20 questions with Andres Cepeda about the upcoming tour and new music

Performing at Carnegie Hall is only a dream for most artists in the world. Andrés Cepeda will soon be able to say he's done it not once but twice—and in less than two years—when he returns to the iconic New York venue on May 1.

“I would love it if my parents, who are no longer with me, could see me get there,” says the Colombian singer-songwriter. Billboard Español. “They also dreamed of stages like this.”

The show is part of Tengo Ganas' upcoming tour, a 19-date US engagement that kicks off in Nashville on April 9 and includes cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, DC, before wrapping up on May 4 in Charlotte , NC. . The singer of Countryman, Alejandro Santamaria, comes with him. (For more information and tickets, visit andrescepeda.com.co)

Tengo Ganas follows his La Ruta Púrpura tour, which kicked off in October 2022 exactly with that dream sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall.

Cepeda, who won his fourth Latin Grammy in November (best traditional pop album, for Décimo Cuarto) and returned this week as a judge on La Voz Kids “Colombia”, started his career with Poligamia, a Latin rock-pop band he formed with some friends in his teenage years, releasing several albums in the 90s.

Since debuting as a solo artist with the set Sé Morir In 1999, he recorded twelve albums and released hits such as “Tengo Ganas”, “Día Tras Día” and “Beso Usados”. And he was the only artist to fill the Movistar Arena in Bogotá, the biggest stage in Colombia, for five consecutive days. In the Advertising sign On the charts, he had two Latin Pop Airplay entries: “El Mensaje” in 2013 (No. 38) and “Magia” with Sebastián Yatra in 2018 (No. 37).

In an interview from Miami on Thursday morning (Jan. 11), Cepeda spoke to Billboard Español about his upcoming tour, his creative process and his first album under Warner Music Mexico, which he will begin recording next month.

1. Most artists prefer to give interviews in the afternoon. It's 9:30 am. Can we assume you are a morning person or was this casual?

I'm used to starting early when we're on promo, because we do a lot of things in the afternoon as well. So, to get the most out of our workday, we start early.

2. How do you usually wake up? Biological clock or alarm clock?

I set the alarm, but my body clock usually wakes me up a few minutes early. You know, you schedule yourself and wake up yourself, but just in case, it's better to set the alarm. And this alarm is music. For a few years now I've had a favorite Beatles song that has a beautiful personal meaning to me, 'Here Comes the Sun'. Of course it doesn't reflect much of today [rainy] weather [laughs]. But I like this song.

3. On April 9th ​​you start the Tengo Ganas tour in the US How are you preparing for it?

Well, there's a stage with a lot of rehearsals, a very strict curation of the songs, the arrangements, what's going to be presented, the direction, the narration that goes with the songs — because it's not just about getting up and singing but being able to say a little to people about them and how one can make all this music and all these songs. So there's a part of, let's say, writing and telling that narrative — and then along the way, it's crucial for me to get a few hours of sleep and a good diet. It enables you to tackle a series of back-to-back dates that are still demanding.

4. What can you tell us about the show itself compared to the previous one?

The previous show focused on the acoustic aspect of my career, with boleros and other Latin rhythms even flirting a bit with jazz, in a set consisting of acoustic piano, double bass, brass and guitar. This time I present the other side of the coin, so to speak, which has to do with my influence, which is pop and rock. Although they share the romantic nature of my stories and my music, they are two different sounds that have accompanied me throughout my career.

5. What will be Alejandro Santamaría's role in the tour? Will you share the stage or serve as an opening act?

Both. He's going to be fronting the shows and he's also going to be a guest on the part I'm singing because we've recorded music together, so we're going to sing some of the songs we've done and he's going to accompany me throughout this tour.

6. For many, Carnegie Hall is just an impossible dream. You have already performed there in October 2022 with a sold-out show and are returning on May 1st. How did you get into this space and what does it represent for you?

We were very fortunate to present our proposal to the Carnegie Hall curatorial committee two years ago. We explained what we wanted to do, presented our CV and they thought it was interesting and worth having us there. And it went so well last year – it was sold-out and they loved it – so they told us if we wanted to come back the doors were open. It is a great honor for us. It is an iconic space, a dream, a goal. I would love it if my parents, who are no longer with me, could see me get there, because they too dreamed of such scenes.

7. Last November, you won your fourth Latin Grammy. Do these kinds of recognitions continue to surprise or excite you?

It's not something you get used to. I thought at one point that it might be like that, but no. It becomes more and more exciting because it is the sum of many awards, so you receive them with great joy, great excitement, great anticipation. I have to admit that in the days leading up to an award and on the day of the award my hands sweat, the anxiety is incredible. In a way you suffer a lot waiting to see what happens… and when you get it you celebrate with great joy. Especially when it comes to an award for an album, which honors the whole team.

8. Let's talk a little about your songwriting process. Each song has its own story, but overall what is the common denominator?

Perhaps the common denominator is that I am always looking for a place of disconnection, a lot of peace, a lot of silence, where I can isolate myself from everyday life and the rest of the world. But it's always different in the sense that sometimes I write with others, sometimes the lyrics come first, or sometimes the musical idea comes first. Normally in my case, when I work alone, the musical idea comes first and then I find the way to what I want to say.

9. What was the song that came out the fastest, the one that he wrote the same?

[Laughs.] Some of them write themselves and it's surprising, because you feel like they're waving your hand, yes. There's one song in particular that I really love and I wrote it in one go, and when that happens it's a wonderful thing. It's a song called “Ciertas Cosas”. Another that came in a single pass, like an instant song, was “Sé Morir”. But there are others where you have to work on it for a whole day or several days, or even start writing and let a few days or weeks go by before coming back to it to finish it.

10. The most difficult or the one that took the longest to complete?

A song from my last album [Décimo Cuarto] that I sang and wrote with a Colombian artist I love very much, Greeicy Rendón, [“Le Viene Bien”]. The entire process of writing, producing and creating the video took two years. When we went into the studio to record it, we were still making corrections and stuff.

When you're writing with someone else and you're able to sort of discuss and negotiate each of the lyrics, you'd think it's a tedious process, but instead, it's very gratifying to sit down and bid for what everyone wants. song to say These conversations are fantastic.

11. And it happens to you in cases like these that you later listen to the published song and still go, “Ugh, I should have used that other word”?

This happens and you have to learn to let it go, because if you focus so much on making it perfect… And not just with the lyrics! With music, it happens a lot that you're in the studio and you don't get past that process and you want to fix it and re-record the piano and the voice again because you want that track to be better. You're starting to go crazy. Sometimes you have to know that the song is ready and let it go.

12. What achievement, song or album would you say was a turning point in your career?

There is a song [from 2014] that did that to my career and put me in a different place mentally, in the creative process. It is a song that is called “Day after day.”

13. I will tell you a series of words and I want you to answer the first thing that comes to your mind. Polygamy.

The swing! The hatchery, so to speak. The beginning of a career.

14. Bogota's Movistar Arena.

Five absolutely unforgettable nights in my career and life. A week on a honeymoon with my own city.

15. Colombia.

The love of my life, with whom I have great romances but also strong arguments at times.

16. As an artist and as a judge for La Voz Kidsany message or advice for young people aspiring to pursue a career in music?

First, that it is worth a lot. And secondly, that it is worth it as long as you dedicate yourself to it, take it very seriously, study and understand that it is a career. The more prepared you are, the more competitive and deeper you can go. Talent and skill are only a small part of what it takes to succeed in this profession. I think dedication, perseverance, persistence and preparation is an even bigger part than the other.

17. You're going back into the studio to work on a new album in February. How many songs have you written already?

This album should have 10 songs and 14 have been written, so we'll go into a selection process where I plan to allow myself to have 12. But the original project is 10.

18. How do you expect this album to differ from previous ones?

Artistically, I think every album should reflect a different moment in life and also a maturity, because there has to be an evolution. And on the entertainment side, I think working with a new team, which in this case is Warner Music, will bring really cool things and expose me even more. I have a lot of faith in the team that is helping me make this album and promote it.

19. Speaking of maturity, last summer you turned 50. What have you learned about yourself in this half century?

[Laughs.] That although I have gained some maturity, one of the most beautiful things about this maturity is realizing that I am still a child facing my work and facing many aspects of the world, which, thank God, continue to surprise me. And I think maintaining that wonder, ironically, is a sign of maturity.

20. What is Andrés Cepeda still waiting for?

Live. And to make music.