Sometimes it is often said that becoming obsessed with something is not good, that it can be harmful to the health of those who love something and take it to the maximum exponent. This reasoning – although no less true – could deprive the audience of meeting some of the most capable and creative artists on the scene. Vicky Gastelo (Torrelavega, 1975) is one of those creative people who are worth knowing.
The Cantabrian singer and composer has dedicated her entire life to music, even from an early age, when she was already trying to put words to the compositions of the legendary Frédéric Chopin at the conservatory. The artist, who has worked with renowned figures both in the national and international music scene, has dedicated her entire life to doing what she likes most, enjoying with colleagues and marveling listeners with unique sounds. However, Gastelo is not always aware of all the experiences he has had and everything he has achieved, so he reflects on his career and what the life of a composer is like. “The world of music is very hard and lonely, so the only way not to suffer is to do things that really have meaning for you, whether you are successful with them or not,” he maintains.
What were the beginnings like, from your first years in music to your first contract with the multinational Sony Music?
I really liked making music, although in my house everyone liked sports more. Even so, they enrolled me in the conservatory, where I played piano and the Three Wise Men also brought me a guitar, something that I am still grateful for today because both instruments are very different when it comes to composing songs. There comes a time in music school when you don’t always want to perform the score in front of you. For example, my teacher scolded me when I told him that I had put lyrics to a piece of Chopin [ríe]. As a child I was quite shy and had a hard time expressing myself, so I found the place to be able to communicate through music. I entered local competitions, the producers noticed me and they helped me start a band. This is how musicians usually rise…
Comment that your family had other preferences, but that you were always focused on music. What has music meant for Vicky Gastelo?
Music has changed my life and I would be a totally different person without it. I always encourage parents to enroll their children in any activity in which they show interest. When we are little, everyone has to do something because it heals you, whether it is sports, music or any other hobby. In addition, music has its mathematical part as well, you have to count the value of two quarter notes in one quarter note and much more. If I had not followed this path, I would surely be a school teacher, which was the plan B they forced me to do at home, but there comes a time when you have to opt for your passion. Music has also opened my mind a lot, it gave me a way to express myself, I have known a lot of places and people, I have lived unique situations, learnings and experiences, I really am different thanks to music.
Almost 15 years have passed since their first album, ‘Ahorrate las flores’ (2007). What has changed in your life since then? Do you look back from time to time?
The truth is that sometimes you don’t look back, because you are always looking forward, but people talk to me about the past and I reflect on the amount of things I have done. In recent years I have been a little more aware of everything, because it is a very hard and lonely profession, so the way not to suffer is by doing things that have authentic meaning for you, whether you are successful or not. I think that in all these years I would have liked not to give so much importance to things. When I do the ‘Pianissimo’ shows, my partner and I always have the motto that, really, nothing is that big of a deal.
Looking back on my career, I would have liked to not give so much importance to things. We have the motto that, in reality, nothing is a big deal.
Just now that you mention it, tell me about ‘Pianissimo’.
‘Pianissimo’ is a very beautiful and special show that I do accompanied by my pianist, Iñaki García. The show is like a journey through multiple songs and myself. There has been no place where we have done it and not all the people ended up standing. In them I intersperse poetry from my favorite authors such as Jose Luis Borges, Charles Bukowski or Ángel González. Both Iñaki and I come from classical music, although he has accompanied several artists of this type, we had been wanting to do something with love between the two of us for some time. In the show, you find details like him suddenly starting to sing ‘Bartender of Cuba’which is the first song I learned to play on the guitar when I started getting interested in music.
He has collaborated with renowned artists on the national music scene. What is it like to work with such established figures as Malú or Pastora Soler?
For me they are companions, even since I dreamed of devoting myself to this I saw them that way. When you are in the studio everyone is equal, everyone rows together so that the song comes out as best as possible. Also, luckily I always work with people I like, so if I don’t like them I refuse to work with them directly.
He has also made music with international artists such as the German Sarah Connor or the Belgian Frank Galan. What is the difference with respect to this type of collaborations?
When you write songs for yourself, you set your own limits, because you already know where you want to go and where it will take you, but when you write for other artists you are quite conditioned. There are times when you give the song directly to the artist and hope they like it, but that’s not usually the case. Normally, they tell you how they would like you to write and you have to vary the premises, because, for example, artists like Pastora Soler have to show off when they sing. Others demand that it have a chorus and a good hook so they can play it on the radio. It is also important to know what you are going to talk about, because you do not always know what they may be interested in and where they are in their lives. Maybe I send them a heartbreak song when they have just fallen in love and it may seem like hardship to them; or, on the other hand, you send them something happy and they have just separated and don’t have enough strength to sing so happily. That’s why I always try to use universal language, but being original, that’s where the work of a musician really lies.
tell me about ‘Let the Stadium Fall’the last song he just published. How does it arise?
‘Let the Stadium Fall’ is precisely a message that dreams must be allowed. There are many kids at home who did not see it as reasonable to dedicate themselves to music or sports. I tell them that there will be difficult days, but that life will rise. The message that influencers give on networks is not very real, one of many arrives, to truly arrive it is based on a lot of effort and giving up many things, you have to give up your life. Both in sports and in music, if they take a minute away from you, they take 90 minutes away from you, as if you have to be at home concentrating and composing while your friends are having fun. All of this is real and there are days that are more difficult than others, having a dream and carrying it out gives you another new life, of struggle and sacrifice but also of hope.
What is it like playing at home, whether in Torrelavega or in other venues in Cantabria?
In reality there aren’t many places to play in Cantabria, they don’t take much care of that here. When my friends from abroad call, I tell them that there is no musical circuit here like there could be in Madrid, where there are many theaters and venues available. In Torrelavega I don’t know anywhere to play, and in Santander I have my friends from Bar Rvbicón who are now activating the scene somewhat. There is also the Niagara Room, but little else, hardly any attention is paid to it. It is important that there are places where you can begin to lay some foundations, because at first your family and friends come to see you so you can then go and play abroad with confidence. It is an endemic evil, there are few places and the few that exist do not receive aid. It’s a shame and we should be much more demanding about that.
She has participated in a large number of projects, not only as a composer and singer, but also for other sectors such as advertising. Were those experiences very different from composing regularly for yourself or for another artist?
There were a few years in Madrid when I collaborated with an agency and composed for companies like McDonald’s or Sprite, even for the DGT. It’s completely different to ‘normal’ composing. I remember what I did an ‘I’m Lovin’ It’ campaign for the anniversary of the Big Mac hamburger. I wrote the lyrics and Justin Timberlake made the music, it was a rapped spot. I remember that the leaders loved the lyrics, but they told me that the word hamburger did not appear in the entire text. I told them that food was on the screen all the time, why did it also have to be mentioned in the lyrics. There was no way, my agent looked at me and told me that he was already substituting some words for hamburger for the spot. I went to the studio for five minutes and we saw how we could change it. In reality, within the world of music there is a lot of work and everything is very varied.
Before, I mentioned the large number of collaborations he has made with high-level and influential artists. However, is there anyone you haven’t collaborated with and always wanted to?
I always say that I would love to write a song for Ana Belén, because I admire her a lot and she seems like a lady to me, I have always loved her voice. It is a reference that I have had since I was young, when there were not many women in the world yet. Many times you learn not only by listening to an artist’s music, but also by seeing how they handle other fields, how they lead their careers, how they position themselves, how they present themselves on stage, how they treat their personal life or how they work with producers.
There are many things one can learn from a reference. When I have a doubt or have to make a complicated decision, I always ask myself if Ana Belén, Van Morrison or Bob Dylan would do that.
There are many things one can learn from a reference. When I have a doubt or a complicated decision, I always ask myself if Ana Belén, Van Morrison or Bob Dylan would do that. For me, that helps me know how to manage my career, because many things are proposed to us over the course of a month, and sometimes they are ideas that are a bit bizarre. Sometimes it may seem fun, but you also have to think about your audience. I believe that one has to compose honestly and from the heart, but it is also a path that you take together with your audience and I would not like to do something that could offend or bother them.
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