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Jessie Marquez (no relation) has
become la reina of salsa and Cuban
music in the Pacific Northwest and
has helped turn her hometown of
Eugene, Ore., into a tropical music
oasis in the western United States.
Of Cuban descent, she was born in
Puerto Rico but has spent most of
her life in Oregon. Her new,
self-produced album, Sana Locura, is
a classy, heartfelt affair, recorded
in Havana, Cuba with some of that
country’s foremost musicians.
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Marta Gomez/Photo by
Brian Phillips |
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Marta Gomez, a native of
Cali, Colombia, also studied
at Berklee College, where
she won awards for her
compositions. Like many
Colombians, Marta’s decision
to seek career opportunities
in the United States was
spurred by the ongoing
violence in her country and
the constant threats to
personal safety. Now
residing in New York, her
latest recording, Cantos de
Agua Dulce, a collection of
folkloric-rooted, acoustic
performances on the
audiophile Chesky Records
label, is attracting rave
reviews.
Not unlike other writers,
these three
singer-songwriters are
introspective and
insightful, shedding light
on their talent and
inspirations, the creative
process that shapes their
artistry, and the importance
of their families and
careers. |
LS: Tell us
about your early interest in music.
Jessie: We always had big parties
with dancing when I was growing up
and I loved that — the freedom and
security of dancing among people who
care for you. Neither of my parents
played an instrument, but I think
all that dancing as a child put
music into my heart and body.
Marta: Music has been a part of me
since I was a little girl. When I
was just a baby, my mom tells me
that instead of crying I was humming
myself to sleep. She was actually
kind of worried, because she doesn’t
sing, and she thought that something
was wrong with me! When I turned
four years old, she put me into a
music school.
Maria: Music is part of daily life
in Latin America. Latinos are in
general extroverted. We like to
laugh out loud, talk loud, to have
music present everywhere. It makes
people feel alive. The sun is
shinning, it is hot, all kinds of
sounds and smells, colorful people,
contrasts, and music always. So I
heard a lot of music growing up,
different types of music from
different countries. It all played a
role in my musical development
because these were impressionable
years, and I just soaked it all up.
LS: Let’s
talk about the creative process.
What inspires you to write a new
song?
Jessie: A chord progression, a
melodic figure, desire, lost love.
Maria: I am not one of those people
that can write a song a day.
Sometimes, a long time passes before
I write something. I am still new at
it. I started arranging first,
before venturing into writing
lyrics, composing. For me, it has to
be that something makes a very
strong impact inside. Like the photo
of the little Indian girl from
Brazil in the booklet of my album
Nature's Princess. She hit a
creative chord in me, and quite
effortlessly the song was written,
lyrics and melody together. The
original photo is in color, dark
shades of brown, very beautiful. She
reminds me of the North American
Indians photographed by Edward
Curtis — that timeless expression
and face, like saying "I am here.“
And eyes that go right through what
is in front of them.
Marta: Almost everything inspires
me. The main thing is the nostalgia
of being so far away from my
country, from the people I love, the
food I love, the music I love.
Almost all of my songs have that
feeling, that homesickness.
Generally, music and words come to
me at the same time. I am not very
patient, so basically the time it
takes me to compose a song is the
actual time of the song — almost as
if someone is telling me the words
and the music. It is a very strange
and beautiful moment. I have to be
alone to compose. I like to make a
nice space, light some candles and
listen to music that inspires me.
Then I take my guitar, and usually I
compose right there.
LS: Tell us
about one song in particular
Jessie: “Sana Locura” is the song
that is most precious to me. It was
written for me and given to me by
Jorge Perez Peña, a Cuban composer.
He asked me to put my name on it as
composer because he said that it had
come from me — a beautiful gift I
ultimately couldn’t accept. Still, I
would like to believe that by being
a muse I had a hand in writing this
song.
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Maria: "Bello Jardín" is a
perfect example of a song
which is simple in its
nature but expresses a deep
emotion. It is a simple love
song, not flowery words, but
to the point and from the
heart. I meant every word. I
wrote that song thinking of
my husband, in appreciation
of him being a part of my
life. Now that I feel so
fulfilled in so many ways,
he is one of the reasons
why. I made a comparison
with the lyrics between our
love and commitment to each
other and our nurturing of
the plants we had planted in
our small garden. Love has
to be nurtured and cared
for. It came about also
quite effortlessly. I just
let the emotions lead me
into the progression and the
melody as I was constructing
the song. I think it says
that I am willing to expose
myself, the intimate
feelings and parts of myself
that are private, in order
to express the human side of
us all.
Marta: The song “Confesión,“
from my new album, is a song
that I like very much. It is
a song that expresses all my
nostalgia for my country —
it’s that feeling of being
far away and having
admiration for the people
who’ve stayed behind. It
says how my feelings for my
country have changed, how in
my childhood years,
everything seemed perfect
and magical, and how now I
understand its problems and
why I had to leave Colombia.
It’s also about my desire to
go back. That’s why I called
it “Confesión.” |
Maria
Marquez/Photo by Billy
Winters |
LS: Tell us
how you balance your career needs
with your family obligations?
Maria: My daughter is now a young
woman, she is getting married this
year, and looking back I can say
that those hard times have paid off.
We all know how difficult it is to
make a living as a musician, but it
has been a blessing for me to be
able to bring joy through music to
people, and to learn from and share
what I know and feel with so many
incredibly gifted musicians. I
believe that for my daughter to have
had that example has made her a
strong person. She has a good heart,
she knows life can be hard, but also
she knows about beauty and joy
thanks to having music in our lives.
Marta: I just got married, and it
was a difficult decision, but the
most difficult part is the question
of children. I’m not thinking of
having kids right now, but
eventually I want to, of course. It
is very sad to think that at that
point I would have to choose,
probably between my career and my
family. When the moment comes, I
know it is difficult to have both
things, but I know some women who do
it. Maybe I can as well.
Jessie: I’m so glad you asked this
question. Sometimes I have the
feeling I shouldn’t talk about being
a housewife and a mother in the same
breath with my work in music. I
think these things can complement
each other very well though. Some of
my most creative moments are when
I’m mopping the floor and singing to
myself. I love domestic life —
spending time with my husband and
children. They’re my greatest gifts.
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Jessie Marquez/Photo
by Rosanne Olson |
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LS:
Finally, are these good
times for Latina composers
and musicians?
Jessie: Well, these are very
bad times in terms of
collaboration with our
brothers and sisters in
Cuba. This feels like a very
big obstacle — much bigger
than any obstacle related to
being a woman in the music
business. But, I’ve been
getting e-mails from people
in different parts of the
world who have heard my
music, and I’m absolutely
delighted to reach people
out there.
Marta: Some years ago, we
had to be beautiful or have
a great body to be someone
in this industry. I think
that is changing now, and we
have the opportunity of
showing our talent without
taking off our clothes. I
consider this the best
moment for us in the music
business. |
Maria: These things are hard to
tell. I think it is necessary not to
give up, no matter what. When you
think of the struggles of so many
people before me, in the jazz world
and in my country, then I have to
say these are good times. But one
can never take anything for granted.
It is important to always bring the
best that one can produce, to
maintain a certain integrity with
quality, in order to leave behind
something of significance. That is
important, especially for us
Latinas.
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