I am very grateful to God, the universe, to all the people who continue to believe and trusting me.
My mother, when I won 'La Voz Perú', along with my father, also said: “Well, we will have to support her more emotionally”; I mean, my mom is a joke because she is an artist and, of course, she was always there to support me emotionally, but at the same time she didn't want me to suffer.
—Of course, now you are not only in a contest, but you represent the entire country…
—How exciting, how nice to wear the colors of our country outside, but I have already traveled and been to Europe, the United States, to festivals, but not competing, that is very different; I mean, It is very different to leave your country and represent them in shows and festivals. It's different because here I am competing and representing them. Now that I've just talked about it with you, I'm already getting nervous (laughs).
—You had already applied to Viña del Mar on another occasion, how did you receive the news that they accepted your participation?
—Yes, I applied for 2017 or 2018, I applied and they didn't choose my song. This would be my second application, but now I got it right. What I always tell people is: “Embrace what you are passionate about, the road is not rosy and don't give up when something doesn't go well.” In other words, the road to success is paved with a lot of stones along the way. So, when you really get to embrace it and say, “I got what I wanted,” it's a different kind of enjoyment because it cost you. That will always have to do with the passion of all people with what they like, it will not always be easy to achieve.
—Tell us about 'Song for a sad planet', the song with which you will represent us at Viña 2024…
—The author of the song is Paco García, who is a poet, and the musical arrangement is by (Jesús) 'Viejo' Rodríguez, who there put the Ayacucho carnival fused with powerful rock and good with my interpretation. The purpose of this song is to give a hug to our Pachamama, our land that does so much for us. And I know that many people say: “Yes, but that's it, we have already ruined, we have already ruined (nature).” What I seek is to open our eyes to preserve what we still have left for our children.
Now many people have asked me: “But Rubí, I mean, it's not like you have run an environmental campaign.” And well, no, I don't want to lie to you by saying overnight that I became (an environmentalist) because this song was made or because this song touches me so much. My grandparents are from Huachicancha, which is a town in Huancayo, and from a very young age my mother sent me to the farm to plant, harvest and learn from my grandmother. So I come from peasant grandparents and that is how I have learned to love the land.
—Speaking of the issue of the environment, just not long ago fires occurred in part of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar, how do you think the public might react to your song, which coincidentally deals with a topic related to what happened?
—Here in Chile they are investigating (…) The issue of climate change also affects them a lot (…) it has been terrible, the people here in Chile, in Valparaíso, in Viña, are still very affected, I could say that Part of the town is still in mourning. What Viña del Mar is doing is changing the context of the festival a little because there will be donations. They are doing many campaigns and seeing how to change so that the message of solidarity becomes powerful. How are people going to take my song? I think that like a warm cloth, warm for their hearts because it is a song where the Earth is speaking to us (…) So it is simply opening your eyes a little and I believe that here to all the people of Viña, of the world and More than anything, from our Peru they are going to love my interpretation and the song.
—Tell us how you are preparing, I imagine that you have already visited Quinta Vergara…
—We have already visited Quinta Vergara, together with Lita and
the other participants. It's incredible, it's like an Exhibition Park, but (with structures) upwards, the scenery is imposing. I made a video where I said: “I was here last year and they didn't let me enter”, because really, they were preparing everything for the 2023 de Viña Festival. I was there in January 2023 and they wanted to take my photo and they didn't let me. They were allowed to enter. It's amazing how things and the world change.
—Of course, now you will be on stage…
—The universe rewards me and now with the opportunity to be on stage. For me, it is an incredible experience because, from a very young age, I learned to love our culture and folklore and, despite everything they told me, I continued stubbornly (until) to come now and say that I am representing my country by doing what I I like it. I don't believe it at times. I'm like this, calm and I say: “I'm in Viña, I can't believe it.”
—What many in Peru hope is that you can win the golden seagull…
—The gold one? (laughs)
—Excuse me (laughs), the silver seagull…
—You already said it (laughs), so universe, my God, take care of it. A golden seagull has never been given to a participant.
—It could be the first time and make history…
You imagine? It would be for history. But let's go for the silver one.
—If you win at Viña, what would you invest the prize in, which is also known to be monetary?
—Well, in everything I have spent to be here (laughs). What happens is that between loans I say: “God, please, make me earn that seagull so I don't go into debt.” But yes, the investment is strong, when the opportunity comes to you you have to embrace it and take it from wherever it may be. Precisely with the team that I am working with, a lot has been invested, we have already more or less settled the accounts, and, if I win, then everything will go to pay the debts.
—Last year Milena Warthon won the folklore competition, the same one you compete in now; Do you trust that you can repeat history and bring the silver seagull to Peru?
—Something that helped Milena a lot was this whole boom on TikTok, on social networks; She has a lot of talent, she knows that I admire her a lot, but she had a letter in her favor that was precisely the support of the people who followed her because she was in this world. For more classical artists like me, it is a bit difficult, but not impossible, so I believe that now the competition is a matter of support and votes. The shortlist of folklore is always difficult because it is the essence of each people (…) It has a different essence and connotation because it is the responsibility of carrying the roots, the culture of a country and its feeling. So, it is to be the bridge so that people can find out about us.
I am ambitious. I don't want one (seagull), I want two and I have already told Lita Pezo (…) dreaming costs nothing. So I hope that we really make history, we both have an incredible level and we have shown that we are fully prepared competition artists. Now it is up to our beloved Peru to demonstrate once again that we are the biggest and most beautiful fans in the world, just as we have all been paying attention to what Paolo Guerrero was doing, please be attentive to what we are doing because this For us, it is once in a lifetime and being able to represent them with all the love.
—How can we vote for you?
—It's my turn to sing on the 25th and 27th, Lita's turn is on the 26th and 28th. You have to vote by downloading the application Claro Vina 2024; They will find our photo and you can only vote while we are singing, in those three minutes you vote there. Then it closes, there is no use voting before either, only while we sing.
I sing at approximately 12 at night (10.00 pm in Peru). The festival will be broadcast on Star+ and Chilevisión on cable, but for people who don't have one, connect to my networks, which we will be broadcasting from the stage. We can do it, then, I start singing, they give me 7 little stars because it is from 1 to 7 and I also ask them to also listen to the other groups because they are great.
—Any last message for your fans?
—Thank you very much for supporting my career, my musical madness. This has been and continues to be an incredible journey. And just thank you, thank you very much for all that.
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