“I am trying to find an identity. However, I am not going to be guided by just one genre. I have different sounds, not just urban. And within urban there is a lot of scope. I make ballads, I compose with the guitar. I make romantic songs, songs of heartbreak, love, happy songs, merengue, salsa, everything,” Alex Otra Nota told DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS.
“I have a partner, but I am working independently. There is a lot of projection on digital platforms. However, on the one hand it is positive, because one can do many things on one’s own, but there are also many exponents and one has to differentiate oneself from the others. For me it is about finding my own sound, an identity,” he answered about how his proposal stands out among the wide musical offer that exists today.
For the singer-songwriter, a good composition touches the heartstrings and reaches the public.
“Making good songs goes beyond marketing or investment. I think the product is the most important thing, a song that connects in many ways of life,” he said.
“The concept of a good song is very subjective. I used to be guided by what others said. Then there are many people in the industry, music producers, who are very square. Sometimes a producer listens to a song and says it’s really bad. And it turns out that it’s number one, it sticks. That’s why I don’t think it’s something objective, it’s a very personal criterion. And I think that a good song connects, it reaches people, both in lyrics and rhythm as well as in feeling,” he added.
Recently released Escapea cheerful and fresh song to the rhythm of reggaeton, which invites you to disconnect a little from the routine or everyday situations.
“It’s a fun, dynamic song that talks about escaping, about disconnecting. Who hasn’t escaped at some point? I think that at some point in our lives, we’ve all escaped from something, whether it’s from our parents, our partner, our routine or our job,” she explained.
The song is accompanied by a music video filmed with Miami beach as a backdrop.
“In the video, a couple escapes from problems, from routine, from bills, and they go to disconnect, to enjoy and have a good time. It is a beach theme,” he said about the audiovisual material.
Another song he delivered is Burgundy Bloodwith which he declares his love for football. The song, which he recorded with Jonathan Moly, was the anthem for the Venezuelan national team at the Copa América.
“One of the reasons I wrote this song was not only because of the football theme, but to fill all Venezuelans in the world with feelings of unity and pride, so that they feel identity and love for what is ours,” he said.
Con EscapeAlex Otra Nota seeks to relaunch his career as a soloist and continue delivering music already established in the Capital of the Sun, where he found exile eight years ago.
“I had a little time without releasing music, since the pandemic. In 2020, I released Let’s go “I was here in Miami, with the video also recorded here. And now I am relaunching my project as a soloist with this new artistic name that comes from the youth group Otra Nota, which I was in in Venezuela. We did musical productions, concerts, media tours, everything,” he said.
“And then I decided to take the plunge. Then another company signed me to do a duet project with another guy from the group. However, the situation in Venezuela at that time was a bit complicated and I decided to come to Miami to start out on my own.”
But why continue as a soloist while carrying with him something from his former group? Social media is to blame.
“Because since I started in that group in the artistic world, my Instagram was Alex Otra Nota. Then that project ended, years went by, the group did not continue, but I liked the name, it seemed unique to me and many people identified me on social networks. And that is why I decided to take that step as a soloist,” he recalled.
The work in the studio is tireless and the result will be an album, which will come from the hand of the producer of Chino and Nacho and Sixto Rein, among other urban exponents.
“We are working in the studio with John Paul on the production of some songs. We have a lot of material. And the idea is to prepare an album. In addition to Escape y Burgundy Bloodwe are going to release two more songs throughout the year, to see if we can release a record production next year.”
On the challenges he has faced as an immigrant in Miami looking for a place in music, he commented:
“In Venezuela, I was working with the top people in the industry. And when I arrived I had to start from scratch, I came alone. And it’s not just the issue of how to connect here in music, but also how to support myself financially. I had many challenges and that’s why I looked for a way to be stable. I did all kinds of jobs, not just in music. I started from less to more, regardless of my past, because one has to disconnect from what one has already done. If we are here, it is because of a new path.”
“And I started doing it with all the love and willingness in the world, and with all the humility as well. I came to work on everything, in my personal and professional aspect, and to start growing. It has gone quite well for me, working little by little. I feel very happy to be here. I have been in Miami for almost eight years and I can say that I am happy with what I am achieving.”
He sends a message of hope to his fellow countrymen in Venezuela ahead of the presidential elections this Sunday, July 28.
“I think it is extremely important to exercise the right to vote. I tried many times until I had to emigrate like millions of Venezuelans. We were separated from our families, friends. We felt we had no future in Venezuela. Today it seems that there is another opportunity. Hope is the last thing to be lost. And the only thing I would like is to see my country doing well, to see families united. Venezuela and Venezuelans deserve a change for the better!”
