Most Latinos this side of thirty will remember the hysteria around the two pubescent pinups headlining Latin America’s most successful ever boy band called Menudo; one of them, Ricky Martin, was to become the one of the biggest pop stars of the 90s, the other Roby Draco Rosa, co- wrote and produced those hits – La Vida Loca, She Bangs, Shake your Bon-Bon - that launched his band mate’s global career. Despite having the looks of a pop idol (it was he in fact that was Menudo’s lead singer) Rosa rejected the bubblegum songs of his youth and that he wrote for others, and forged a career in alternative rock.
"I was like, we're a part of this mess. The pop, idolatry, the whole massive-appeal thing," Rosa said. " I wanted out."
Sometimes referred to as the Latin Lenny Kravitz or Prince, the 43-year-old has a cult following for his experimental rock. As a testament to his talent, after being diagnosed with cancer, the greatest figures in Latin music - Shakira, Marc Anthony, Juanes, Ruben Blades, Juan Luis Guerra, Jose Feliciano and the bands Maná and Calle 13 flocked to support with him in making an album ‘Vida’.
The album, in which 16 artists record duets of all his tracks from 1993 to 2009, became a huge hit and his best selling album yet. Included in this list was Ricky Martin, who records Mas y Mas with Draco. “We go way back," Rosa says. "I was 14 or something; he was 12. He was like, 'Definitely, count me in. And it was the perfect son.” LatinoLife: How are you feeling now Robi? Roby Draco Rosa: I’m feeling great, life is good. We just released this album of duets, which has been magical, new people getting to know my music, a new audience and that is a lot a fun. The album went gold - the first time for me as a solo artist. I am very excited about that. What can I tell you, there is so much going on…songwriting a lot, recording touring is the big thing in our list, we should be starting this year but load of other projects, about to release an electronic project that we are still working on…there a lot of little things...
LL: I have heard some songs of the new album, and agree you are reaching a new generation of listeners, you are working with some very successful artists like Shakira, Marc Anthony, Calle 13, but I still feel you are the one improving them, you are the one with the magical touch.
BDR: I think there is no real reason to it, it just happened. And to tell the truth I feel honoured to be given this opportunity. For many years people criticized me about my commitment to certain (non-commercial genres) and I would say: ‘don’t be ridiculous’ and that is good and bad. Good because I’m fighting an industry that is always trying to put you in some sort of market niche. There are people who love all music and there is a sector who like an specific genre and reaching them has been difficult, but the celebration comes with this album which somehow we managed to make work crossing completely different genres and it sounds really goo. We have urban stuff with Calle 13 and Tego Calderon, we have Juan Luis Guerra, Jose Feliciano, Ruben blades and it seems to work all out. I think the circumstances also set us up. It was recorded in the middle of a personal crisis, a health one, and I think that the love that was shared through the process was genuine…that is a rarity. Sometimes things like this have to happen. In the past I had been approached to do duets but I always shied away from it because I never thought they were genuine…I don’t do things to collect trophies, or because the record label wants to push sales.
LL: And how did this project come about then?
BDR: Well when I got approached to do this project my first reaction was the same, that maybe this will be seen as “that kind” of sympathy project because I was ill. But the reality is that the record exists because I was ill, because in the end there is a mutual appreciation from my end as well. The artists that are here are top of the line in their field so it is magical for that reason, somehow it worked out, somehow it was meant to be. I don’t produce records these days except for my own so I did have a great time working on one album with 16 different artists and I just loved it and I think you just listen to it and you will get that, even myself, I don’t tend to listen to my records after they are done but not every day you get Ruben Blades and Jose Feliciano in the same album singing your songs!
LL: Tell us more about this album because I am a bit confused with the dates of the production, I know you were diagnosed but was the illness a catalyst for this album to happen?
BDR: Definitely, to be honest it was down to two people, Angelo Medina my manager and mentor and someone from the label. I met with them while I was in treatment. I was doing experimental treatments and they were working and then were not working, so I would be in and out, some good news, some bad news, but along the way we spoke about the possibility of doing this album because of the uncertainty that was ahead, that idea that I might not be around for much longer, that was the way the album was born. I think we initially started with Juan Luis Guerra and Ruben Blades, old friends, and when I was in there Ricky (Martin) and Alejandro (Sanz) came in and it kind of happened, little by little in between treatments we were slowly but surely coming together to create this record which for me is a collector’s piece. I am glad I listened to those guys. For me it was something very good as well because it gave me something to keep my illness out of my head but yeah it definitely the album came about because of what was happening without a doubt
LL: So at the moment you are cancer free, right? BDR: Yes, as a matter of fact yesterday I got the news yesterday of my 6 months healthy, I’m good!! LL: So was there anyone that you would have liked to work on the album but you did not, someone out there that you want to collaborate with?
BDR: There is always gonna be someone. I would have loved to work with (Gustavo) Cerati, I am just sharing this with you guys, I think about him a lot. Also Saul Hernandez from Caifanes…it would have been awesome to do something with Juan Gabriel you know, he is a crazy songwriter…that is just off the top of my head…also Lhasa, someone who I would have loved to have worked, she also suffered from cancer.
LL: I truly believe you are an icon of Latin music, you always seemed to be ahead of your time, not following what everyone else was doing and doing it your way but at the same time you have enjoyed commercial success, especially as a producer, how did you manage that? It could not have been easy!
BDR: I cannot tell you that I am an intelligent man beyond the norm (laughs). Some of it is chance, most of it because I had mentors who taught me certain things, I was lucky and fortunate to stumble upon this reality. But being able to define what it is that I do and why, I can’t tell you. After 30 years in the industry some things start making sense, a direction and a vision start defining themselves but I don’t feel I am in control of things. It hard for me to answer that question, the reality is that I delivered albums that labels did not like it. I delivered Vagavundo in 1996 to Sony and they did not know what to do with the album and there are many untold stories and I have been sharing them recently, stories of struggle, but for some reason now the stories start making sense.
LL: You work a lot with your wife, she is an award winner filmmaker and she has done most of your videos, how intense it gets living and working with the same person when both of you are super creative?
BDR: We have been working together for a very long time, it has worked out, we have had our share of crisis but she is a friend and a lover and the mother of my children so there is a lot of good in the relationship.
LL: Apart from this fantastic album that you are promoting now and all the work that promoting al album entitles, what else are you doing, are you producing for anyone?
BDR: No way, I am not producing. I don’t think I will be producing for anyone for a while, just my own stuff now. We are working on a new album too of unreleased songs but there is a lot of things happening in my life right now…we are doing a lot outside music, too. We have a coffee brand called Café Horizonte whish is sold here in Puerto Rico, in some shops, at the airport and online. We are producing t-shirts, we have a brand of clothes “Vagabundo Clothing and we are also producing rum, Ron Vagabundo, we are pretty close on closing that deal so we will be putting out our own rum, a project that we have been working on for a while, so I am not gonna be producing any records for other people, but I will be producing rum, coffee and clothes!
LL: Any plans to come to Europe in the near future? BDR: We hope, we have been invited to a couple of countries and we would love to do small venues in some European countries, but first we need to finish the album we are recording and then for next year there is some plans to go on tour.
LL: Well we really hope to see you here soon. And thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us. It’s great to see you doing so well.
BDR: The pleasure is mine.
