Released in 2012, Retro is merely his second album featuring some of the salsa world’s greatest artists. Nominated in the best tropical album of the year’s category of the American Grammy Awards, 2013, it’s an album in Spanish for all those who crave captivating Tango compositions. The legend in the making, Marlow Rosado has eleven Grammy nominations under his belt for his paramount contributions to rock, merengue, salsa, urban and tejano albums of various artists. Moreover, his individual debut album Salsalsa (2009) secured the #1 spot in Zeta 93 charts, Puerto Rico for over 5 weeks.
Marlow, born in Puerto Rico and living it up on the beaches of Miami, Florida, is renowned for his mesmerising skills in crafting sophisticated Jazz and exotic Salsa tunes. With an enviable Master’s degree in Jazz, he is a pianist, composer and producer of varied music genres including salsa, rock, merengue, hip-hop, bachata and reggaeton. His skills extraordinaire frequently draw Latin Artists to collaborate with him for musical arrangement, powerful montunos on the piano and his ability to direct orchestras.
Having played and worked with a diverse repertoire of artists including Marc Anthony, Desmond Child, Celia Cruz, Larry Harlow, Tommy Olivencia and Ricardo Montaner to name a few, he has recently arranged and directed the horns sessions for Ricky Martin’s new production. The upcoming sensation is set to release an album in English in 2013.
Marlow believes music has no boundaries and hopes to bring his melodies to Pakistan one day
Tell us about yourself, your childhood, your background and where you came from?
Marlow Rosado: “My childhood was normal, although I was always an anxious kid. I come from a humble home and divorced parents, so I grew up alone with my mother. I had all the excuses that anyone needs to drop out of school and get lost in the streets, but my anxiety to grow and do something kept me going. Thank God there was music in my life because it kept me busy. I belong to a beautiful island in the Caribbean called Puerto Rico. I am very stable because my mother made sure that within our means, I had everything I needed. I adore my mother because she taught me everything I needed to know to be a good man.”
What inspired you to become a Musician?
MR: “I started playing the piano at a very young age. I come from a poor family; therefore I never took formal lessons as a child. I always listened to people like Eddie Palmieri and Thelonious Monk and it was through imitating them that I learned the instrument. But, oddly enough, my creative inspiration to write and produce, comes from Salvador Dali, a Spanish surrealist painter. I think I play like Dali draws. I draw so much inspiration from just looking at his art. It’s a testament to the fact that art is art, whether its music, painting or dancing, it’s all connected.”
You’re a brilliant producer, composer, pianist and songwriter, will you ever consider singing or acting at any stage?
MR: “I would consider acting because I have done it in the past. Singing however, is a different story. Believe me, you don’t want to hear me singing.”
Eleven Grammy Award nominations! How are you able to win a spot at the Grammys these many times?
MR: “I try to have my hands in everything I can. I also take a lot of pride in what I do, so I try to produce and write music at the highest level that I can. Also, I keep my eye on that Grammy all the time.”
Your album, Retro has been nominated for the Best tropical album of the year category of the 55th Grammy Awards 2013, how confident are you this time?
MR: “I’m very confident, I produced an absolutely amazing album and I am very confident that it will fight and stand on its own.”
Tell us a bit about Retro.
MR: “Retro is a dream album. I have been thinking about making this record for years but I didn’t feel ready to attack such a monster. Retro, is a concept where I took some of the strongest songs from the 1970’s, maintaining the essentials of the originals, but metamorphosing them into my very own 21st-century conception until they became entirely mine. What made this record difficult was getting the original artist to come back and re-do their 70’s hits. It is a dream since every single artist on this album is in some part an inspiration to me. These are the teachers, the ones who started everything, and they all agreed to be on my album. That’s Retro.”
What are your future plans?
MR: “I’m just getting started. I am opening doors in all areas of my life and I am open to working on very ecliptic and interesting projects. Who knows maybe I can work with a great producer from Pakistan and fuse your country with mine and create something great.”
When introducing you at a performance once, Tito Pointe Jr. said, “he truly deserves one (Grammy)”. Do you agree, and if yes then, which of your song(s)/album(s) do you think should’ve won you a Grammy in the past?
MR: “I think my first album should have won. I also think that some of the songs I have written for the legendary orchestra El Gran Combo should have also won. I specially think that the record I co-produced for Tito should have also won a Grammy. But I really think Retro should win.”
What does winning a Grammy mean to you?
MR: “Winning a Grammy means that my music is being recognised among the best in the country. It means that my hard work and perseverance is showing its fruit.”
How was your Jazzmandu experience in Nepal?
MR: “I loved my trip to Kathmandu. I think Nepal is a wonderful country with absolutely wonderful people. I am still reaping the benefits of this experience. I learned so much about human nature during my visit. I have traveled the world and Nepal is going to be pretty hard to beat.”
What is your favorite genre of music and who are your favourite musicians?
MR: “My favourite genre of music is without a doubt salsa, it’s what I grew up with and it’s the music that has made me a living. There are so many great musicians that it is difficult to pick one. However, one that has had a great deal of influence on my life and the style of piano I play is pianist Eddie Palmieri.”
If you were not a musician, what do you think you would have been?
MR: “That’s a tough question because I have been a musician all my life. I don’t know how to do anything else. Whatever else I would be would have to be involved with traveling because it’s one of my greatest loves in life.”
Some people say that jazz is boring and too slow, what would you say to them?
MR: “Listen to bebop, and try to keep up with John Coltrane. Like classical music, jazz is a difficult art to understand. Jazz is not mainstream and that’s fine. I think that people will always put down what they don’t understand. Jazz is not slow, it comes in all shapes and forms.
When are you coming to Pakistan for a show?
MR: “I hope to visit as many countries as possible and to be able to take around the world. The thought of bringing my music to Pakistan excites me and I hope and wish I could just pick up and go. Hopefully soon, someone, a promoter, event planner or festival organiser would want me to play in Pakistan and I would go immediately.”
