Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Willy Calderon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Willy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Every music production I take on is meaningful and important. I don’t start anything unless there’s magic around it. The ideas flow from a higher source and I’m really just there as a vessel.

My debut album, L.A. Impromptu, was really important in my production career. I had released and recorded on other albums prior to that release, but this was my first time really showcasing my talent as a producer. I gathered 30 of the world’s best musicians and put them on one album. This process took 5 years of traveling from studio to studio, troubleshooting, polishing, and dealing with people’s schedules. But in the end, the album really hyper-launched my career as a record producer.
Then, I came out with my 2nd album, Project Neon: The Birth Of City Pop Salsa, which gave me the title of creator of a new genre of music, City Pop Salsa or J-Pop Salsa, where I fused salsa music with 80’s Japanese pop songs. This album gave me my real first “hits” reaching hundreds of thousands of streams and music video views in its first few months out. As an independent artist with no financial backing, I consider this a milestone.
I’m currently working on a documentary/song called “La Historia Del Tambor,” where I take the listener on a musical journey through the history and geography of the drum, along with a massive, star-studded roster of solo artists. I think this will garner a lot of attention and will inspire many people.

Full Article Here @ Canvas Rebel
canvasrebel.com

We had the good fortune of connecting with Willy Calderon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Willy, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
The real turning point in my career happened when I started to market myself as a more exclusive artist. This meant saying “NO” to many gigs, shows, and offers that were not up to my standards, didn’t want to pay a decent rate, or were just not that interesting to me. This also meant a low point for me, because if my rate was “this” much, there was always someone that would happily take the gig from me for “that” much- if you catch my drift. But soon enough, the right offers started to come my way, and I found myself in a much more prestigious environment. I went from being a musician to an artist and a brand.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been creating music since I was a baby. I’ve been on stages since I was 2 years old thanks to my mom and grandma taking me to family friends’ shows and concert. Most of our family friends are musicians, artists, and producers, so I’ve always been around music. I taught myself how to play piano, bass, drums, percussion, how to produce, and everything else involving music. My mentors helped and are still helping me polish those sets of skills. It’s only now that I’m learning to ask for help, which has been a huge lesson for me. I don’t think you can ask everyone for help, but you can ask people that you look up to or really share a connection with. Successful people are always the one’s to lend a hand.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Little Tokyo is always a place I can go to eat, shop or relax. It’s usually safe and people stay to themselves, but random conversation is fun when it happens. The Taiyaki, crepes, and ramen always reminds me of my late night snacking and wandering in Japan. There are also great vintage clothing shops I like to find cool styles at.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I thank God, my late mother, Jeanine, and my wonderful grandmother, Blanca, for supporting my dreams to travel the world playing music. I thank my mentors, Neil Benitez, Alex Acuña, and Luisito Quintero, who all in some way have been like the father I never had, in music and in life.

source: Shoutout LA
shoutoutla.com/meet-willy-calderon-award-winning-musician-record-producer-and-recording-artist/

A red carpet celebration was held for the release of Project Neon: The Birth Of City Pop Salsa, Willy Calderon's third studio album. The gala was graced by the attendance of some of the Los Angeles music scene's most recognizable faces, musicians, and executives from industry giants like Sony Music Latin, Gon Bops Percussion, Alma Del Barrio, Amazon Music, Native Tongue Percussion, and Atlantic Records.

The red carpet kicked off with speeches of thanks, music video premieres, and excited upcoming news. The night included a special performance by Grammy Award-Winning singer, Stephanie Amaro, who sang her songs Bay City and I'm In Love, featured on the album. Japanese artist, Aico Simon, sang her hits from the Project Neon album, Stay With Me, Plastic Love, and Midnight Pretenders. The legendary Colombian singer, Macondo Chaverra, graced the gala with a performance of songs he recorded with La Sonora Dinamita and The Latin Brothers. Popular Latin singers Yeoman The King, Diomar Murillo, Delfo Ballestas, Jaime Andres Salazar, Edgar Cruz, and Elder Martinez also gave live performances to entertain the lounge full of special guests. Willy Calderon and friends closed the event with a live improvisation on percussion that left the crowd wanting more.

Project Neon: The Birth Of City Pop Salsa is available everywhere now.

Tres años después de haber presentado su exitoso debut discográfico Willy Calderon & The L.A. Impromptu Orchestra, regresa el percusionista, pianista, arreglista y productor musical Willy Calderon con su segundo álbum Project Neon: The Birth Of City Pop Salsa

Calderón, radicado en Los Angeles, California, logra crear a traves de Project Neon: The Birth Of City Pop Salsa puentes musicales entre las urbes de Tokyo y Los Angeles. 8 piezas populares de la música japonesa son habilmente arreglados pos Calderon en tiempo de Salsa.

El álbum abre con Plastic Love, un tema de 1984 de Mariya Takeuchi que en esta ocasión adquiere sonoridades latinas con la participación de la cantante japonesa Aico Simon. El tema original de Junko Yagami Bay City destaca la presencia de Stephanie Amaro y de John Egizi en el solo de trombón. El sabroso Midnight Jokes-popularizado por Takako Mamiya-presenta la cantante, Karol Posadas. Aico Simon afronta en la parte vocal el exito del álbum, Stay With Me de Miki Matsubara. Originalmente grabado por el duo, Bread and Butter, Japanese Woman es versionado en salsa con la participacion de JP Castillo, mientras que la efervescente I'm In Love (Tomoko Aran) hace lo propio con Stephanie Amaro. La cantante Tomoko Aran también inspiro a Calderon para el siguinete corte, Midnight Pretenders, el cual presenta a una inspirada Aico Simon. Love Was Really Gone, la pieza que cierra el álbum, pone de relieve al cantante Ricky Luis.

por DJ Chino:
https://www.solarlatinclub.com/willy-calderon-project-neon-the-birth-of-city-pop-salsa/
https://beacons.ai/willycalderon

Plastic Love


Stay With Me