“I’m not interested in Anglo”

“I love Los Tres, it’s my favorite band, the truth is that I love everything related to Los Tres,” says Gepe. The artist is one of the guest musicians of the historic Yein Fondawhich will be held between 18 and 21 September at the National Stadium.

The fonda created by Los Tres returns to the 18th century scene this 2024 with a transversal musical proposal, so that the public can enjoy our roots, as well as the overflowing energy of popular culture.

“I think it’s great that they have this inn and that they invite us. In addition to being able to do our show, I think it’s great to see the show by Los Mirlos and Los Tres, and I’m not just saying it, I’m serious. The shows are good, the bands, the truth is that we’re going to have a great time,” says the musician enthusiastically.

The renowned artist, author of singles such as “Hablar de ti”, “Fruta y té”, “Ser amigos”, will perform on Friday, September 20 on the stage of the National Stadium.

Just like the motto of the fonda, ‘Cueca, Cumbia & Rock’n Roll’, the musician originally from San Miguel will present a show with different rhythms.

“I feel that our music, beyond being a fusion, is Chilean music made in Chile. I am very curious about what is being made here, and I also admire it a lot,” he told El Mostrador.

The flagship musician of Chilean pop and alternative music has been on the music scene for more than a decade, and at the end of this year he will present “UNDESASTRE”, his tenth studio album.

Gepe says that the album has “14 songs that go from one extreme to the other, but they draw 100% from the source of Latin American music. There is nothing that has not come from the continent.”

“I was inspired a lot by Los Tres’ stuff, the truth is that I’m obsessed with them, but I always have been, a musicality that is like acoustic pop rock that I find they do so well,” he adds.

He also details that the album includes boleros, a cumbia, tonadas, cueca and several collaborations with other artists. The first single from the album, “Vivo”, is already available to listen to and is with Rubén Albarrán, vocalist of the Mexican band Café Tacuba.

“The whole album is put into a blender, and it’s a blender that you can’t really press the button on, it just gets mixed up in there, which is why it’s a mess,” he explains.

Regarding his influences, the artist mentions that all the music he listens to comes from Latin America and Spain.

“Nowadays, the music I listen to the most has to do with Latin America, well maybe Spain too, that’s what interests me the most, but it doesn’t interest me for any intellectual reason or anything, it’s like it calls to me, it connects me to the core, if you will. I feel like I’m not interested in Anglo music, I’m interested in Latin America, at least as a source of inspiration,” he explains.

Along the same lines, he adds that “there is so much here that in the end, I don’t know, how that varied language connects me with something deep inside, it becomes more interesting in the end, I couldn’t say that I grew up listening to Latin American music, in fact the opposite, I grew up with Anglo music and probably that was what made me turn at some point towards Latin American music almost completely.”

The artist is preparing a show on December 7 at the Caupolicán Theater, where he will present “UNDESASTRE.”

In addition to the new songs, the artist will showcase the hits that have made him famous both in Chile and the rest of Latin America.

Tickets are on sale through Puntoticket.

The development of music in Chile

Gepe reaches massive success in 2012 with the release of his EP GP, Since then, he has reached major stages both in Chile and in other countries. For several years he has witnessed the changes in the Chilean music industry.

“In the 90s I was a kid, I wasn’t really into the music industry at that time, but in the 90s there was an industry, or that’s what I understand. There were offices, there were various labels, there was Warner, Sony, EMI, in short, Universal. And they had offices here, that is, there were artists who were effectively sponsored by those labels,” he says.

“That disappeared around the year 2000, so when I started, which was in 2005, there was nothing, there was no industry, so well, and after that, about 10 or 15 years later, the industry started to come back and the fact that the industry came back also changed the scene and that’s why what’s happening now is that there are a lot of artists who are super world-class and who have hits everywhere. That’s because, well, one thing led to another,” he adds.

He also optimistically notes that he loves the way the music scene is now.

“There are many proposals, there are very good things, there are things that, regardless of whether I like them or not, are made with a lot of heart and are made very well, and the best of all, which is like the final complement that makes everything great, they have a great reach. I love that,” he says.

When asked if musicians can currently make a living from music in Chile, he says that “it is a difficult profession, but I think it is possible. I know a lot of people who make a living from music, but I also know a lot of people who can’t, unfortunately they can’t do it and it’s frustrating.”

“We would all like to see more space and more possibilities in Chile. I think that this will happen little by little,” he says.

“I can only say that it is difficult But spaces can be found, places and opportunities can be found to develop as artists. But what I think is essential for this to work, for artists to be able to make a living from music, is that a scene is created. Even beyond naming it as an industry, a scene has to appear,” he concludes.