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ON THE COUCH WITH: Mario Vazquez

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ARTIST INTERVIEW

Access All Areas.net.au: How are things with you?
Mario Vazquez: Everything is going fantastic. I am actually calling from New York having some down time and hanging with my dog. Right now in America we're on to the second single and I am very proud to have 'Gallery' playing in Australia and I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks.

Access All Areas.net.au: You were one of the top 12 finalists in the 2005 season of the television's ever popular "American Idol," but you decided to leave the show. Why did decide to leave Idol?
Mario Vazquez: You know what, at the time I felt the competition wasn’t right for me, I felt that I got a lot of fans from it and I felt a lot of opportunities from me being on that show in that little time and in my opinion I have been utilizing them for a little more freedom basically, I felt a bit more restricted if I continued with Idol and Idol definitely has put me where I am right now but I did feel restricted and I was fortunate enough that Clive Davis [Arista Records] was interested in signing me.

Access All Areas.net.au: Was that always your plan, to make it to the top 12 and then leave?
Mario Vazquez: Not necessarily. When I went in there I went in with open eyes, and like a sponge, I learnt a lot from being on the show, I learnt about business, I learnt how to control my destiny in this industry and I don’t feel I made a bad decision, I feel that I went off from top 12 and followed my dreams and I am very fortunate, very glad and very proud.

Access All Areas.net.au: So what have you been up to since leaving Idol in 2005?
Mario Vazquez: Well since leaving Idol I recorded my self titled debut album and I'd been in and out of the studio for about a year and I've worked with so many hit makers doing it big right now, creating music and prepping for the promotional tour for 'Gallery' and right now I've been focusing on my show and making it stronger and evolving. I never really stop, I always write and take a moment to listen to music and do regular things that make me me.

Access All Areas.net.au: You were snapped up pretty quickly by Arista Records, were you surprised at how quickly that came about?
Mario Vazquez: Well you know what, that was the risk. I did have interest from different labels and with the time passing and seeing the show progress, it was more anxiety build especially since meeting with these people and when Clive did approach us I was like wow and completely baffled and I didn't feel that he would be interested in anyone in the top 3 of Idol but he showed me business is business and talent is talent and he proved to me that business is there and people don't like to deal with this aspect but hey its reality and it's great to see that he saw potential in me to do big things.

Access All Areas.net.au: You’ve worked with the same producers that have worked with the likes of Usher, Shakira, Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias, it certainly makes for an interesting mix of sounds. Can you tell us what fans can expect from your forthcoming album?
Mario Vazquez: Well you can definately expect lots of different types of music from pop to hip hop, from dance to r'n'b... there's scar fused sounds, that's what I wanted to do make was to do a mix of what I love and the different aspects of my taste and music and I hope to evolve some more and hope to share my taste and when my taste evolves hopefully get other people to learn from that too.

Access All Areas.net.au: Have you written or co written any of the tracks on the album?
Mario Vazquez: I submitted six songs to the album and unfortunately only got one on the album but it goes to show me that he [Clive] does give opportunities for artists to write and he doesn't not let you be involved in that aspect. Artists need to put words on papers and at the time I had never really written until I got involved in Idol so it felt great that he even considered the songs that I had written and it gave me the confidence to write more and so you can expect more of my own songs on my next album but we'll get to that when we get there... right [laughs].

Access All Areas.net.au: So no doubt you'll be doing a lot of touring to promote the album, what can fans expect to see from one of your shows?
Mario Vazquez: Well just as the mix on album. I have a couple of dance numbers and I travel alongside my two beautiful dancers, they'll definately see more of that side which I don't think fans I have now and are too familiar with yet but hopefully my show will take you on the nice little journey I've been on for the past two years and they'll find it a very entertaining show.

Access All Areas.net.au: So when can we expect to see you on Australian shores?
Mario Vazquez: I'm not too sure. I hope very soon. I am definitely starting a promotional tour for my next single in the States but yeah sooner than later hopefully. I've never been to Australia and I've heard so many amazing stories about Australia so as soon as the opportunity comes up I will be there I promise!

Access All Areas.net.au: Whats ahead for you now?
Mario Vazquez: The plan is to start the second phase of my promotion of my album and working on the next single. We've got a video shoot in two weeks for the next single and here right now the focus is also on 'Gallery' in Australia and I am very proud to continue with that song and I want to thank Neo for hooking that up and to the fans around the world, especially Australia. This is my gift to you guys!

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

New York born Mario Vazquez has already had the kind of exposure most new, and for that matter, established artists dream of, even though his debut Arista Records album won’t hit the streets until later this summer. The handsome and talented young Nuyorican has literally been seen and heard by over 30 million people nationwide. As one of the Top 12 finalists in the 2005 season of the television's ever popular "American Idol," Mario scored millions of votes week after week before choosing to leave the show. "I wanted to control my own destiny as an artist." Destiny, indeed: The day after the show’s season ended last year (with Carrie Underwood as the winner), Mario found himself auditioning in person for Clive Davis and his A&R staff. Davis took less than twenty four hours to sign Vazquez to Arista Records, making him the first young male Latin artist on the label's prestigious roster. "I couldn’t believe it," Mario recalls. "I sang the song 'Whatever Happens,' which I had done on 'Idol' acappella and I thought, 'Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening!' I had a recording contract! It was amazing."

Arista's AnR team immediately put Mario with chartmaking singer/songwriter Ne Yo and the Stargate production team. The result: the infectious hit "Gallery" (the second most added single on the rhythm radio format its first week out), a prelude to what promises to be one of the year's most exciting new albums. Working with producers Lester Mendez (Shakira), Luny Tunes, Soulshock and Karlin (Usher), Steve Morales (Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias), and The Underdogs among others, Mario says his Arista debut "will reflect all my influences, growing up and living in New York. The city is such a melting pot and it's so open to all kinds of music: I want my album to be a vehicle for all of that, from Latin pop, RnB, hip hop and soul to tracks that take me back to hanging out in the city's dance clubs as a teenager. I'm also very proud of being a Nuyorican so, of course, some of my songs will be in Spanish and Spanglish which is what we did with 'Gallery': It's very important for me to 'represent'!"

Growing up in the Bronx, Mario says his parents, both from Puerto Rico, provided his earliest musical influences. "I have aunts and uncles who play music and my Mom used to make me sing when I was six!" Yes, Mario insists, "she made me sing! She loved the old school classic soul groups like The Stylistics and The Delfonics and the doo wop groups like The Teenagers so she had me singing along with songs like 'La La Means I Love You' and 'So Young.' Then, we had lots of Latin jazz records in the household, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, The Fania All Stars. Hearing all of those artists shaped me big time. When I look back, I'm so glad my folks introduced me to such a great range of music."

"I always loved singing so I knew that was what I wanted to do as career." Mario enrolled in New York's renowned La Guardia School for Performing Arts (the original inspiration for "Fame"), where his older brother had been a dance major. "I was a vocal major," Mario recalls. "That's where I learned music theory and how to read music and it was during that time that I also started writing, first off poems and dramatic monologues and later songs."

Joining the City Kids Repertoire Company, Mario found himself traveling the country, performing in front of the President and at charitable functions attended by major celebrities. "It's a youth empowerment group and I got to be the Latin 'face' for the 'Big Help' Campaign which was done with Nickelodeon. It was through the City Kids that I got a development deal with a record company," says Mario. "One of the songs on my original demo was 'Whatever Happens' and after (producer) Teddy Riley heard it, I ended up singing backgrounds on a project he was doing, Michael Jackson's 'Invincible' album. I really bugged out! Here I was, in the studio with Michael Jackson. I was like, 'That's it, I don't need to do anymore, I've made it!', then reality set in."

Reality set in when Mario found his development deal going nowhere. "I was doing nine to five's, anything that would put me near the industry, working at photo studios, with art directors... and I got a break when I got signed to a jingle house." Following in the tradition of former jingle singers like the late Luther Vandross, Mario found himself singing alongside such name artists as Phoebe Snow and Lisa Fischer.

However, feeling like he had lost his focus in pursuing his dream of a solo career, Mario decided to audition for "American Idol" and got in. For the ensuing months, Mario wowed the judges and the American public with his obvious passion for singing and love for music. With some smooth dance moves thrown in for good measure, he progressed each week: "I felt like I had a shot at winning because there was no one else like me on the show. I was the only Latino in the Top 12. But something kept bugging at me about expressing my individuality as an artist so I quit while I was ahead. Sure, I had some sleepless nights and it was a tough decision. I kept it to myself to start with because I knew my family and friends would talk me out of it! When I did leave, I didn't expect it to blow up in the media like it did and as for all the reasons people speculated for my leaving, I just said, 'hey, keep speculating!' I’m grateful for all the exposure I got on 'American Idol' and now I’d say it’s all worked out in my favor."

Excited at bringing his soulful mix of pop, RnB, hip hop and Latin music to the viewers who supported him every week as well as new audiences eager to hear Arista's latest hitmaker, Mario is hard at work finishing his all important debut album. "I'm blown away to be working with people like Ne Yo, who’s got this great song 'Lonely' that I’m doing, Soulshock and Karlin who have a cool pop/soul track, 'Everytime I' and Lester Mendez with whom I'm doing some things. It's really great working with him, with both of us being Latino and bringing the influence of PR (Puerto Rico) to the music. That's real important to me because I do want to be an inspiration to other young Latinos who want to make it in this business."

With a stated goal "to make my mark as a musical artist and do it all, sing, dance, act," Mario Vazquez is following his destiny. Looks like destiny is doing its part with the upcoming release of his debut, a hit filled showcase for this dynamic young artist.

www.mariovazquezofficial.com

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Behind Crimson Eyes
We did a festival in melbourne and it was a great. We got to hang out with Grinspoon and drink with those guys.

What are your tips for attending Music Festivals?Don't get drunk to quick. Pace yourself. So many people drink really quick at the start and it always ends up messy.

Favourite Music Festival?
I would have to say 'Big Day Out'. To any band it is great to be able to perform there its an honor. I was happy because when we did it 'Rage Against The Machine' were also playing that year and it was just one band I had always wanted to see play.

What's your ideal music festival line-up?Blink 182, Greenday and if I gould dig Jeff Buckley up, I would have him there to.

Favourite artist you’ve seen at a Music Festival?
Rage Against The Machine.