The Puerto Rican singer Elvis Crespo premieres this Wednesday the song and video “Lluvia y samba”, a fusion of Brazilian and electronic sounds for which he has been accompanied by the salsa cone Gilberto Santa Rosa and the merenguero and bachatero Alex Bueno , in accordance with his criteria of experimenting with “colors” but faithful to his brand: tropical, danceable with good lyrics and.
Elvis Crespo tells Efe with humor that he keeps the tropical genre alive, among the new generations even, thanks to his powerful voice as a banana seller, the universal melodies of his compositions, which are 90% of his repertoire, and an innovative zeal, but without losing his “brand”.
The interpreter of “Suavemente”, who ensures that the genre is alive, but requires a “movement” that drives it and more young figures, will premiere the song this Wednesday and video “Lluvia y Samba”.
The Puerto Rican from Camarones, a neighborhood of the city of Guaynabo that had a great influence on his music, says that He is proud to have a voice so unique, so powerful and strong, which he jokingly defines as a “banana tree”. to that of a vendor who travels through his neighborhood, with a talking hand on, in a “guagua”.
“So my voice is ‘Suavemente’, it’s a banana voice”, he says with laughter by singing the title of one of his greatest hits.
+ A singer-songwriter
Crespo, however, says that he does not consider himself “the best of singers”, like a Luis Miguel, a Marc Anthony or a Whitney Houston, with “extraordinary abilities”, but I know “unique, which is what it takes to be successful.”
He adds that he feels satisfied and grateful to be part of the “playlist” and the ” soundtrack “of the lives of his fans, even of the new generations, with a powerful voice, in tune, and with a” ‘swing’ that goes very well with tropical music “and with his own creations.
“I am a singer-songwriter. In that sense I counteract perhaps not being an extraordinary performer “, he acknowledges, to affirm that” the composer enjoys the work for his whole life “.
” I am a composer of ‘Suavemente’, ‘Pntame ‘,’ Lluvia y Samba ‘, from 90% of my compositions, and I love that “, he says.
The artist of 50 years also considers that today’s youth do not have a “different code”, as some of the music industry believe.
In that sense, Crespo says that “Despacito”, the success of his compatriot Luis Fonsi, uses a language that is not different, it is a “universal song” with content and jargon that is neither far-fetched nor modern urban.
“The songs are the melodies that people keep and, in that sense, I have been blessed as a composer to create melodies that are universal, that can transcend from generation to generation”, he says.
Remember that your merengue has been danced by the British millennial Dua Lipa or the veteran actor and American Anthony Hopkins, who made several videos viral enjoying Crespo. songs that have been 20 years. “
On the other hand, he was unconcerned about following trends by underlining that what is important is the feeling: “I am a very passionate person. When it comes to making art, I put a lot of passion into it, “he highlights.
” I don’t focus on going behind the currents, but rather I let myself be carried away by the soul, if it moves me. “
Otherwise, he continues, that in case of recording a reggaeton for the simple fact that it is fashionable, it will be too forced and the audience will notice it.
“Al At the end of the day I came to this world to be happy and it makes me very happy to make tropical music, I feel it, because it is what makes me nostalgic “, he indicates.
+ A brand
However, he says that as a creative you have to be very aware that there are some colors, that musically if there is a young audience you can add electronic elements.
And that is what he has done in “Lluvia y samba” with sounds he had not experimented with before and with the help of some “global DJs”.
However, he assures that he is still Elvis Crespo, an artist who has created his own sound. “I have realized that I have a brand I have to conserve “, he emphasizes.
He relates that the album” Multitudes “, which to collect” Lluvia y samba “and present in a month, is a 90% songs by its author and autobiographical.
Crespo says that it is an honor to sing with the “Caballero de la salsa”, whom he considers the Bad Bunny of his time and a genius, with Well, for those who appreciate his “beautiful melodic voice” and.
For the musician, the key is that “tropical music singers get out of their comfortable zone, get creative, the content is Ah, it’s a matter of reinventing it, of creating a movement, we definitely need young people, of course. “
” At the end of the day, the genres are alive, what you have to bring are projects of size, attractive, conceptual to arouse the interest of the media and the audience “, he emphasizes.