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Jessie Marquez and Sana Locura
JM: The title comes from a bolero
that was composed for me by Jorge Perez Pena. Sana Locura describes
love. However, it loses something in the translation. It could mean
sane madness or healthy abandon, however, neither of these
descriptions seem to have the same poetic quality . . . "Sana
Locura" also describes the spirit in which the recording was made.
It was a personal and creative leap of faith.
TP: Tell me about your formative
years in Oregon and how you gravitated toward Cuban music.
JM: We left San Juan, Puerto Rico
when I was about four years old and moved to Eugene, Oregon (my
mother grew up in Portland, Oregon). For the first few years we
lived in an old farmhouse on the outskirts of town. I still have
very vivid images of that house and of singing and dancing on my
parent's bed, demanding their applause.
When I was eight years old, my
parents divorced and my mother and I moved to San Francisco. She
became good friends with a bohemian group of artists and performers.
I had a number of "aunties" in the group and one of them was
Margaret Burke, a young, beautiful and talented singer from the
Midwest who taught me how to accompany myself on the guitar. I had a
repertoire of folk, country, blues and spirituals that I sang at
parties. I moved back to Eugene (Oregon) when I was eleven to live
with my father, stepmother and baby brothers. I performed in a
community theater, danced and sang in the high school jazz choir.
I was sixteen when I finished high
school. I struck out on my own and lived in San Francisco, Barcelona
and later New York where I studied at New York University. I
graduated with honors from New York University and was on my way to
becoming an anthropologist. In fact, I was awarded an internship by
a professor from the University of Mexico to document the indigenous
culture in Merida, Mexico. Before departing, I went home to work
during the summer and save some money. Then I met my husband,
Donnie, became pregnant with my first son and abandoned my academic
plans. I was twenty three when my son, Samuel was born. My second
son, Jackson, was born three and half years later. When Sammy was a
baby, I enrolled in some dance classes. One day, one of the conga
players from the class told me the salsa group he was playing with
was seeking a vocalist. I tried out and began signing with the band.
I sang with the bandleader, Furnell Lupez and his group for a number
of years. He incorporated me into a six-piece folkloric group called
"Lo Nuestro," with musicians from Mexico and Peru. Despite the fact
that I had not played the guitar he encouraged me to pick it up
again and taught me how to play Cuban son, bolero, joropo, son
huasteco, son veracruzano, cumbias, plenas, etc. We played at
parties, festivals, clubs, schools, parks, libraries and
correctional facilities. The guys in that band are like brothers to
me.
Not long after I began singing with the salsa band (1996), I accompanied my father to Cuba to visit his boyhood home. He grew up in La Lisa, which used to be the countryside outside of Havana. It was a profound experience for me, seeing Cuba through my father's eyes. It felt deeply familiar. The gestures of the people, their attitude and sensibilities . . . Something resonated in me that I wanted to develop and express. After that, I knew I wanted to sing Cuban music.
TP: Your grandmother had a major
influence on you both musically and politically. In fact, you
dedicated Sana Locura to your grandmother . . .
My
grandmother, Nani, and I were very close. My parents would drop me
off at her house on Friday evenings and the two of us would spend
quality time together. She was a tremendous cook, well versed in
Italian, Spanish and Cuban cuisine. She taught me how to read
Spanish and sew. She told me stories about her family's "Speakeasy"
in Brooklyn and how beautiful the Cuban countryside was. There is a
particular place in Cuba she called "her valley." She said it was
the most beautiful place she has ever seen. I pay homage to my
grandmother every day.
TP: Another individual who has a
significant influence on you is Angel Ervira Herrera, the musical
director and voice instructor with Conjunto Folklorico Nacional. I
found her description of your vocal style very humourous. She
described you as a "white woman who sings like a black girl . . ."
Obviously, she was making reference to the soulful quality of your voice . . . JM: Yes, maybe what she means is that I sing from my heart. Angela has been a wonderful teacher and Madrina (Godmother) to me. Furthermore, she has opened a lot of pathways for me.
TP: Let's discuss the making of
Sana Locura. One journalist described the recording as "the
culmination of your search for your cultural identity" and "the
fullest expression of whom you are and who you want to be." Would
you say that is an accurate assessment of why you chose to make this
recording?
JM: I think those are fairly accurate statements. However, the story doesn't end there. My cultural identity will probably continue to grow, change and deepen depending on the circumstances in my life. But, certainly this CD is an expression of a part of my cultural history and my own will to create myself.
TP:
You traveled to Cuba in 2003 to lay the groundwork for Sana Locura
then returned to Oregon to raise funds for travel expenses, the
recording sessions, etc. You returned to Cuba in 2004 to record the
album. During your stay you interacted with some of the finest
musicians in Cuba. What are your most vivid recollections of the
recording sessions and/or your visit to Cuba?
JM:
My most vivid memories are of the time we spent in the studio
drinking rum, eating pork fricase and congri, telling jokes, the
sound of La Charanga Habanera streaming in through the windows. We
worked long hours for over a month but we had good time.
TP: Judging from the results the long hours payed off. The
repertoire consists of twelve colorful tracks that run the (Cuban)
musical gamut: one guajira, five boleros or bolero combinations, two
guagancos, two trovas, one son-timba and one salsa tune. Moreover,
you composed "Dile Que Me Voy" and "La Muchacha Bailadora." The
album has a beautiful flow. Who selected the material and arranged
the material?
JM:
I selected the songs and Juan Carlos Marin arranged all the music.
Juan Carlos, David Alfaro and Julito Padrun produced the music. I
naively thought a label would be interested in doing all the mixing,
mastering, artwork, licensing, etc. However, I soon found out that
things don't work that way. So, I did it all myself. As things
turned out I am glad it worked out that way. I learned a lot
in the process.
TP: What recording and/or recordings are you listening to as we speak?
JM:
Let's see, there's Maraca, Celeste Mendoza, Billie Holiday, Isaac
Delgado, Merceditas Valdes . . .
TP: Who
are some of your favorite musical artists - past and present?
JM:
In no particular order: those I mentioned previously and Benny More,
Elena Burke, Ella Fitzgerald, Maria Teresa Vera, Marvin Gaye, Sierra
Maestra, Jill Scott, Celia Cruz, Celina Gonzales, Omara Portuondo,
Etta James, Armando Garzun, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jacqueline
Castellanos, Issac Delgado, Olga Guillot, La Sonora Matanzera, La
Sonora Poncena, Robert Johnson, La Lupe, Haila, Cubanismo, Stevie
Wonder, Pablo Milanes, Ruben Blades, Aretha Franklin and Charles
Mingus.among many others!
TP:
It has been a pleasure speaking with you. Best of luck with Sana
Locura.
For additional
information on Jessie Marquez and Sana Locura visit:
www.sanalocura.com
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