1.Growing Up
I grew up in a Latin family with traditional customs. My grandfather was a womanising trumpet player in Uruguay and his stories made me want to follow in his footsteps. Fortunately, I quickly realised that music was much more satisfying, and so I dedicated myself to studying the music of my Latin roots and adapting it to Australian society.
2.Inspirations
Santana was a big theme in my early years, the way the percussion gave life to the melodic instruments was hypnotising. Equally, hip hop and funk/soul was essential in showing how a groove can just sit there and make you eventually lose your mind. Folkloric music of South America is also rich in variety and spirituality; for example, Paraguayan harp music was one of my all-time favourites when I was eight years old!
3.Your Crew
Our band is really a band of brothers that happen to write great music together. That’s helped us stay together nearly ten years. Along the way we have had the pleasure to work with some amazing people, such as NY producer Joel Hamilton, and fulfil some dreams like touring with Santana and opening for Seun Kuti and Earth, Wind & Fire. When writing, the main idea is to mix our Latin roots with the essence of Australian rock, and any other influences we may have rolling around the barrel at the time.
4.The Music You Make
Much of our music is based on folkloric music of South America, but in our last three albums you can hear quite a variety of influences. Most of our proudest offerings were written on the road, usually in some dingy club afterparty. We have toured Asia a couple of times, and South America as well. One great memory was being taken to an underground club in Japan after a gig. These kind people had a stage and band gear waiting for us, along with an open bar, and a small group of fans waiting to dance. We improvised for about six hours that night, and wrote some real gems along the way. Needless to say, I think similar scenarios have happened to us all over the place thanks to kind and passionate people. Our live shows try to replicate the energy that we hear in folkloric Latin music and Australian rock. They are both played with confidence and power; we try to bring that energy to every show.
5.Music, Right Here, Right Now
We are blessed in Sydney to have a very diverse and talented music scene, where musicians are eager to collaborate and share their talents. Jam sessions have always been the best place for musicians to connect with other players and show their abilities in a live setting. There are a growing number of these jams in Sydney right now… get to it!
Catch Watussi at Soul of Sydney Block Party at aSecret Funk Oasis, five minutes from the CBD onSunday April 6.
