“We are Quijotes, we believe that music can still be made from another place, trusting that there will always be an audience that will seek out this type of music,” says Geronimo Rauch, who presents two albums at the Teatro Colón, “Las canciones de mi vida” and “Chapter one”, on Monday, July 22 at 8 p.m. The singer returns for the third time to perform at this lyrical theater with the Buenos Aires Broadway Orchestra conducted by Thomas Mayer Wolf.
There will be no shortage of classics such as “Bring him home” from Les Misérables, “Music of the night” from The Phantom of the Opera, “Roxanne” from The Police in the Moulin Rouge version, “María” from West Side Story, “You´ll never walk alone” from Carousel and more. In “Chapter one” he presents a collection of songs composed by Frank Wildhorncomposer of great musicals such as “Jekyll and Hyde”, “Civil War”, “Lancelot”, “Bonny & Clyde” and others. We spoke with Rauch.
Journalist: How did the songs in the repertoire leave a mark on you?
Geronimo Rauch: They are history, they are part of my repertoire in all concerts, I have them in my soul and body, I can’t not share them. In the case of “Roxanne”, it is by The Police but the musical version has tango in the background. The whole repertoire is exciting, and I am also presenting a new album.
Q: How do you alternate between musicals and solo shows?
GR: We are currently on vacation with “The Phantom of the Opera” but we will be back on August 14. Being able to combine that freedom of putting on a show as I want depending on the curiosity of the moment and alternating with musicals is fantastic. It allows me to get into characters, to tell stories other than my own, I hope I can always do that.
Q: It includes several songs by Frank Wildhorn, a great musical composer. Where does your admiration for him come from?
GR: I met him through the song “This is a moment” which is the central song of Jekyll & Hyde. It was when I was a singing student, with that song I went to audition for “Les Misérables” in 2000 and from that day on he accompanied me and I was a fan of Wildhorn’s work. He composes for singers, what he does is very epic, his music has a strength and spirituality that moves me. His song “A New Dawn” is hopeful and powerful.
Q: How did you end up at the Colón and what does it mean to perform there?
GR: One of the producers is Diego Kolankowski and he was the one who managed to get the doors opened for this show. This is the third time I’ve performed at the Colón and there are almost no tickets left. It’s a temple that I respect and where people like to come to see me. It’s magic and mysticism for us, we care about the culture of singing and the fact that they let me have a little space to come in and show my art honors me.
Q: What is it like to release an album in the Spotify era?
GR: We are romantics, we are moved by the way music was made before, today we just release singles and try things out. We released two albums, one in English and one in Spanish, recorded with real instruments. Releasing a CD is not a business for anyone, they are no longer bought, not even cars have the ability to play music, we release the albums on all digital platforms.
Q: How do you assess your career from Mambrú, which emerged from a TV show, to today?
GR: I had my ups and downs but I tell myself “well done” and I pat myself on the back. Races don’t happen by themselves, no one who has achieved success did it alone, it’s important to know how to surround yourself with the best team of people you trust, I was always accompanied.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
