Jose Alberto "El Canario" - TT: Jose Alberto "the Canary" - Artículo Breve - Entrevista

Latin Beat Magazine, Dec, 2001 by Rudy Mangual

During a recent visit to Los Angeles to promote his latest CD titled Diferente (Viva Records/Universal), vocalist/sonero José Alberto "El Canario"--last seen on the roster of the recently defunct RMM label, shared a little career insight with this writer, in between bites, at the popular El Floridita Restaurant in the city of Hollywood.

Rudy Mangual: So, you're in town on business or pleasure?

José Alberto: On business, always a pleasure, mostly promoting my new CD Diferente, and my new video from this production.

RM: Let's give our readers a little background on you.

JA: I was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on December 22, a few years ago. Aware of my love for singing and performing as a child, my parents decided to relocate the entire family to the beautiful island of Puerto Rico so that I could develop and nurture my artistic talents.

RM: How young were you when you arrived in Puerto Rico?

JA: I was seven years old. Upon our arrival, I was enrolled in the Antilles Military Academy, where I majored in music. Growing up in Puerto Rico was an incredible experience and an inspiration to me because of the constant exposure to Latin music. At the academy, I sharpened my vocal skills, percussion skills, and formal education. After completion of my studies, and gaining a little experience performing a bit throughout Puerto Rico as a percussionist and singer, I decided that to seriously pursue a career in music, the next obvious stop had to be New York City. Arriving there in the early 1970s marked the beginning of an exciting creative period in my life. I started to work with top-ranked Latin musicians such as Johnny Rodríguez, Sonny Bravo, Mario Rivera and Nicky Marrero. In 1977, I became a member of the popular band Típica 73, with whom I traveled extensively abroad, attracting international attention as a singer/sonero.

RM: How did you earn the nickname "El Canario"?

JA: When I started working with the guys from Típica 73, I would always be singing or improvising to something. This led to them saying that I was like a canary bird and the name "El Canario" (The Canary) became my nickname. Many people thought or still think that the nickname came about because of the whistling I do with my magical invisible flute. But the invisible flute act came about much later.

RM: When did you start your solo career?

JA: In 1983, I formed my first band, José Alberto "El Canario" y Su Orquesta. The great Celia Cruz really enjoyed my singing style, and this resulted in periodic performances and extensive tours with "The Queen of Salsa." I will always be grateful to her for all her help, love and nurturing. In 1987, I became one of the first artists signed to the tropical dance division of RMM Records in New York. Since then, I have recorded a total of 12 albums, and this last one I just recorded for Universal has brought me the most satisfaction.

RM: What's so special about this new production?

JA: Well, an artist's latest work is always considered his best in most cases. One always tries to improve on the previous work, and I think such is the cases here. Don't get me wrong, I'm very comfortable with my previous productions, especially Llegó La Hora, De Pueblo y Con Clase, Sueño Contigo and Back To the Mambo: Tribute to Machito, but Diferente is indeed different. For one thing, for the very first time, I sing in French on the track Fatimata, plus I'm including a bolero--Cuando Se Trata De Ti--from my repertoire.

RM: Was it special to include old and new friends in the fun?

JA: Yes, It was a real party, a blast to record with friends Cuco Valoy (with whom I perform a duet on the selection El Lunar), Papo Lucca, Alfredo De La Fé, Nelson González, Eddy Zervigón, Jerry Medina, Jimmy Bosch and Julio César Calvajal.

RM: Who handled the arrangements?

JA: Arrangement credits go to Isidro Infante, Ricky González, and Nelson Hernández, with the exception of the Ramón Orlando composition Amada Mia, that Orlando arranged.

RM: What's next for "El Canario"?

JA: Every day I learn something new, I have new aspirations as to the next phase of my career. I'm an artist that is always improvising in my songs, on stage, and in my daily life. This is who I am. I do have a style of my own, which I have maintained throughout the years, but I also nourish it with new ideas to stay up to date and keep up with this fickle music business. I'm actually contemplating three projects: a bolero (ballads production, a Mexican music project, and a Latin jazz experiment.