 Today we’d like to introduce you to Willy Calderon.
voyagela.com/interview/life-work-with-willy-calderon-of-los-angeles/ Hi Willy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. I have a very musical family and upbringing. I was raised with music playing in my house 24/7. My mom was a musician. My dad was a singer. My Godfather is Fruko, a prominent figure in Colombian salsa and cumbia music. Family friends were all professional musicians. I was on music stages at 2 years old, mimicking the singers and the dancers. My whole life was about learning instruments and making music. A family friend recommended me to do my first professional gig when I was 13 years old. The word got around that I somewhat knew what I was doing and got on the city’s “call list.” I then went on to do really great gigs with really huge artists, appear on some really popular records, and do lots of touring all over the world. I built my contacts and relationships throughout the years and started doing my own projects and producing my own artists. I signed endorsement deals with all of my favorite music gear companies, received a few awards and nominations, and am about to release my 3rd record, Project Neon: The Birth Of City Pop Salsa, which they’re really loving in Japan and Europe. I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far? The only real struggles have been personal. Music has always been good to me. We’re not all born into royalty or with a silver spoon. So, the road to the top is longer and more narrow. But the experience of it all will make a great book someday. Introspective battles are present at times. You question yourself. You fail to understand why things don’t work in your favor. But then, your side blinders come on, and you focus on just yourself and your vision, and then everything makes sense. Things you once cared about seem small. That gig you wanted really wasn’t that great. You were destined for something way bigger. I laugh at my old self sometimes. Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work? I am a record producer, a musician, and I specialize in percussion. I really do take for granted how much I do. Someone once explained to me from their point of view, and it made sense that we creators, producers, and multi-instrumentalists are not normal! I can take your lyric and built a castle around it. I can take your song and sprinkle it with the magic you didn’t know it needed. I can see the final product in my head from just the first couple of seconds of an idea and see it through. It’s easy to me because I play all types of instruments, understand all types of musical genres, and have a pretty good sense of what sells and what doesn’t. Like all artists, however, my business chops can use some work. Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out? Network and connect. Show your face at gatherings. Be easy to like, hard to forget, and as real as possible. Talent really plays second fiddle nowadays. But if you have the whole “image” thing working from you early on, talent is what will set you apart. Also, get a mentor. Contact Info:
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AuthorNews and updates on Willy Calderon. Willy Calderon is an American, award-winning record producer and musician. Archives
February 2025
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