NACHO ARBALEJO
Updated Wednesday, February 21, 2024-01:35
The elevator of the Umusic hotel in Madrid, the former Albéniz theater, is decorated with vinyl covers of legendary groups and musicians, such as Pink Floyd, Camarón or Guns N' Roses. The third floor is dedicated to international pop and suddenly you find Frank Sinatra's face silk-screened in the hallway. The singer and pianist
Pablo López
(Fuengirola, 1984)
awaits in this musical environment .
"I have listened to everything from musical theater to Yes, Pink Floyd, Supertramp, Queen, Beatles... I have also listened to a lot of Silvio Rodríguez, Serrat, Sabina, Rocío Jurado, Isabel Pantoja, Raphael, Camarón. Cold Train, Raimundo Amador... Alejandro Sanz, Antonio Orozco, who are colleagues now," says the pianist.
And so, imbued with this environment,
he prepares his tour, which begins this Saturday in Roquetas del Mar
, with the entire Teatro Auditorio sold out, and in which the musician will tour the most emblematic theaters in Spain, in which he will review his extensive discography, and will show for the first time the touches of his new album. He has precisely his appointments in Madrid at this hotel on June 13, 14, 15 and 16 with tickets sold out.
ASK. You already went to a contest when you were eight years old, the 'I Spy' contest, right? before going to 'Operation Triumph'. Were you already looking forward to it?
ANSWER.
It is true that I am more introverted than it seems: I have never sung as a family, the typical annoying child who is there playing was very embarrassing; but the stage has always caused me a special
motivation
and I got on it when I was quite young.
Q. What do you remember from your studies at the conservatory?
A.
I remember taking the very small train by myself to go to Malaga to study the Intermediate degree because in Fuengirola, which is where I finished the Elementary degree, there were none. And from those train transfers I got a taste for journalism, because I listened to the radio a lot (in fact now I was there in the hotel room listening to the editorials like every morning) and hence my love for reading. I learned to read from newspapers, too.
Q. What did it bring you?
A.
The discipline, perhaps, which I never achieved, of living up to what the teachers told me. They were pretty good to me. The motivation of your teacher at the conservatory is very important. I was lucky to meet people who motivated me a lot and, above all, with a very retroactive nature that has served me well in the future. When writing my songs I don't use Harmony or chamber music; but, however, when applying what I want to that song, such as strings or production, it is much faster if you have the beautiful mathematics of music theory.
Q. Do you claim the musical teachings of the conservatory to be the musician one wants to be, not just to play classical music?
A.
All musical teachings are positive. Setting up the tour during these last three weeks - which we start now, this Saturday -, for example, we bring winds (trumpets, flugelhorn and trombone) and the language is super fast. I'm amazed because they don't know me before, but if there's an arrangement to make, we take some lined paper, strip it, and then give it the pop character if you want. I think it is a wonderful language and all knowledge is necessary. I would even encourage colleagues who have never studied to do so.
Q. When you were young, you lived in London for a while.
A.
London is a very special city for me. There I did have to overcome the modesty and introversions of playing, to play in the street because of a friend's obligation, because we didn't even have time to think. City that I later took 'revenge' on because six years ago I went to write an entire album there and I was able to go to all the places I couldn't have gone before. And I go every year because I'm lucky enough to be able to record with the Metropolitan Orchestra at Abbey Road. It is a place that taught me a lot. He made me do the 'mili' of calling the attention of someone who hasn't gone to listen to you because they are passing by on the street, but you, without needing to be noisy, wake up something that makes them stop for a moment, not to throw you a coin. The prize was that they stopped to listen to you.
Q. What musicians were cool to you?
A.
I have heard everything. It's how lucky I've been, I always say that. I'm in a forum where there are all kinds of musicians: flamenco, rockers... in the end I end up playing everything. The luck of all this is that nothing has ever been disgusted. I have never considered myself something, neither a rocker nor a pop singer nor a jazzer nor a flamenco nor a copler... but I have heard everything and all the virtues that all music has. It would be a mistake to cover your ears to a song that is well written.
Q. Which dead musician would you have liked to play with?
A.
I would have loved Freddy Mercury, for example, because of his status as a pianist, also, almost classical, but at the same time because of his madness and his extravagance taken to the extreme of the beauty of music.
Q. How do you see the current Spanish music scene?
A.
It seems to me that everything is perfect, that everything is fine. One talks about it from an advantageous point of view, right? I mean, I'm lucky that I go to places and there are people waiting to play and that seems like a tremendous success to me. So, from that point of view everything is spoken more relaxed. And then I get overwhelmed by the fact that sometimes I'm very disconnected. I am stuck in my own cave and little of the things that happen reach me. But from what I hear, I believe that they are people who work and reach the public. But, in general terms, talking about a moment in the Spanish musical scene would be a mistake because, after thinking about it many times, we live in the most meridian and clear of the present. There is only the present. I recently saw a list of the Top 40 of the 1980s and number one was Last in Line, number two Paul McCartney.... How cool, but I wasn't there, I live here.
Q. What are your composing routines?
A.
If there is a spark, with luck, in an hour you can have the song that will accompany you until you are eighty years old. I am not a Methodist, but it helps me to be surrounded by instruments and, above all, I like the solitude, the noisy silence, because that way you can listen to the ghosts and the pseudo-madness that one can have, without getting into 'late nights'. And, afterwards, be with your mind at peace, calm and quick, serene and happy. Happy, you have to be very happy to compose. That's clear.
Q. What has made you grow the most as a musician in your professional career?
A.
Above all, listen. Very important. And, above all, when you are surrounded by people who have much greater experience than you, who have a greater mental speed than you. When life gives you the opportunity as an artist, which people already know, to access places where great musicians, great composers are, you can make the mistake of arriving at that place having a background and trying to talk about yourself. I have been going around for ten years and in life it has occurred to me, even though some of them are friends, to put a word above all the people who for me have a hierarchy, a career, whether they agree or not, because at the end of the day they always you're going to end up learning something. So, I have been 'stealing' (laughs) from everyone for ten years in a silent way and, when I speak, I talk nonsense so that it seems that I am not paying attention, but in the end... listening I think has been the most important thing .
Q. What makes your life bitter?
A.
People's lack of empathy and lack of curiosity.
Q. What stops your appetite?
A.
The stage, without a doubt. Now, if she were playing a hundred days in a row, she would be like a sylph. When I finish the concert I look like a soccer player eating a pizza, but the bad thing is that I haven't played a game, I've been sitting at a piano (more laughter).
Q. What conquers your stomach?
A.
With a good spoon. I'm lucky that I eat very well at home. He is talking to you about a man who on August 14 is drinking a Madrid stew, without any complexes.
Q. How do you take care of yourself? Do you do any special diet?
A.
Some time ago I had an exhaustive genetic study and I know what feels good or bad for me today. Basically, when you do a genetic study, you realize that almost everything makes you feel bad (more laughter).
Q. Are you a cook?
A.
The truth is that no. But I do have a specialty, which is that I make very good tomatoes. It seems silly, but my tomato is highly valued in my house. I make the sauce, we keep it vacuum packed. And, then, a lot of fire. I have an Argentine type steakhouse. Now, whatever is thrown at me, they give it to me and I throw it out... (laughs). That's my way of cooking. But fire, as Orozco told me recently, was the TV of prehistory. I stay three hours looking at the fire, I love it.
Q. Favorite restaurant for a special date.
A.
One in Madrid that is trustworthy, very romantic and special, the Numa, which is on Velázquez Street, with an Italian character. It is a place that 'forces you to be'. I have gone many times at two in the afternoon and left at one in the morning.
Q. Who would you invite to dinner to get to know you better?
A.
I would love to have conversations with some politicians. I am friends with some of them and sometimes I am curious about the ins and outs of all this. People tell me, "I don't read the news." Well, bad, man. If you have the ability to read all the editorials and make a summary, it is very interesting. I would like to continue going deeper. I would like to go to dinner with some politician.
Q. Any special name?
A.
No! With everyone at the same time. So they would fight (laughs again). Or not.
Q. What do you binge on?
A.
I'm a fan of a glass of milk with cookies. And then I really like a good toast with oil and ham. I never get tired of eating that.
Q. Why do you need a salt shaker?
A.
Ugh. To play soccer... Mmm... To walk. Since I see myself so much on television or I have to watch myself on YouTube, I realize that I don't know how to walk. So, I need salt to walk. When I see someone who walks well, it truly seems to me to be one of the virtues of life. Knowing how to put one foot in front of the other, without looking like an idiot (laughs).
Q. When was the last time you got angry?
A.
Some little message to someone you didn't have to send it to, some silly confusion live. Oh look. I was one of those who cried when they sang happy birthday because, I insist, I was very embarrassed to be the center of attention at a normal meeting. I did a Christmas special on TV, and last Christmas Eve, the family was home, there were 50 or so of us, and I didn't want to watch it. I locked myself in the room and I listened to myself on the TV in the background. In the end I went down forced by my mother, but it's like a 'me' thing with the whole family there and me watching myself on TV... That was the last time I got upset.
Q. And the last time you rode a chicken?
A.
I have never ridden a chicken in my life, I think. Never. I prefer to be beaten before. I'm too
peacefull
for that. I prefer things to die alone.
Q. What can't you stand at the table?
A.
It's getting more and more difficult for me when you're eating with someone, I take out my cell phone and say: "Wait, wait!" and took a photo of the oysters. And I with my hand like that. I can not stand. Or if two of us are urgently looking for tickets for something with our cell phone, I have to let it go because I'm embarrassed that they see two of us with our cell phones. I can't stand my cell phone at the table.
Q. What's bothering you these days?
A.
Uncertainty. It's wonderful, it's necessary. This Saturday the 24th I start the tour and, luckily, I'm still very afraid.
Q. What is your sweetest moment?
A.
Every day since I wake up. It amazes me to get up. I am a big fan of having breakfast and I do it with tremendous enthusiasm.
Q. What do you add spice to?
R.
To personal relationships. I love that there is a positive tension all the time.
Q. What do you add eggs to?
A.
Above all, to myself. To fight against my own defects, without bitching, accepting myself. If I can put in the effort - even if things aren't the way you want them to be - and still be productive and not be an amoeba, I'm really going to beat myself up.