This Monday, November 29, Aroddy returned to his native country. At the reception at the airport departure gate, he said: “I feel happy and grateful to God. My life will change after this award. I think that I will have a lot more responsibility with myself and my career, because this means that I will be in the sight of more people ”.
“If before with my music I could change 100 lives, now God has given me the tool to be able to change thousands more,” he added during his speech.
When speaking with journalists, he commented that among his short-term goals are to finish his next single by January and, in the long term, he considers the possibility of taking his Latin Grammy experience into a movie as well as a book.
The singer also said “I urge all Guatemalans to seek their dreams in their area of expertise and invited everyone to be winners of awards such as the Grammy, Oscars, or more Nobel prizes. “Guatemalan youth need positive role models in their lives so that they are encouraged to fight for their dreams,” he added.
He also commented that next Wednesday, December 1, he will make the Change of the Peace Rose, in the central courtyard of the National Palace of Culture where he will be appointed as Ambassador of Peace.
Why is the Latin Grammy so important for Guatemala?
The Latin Grammy is considered one of the awards that recognizes excellence in the arts and sciences of recording.
In the 22nd edition of the Latin Grammys, on November 18, the Chiquimulteco artist Aroddy won the gramophone in the category of Best Christian Album, for his album I already saw myself.
The Chiquimulteco competed with the New Yorker Anagrace, multi-winner of these awards, the Brazilian Aline Barros, the Mexicans Majo and Dan and William Perdomo, from Colombia.
In this year’s awards, Gaby Moreno was also nominated for Best Tropical Song with Bolero a la Vida.
In addition, the Guatemalan guitarist Alfredo Cáceres was part of the talents of the album Tinto Tango, plays Piazzolla, which won the award for Best tango album.
It is important to recognize that in the history of Latin Grammy Guatemala has been present in different categories.
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The truth is that each album or musical material has a background work, as well as a team that guarantees its quality.
A countercurrent disk
In context it is important to know Aroddy. His name is Arody Espinales and he was born on April 9, 1972 in Chiquimula.
The recognition of a Latin Grammy came after three decades of dedicating himself to music, but its beginnings were hard. At the age of 9, to help in his home he did cleaning tasks in a house. In adolescence he painted houses, learned carpentry and worked his way until he graduated as a teacher.
In that process he saved a little money because he wanted to make a recording. This is how his album was born 30 years ago My loyal friend, a cassette that arrived with a lot of effort and after requesting support to make it happen.
This first achievement allowed him to travel through Guatemala and several countries in the region carrying his message through his songs. To date it has 11 productions. “We don’t make records to win prizes. I always look for excellence and in this journey we want to do things well, sound good, and we have met great professionals who collaborate on this album ”, adds Aroddy.
Like other Guatemalan musicians, Aroddy was hit by the pandemic. There were no shows and producing an album was a risky idea when most companies stopped. The artist was advised not to invest in the project because it could be counterproductive.
In a telephone interview with Free Press After receiving the award, Aroddy remembers talking to his wife one night. It was 2020, when the statistics of infections and deaths due to the health crisis went from cold numbers to having names and surnames of loved and close people.
“With good reason, the fear that one of us might die came to mind. Without thinking, I said: ‘If I die I will go to Heaven to give a concert to my beloved Jesus.’
In his head was the phrase “I saw myself singing in heaven.” He picked up his guitar and in 15 minutes the song was complete.
In the process he composed about 30 songs, of which only five were recorded. The album was produced slowly, one song at a time, throughout the past year.
By May 2021 the album was finished, although singles were released. The disc includes I already saw myself that gives the name to the album; Take time to pray, Trust, On the other side of the Wall and Pilgrims.
The production was also remote. A special model is made and now it is possible to produce it without being assembled. “Professionalism is recognized with the sound they achieve and the producer is in charge of fine-tuning details,” explains Aroddy. It refers to Ariel García, recognized in his career and winner of two Latin Grammy.
The video clip of I already saw myself It was produced and directed by Luis Condomi. It premiered on the YouTube platform last December and has exceeded one million views.
On his YouTube channel there are more than 40 videos of other musical productions.
The artist has composed songs for a large number of interpreters, including Leonel Tuchez, Katty Mazariegos, Pedro Rivera Jr. and Luis Enrique Espinosa.
Ariel García: two Latin Grammys
García was born on August 26, 1974. He has been nominated three times and already has two participations in Latin Grammy winning projects, including I already saw myself.
This is not the first time you have worked with Aroddy. Together they have produced several albums, including a live album, Fragrant Smell.
In 2015 he participated in what was selected as Best Instrumental Album, called Mamblueby Ed Calle.
He contacted Calle because he had a record in which his email appeared and in 2000 he dared to write to him. They met and started working together.
At that time, they still did not work online and they established more contacts. This is how he met Lee Levin and other personalities from the world music scene.
In 2014 he called him to work at Mamblue. The Guatemalans Benjamín Carazo, José López, Germán Giordano, Armado Trujillo, Eliezer Suárez, Javier García, Byron García and José Villagrán participated in the making of this Venezuelan album.
In 2021 he was also with Carlos Peña, a Guatemalan interpreter, and they were nominated for Best Arrangement with the song Bésame mucho, a song in which his Big Band and Daniela Calvario also collaborated.
Your walk
He started in music as a child, at the age of 8, and received a great influence from his father, because he was the announcer Juan Francisco García de León and on the radio where he worked there was a piano in which Ariel entertained himself by playing every time he played it. accompanied. At home he took a wood to which he drew the keys that simulated this instrument.
At the age of 15, he became interested in recording music and began to create song arrangements, compose melodies and write lyrics.
From this age the idea arose to record a series of volumes of instrumental music with melodies of popular Christian songs.
He met Iván Vidal, a Guatemalan interpreter who introduced him to a recording studio, and other artists.
For almost seven years he made arrangements for national television, in a program that encouraged child musicians. He became the arranger for most of those who grew up and devoted themselves to music.
In the Christian environment he has worked with Juan Carlos Alvarado, with whom he produced six albums and is the director of the artist’s band.
He is currently studying a Bachelor of Music in a special program at Da Vinci University. “I am surrounded by colleagues with experience,” he says.
About teamwork he says: “I have always believed that the best team is the one made up of friends. This allows a good communication so that the vision of the artist and the producer is understood ”.
“Aroddy has a great quality in the songwriting. The Academy observes the quality of everything, it is not only how it sounds or how it sings or composes, but the sum of everything ”, he adds.
He expresses that Guatemala has a lot of musical talent and feels that it is necessary to pay more attention to the national than to the international. “I think that 50 percent of Guatemalan music should be played on the radio and that is also a commitment for the artist, so that the material sounds with the best quality,” he says.
Regarding the last Latin Grammy, he is grateful to God for this new recognition. Now he is working on projects with Aroddy, Carlos Peña and Juan Carlos Alvarado, in addition to other planned work abroad.
Musicians and professionals in I already saw myself
1. Leonel Tuchez
Guatemalan singer and preacher. He has recorded discs dedicated to Christian music.
2. Jahir Ramírez
Guatemalan musician and recording engineer in I already saw myself.
3. Alex Gamboa
Guatemalan resident in Miami. Music producer, mixing and mastering engineer. Grammy winner and two nominations.
4. Edson Aroch
Guatemalan musician. Engineer and businessman.
5. Andrea Aguilar
Guatemalan singer and vocal producer. He participated in the choirs of the Aroddy album. He lives in Los Angeles, USA.
6. Benjamin Carazo
Guatemalan bass player. Collaborated in Mamblue.
7. Pepe Ortega
Music producer, pianist and recording engineer. Winner of Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards. He has participated in more than 300 recordings for artists such as Cox, Luis Fonsi, Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Rivera, Pandora and Bronco, among others.
8. Camilo Velandia
Colombian who lives in Miami. He played in the band for the Latin Grammy Awards, as did Lee Levin and Richard Bravo. He has recorded hundreds of songs and for artists such as Luis Fonsi, Ednita Nazario, Danna Paola, José Feliciano, Jesse and Joy.
9. Lee Levin
He has worked on several drum productions. He has participated in more than a thousand recordings for a variety of artists such as Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Calle 13, Ricardo Arjona, Alejandro Sanz, Juan Luis Guerra and Shakira, among others.
10. Juan Carlos Osorio
Guatemalan musician. Participate in different Christian music projects.
11. Richard Bravo
Percussionist and drums. He was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and has been a drummer since 1977. He also works as an engineer and producer.
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Aroddy returns to Guatemala with a Latin Grammy and talks about new projects and his winning team