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T H E I N T E R V I E W
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If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you, and why?
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If there was a movie produced about your life, who would play you, and why?
Wow that’s a really tough
question! It would have to be someone with a similar upbringing who has my
musical passion and talents. I think the closest match would be Justin
Timberlake. He has the acting chops and musical skills to do it, he’s just less
Italian.
What is your favorite spot in New
York, and why?
That's a tough one. But I would say SOB's (Sounds of Brazil). It's one of the
most popular Hip Hop & R&B venues in NYC and boasts the tagline
"Where Legends Are Made". I've performed there several times, at
least 5 or 6 times now, and each time I perform at SOB's, I feel like a part of
me gets better in some aspect. I've been fortunate enough to open for artists
like Musiq Soulchild and Eric Benet, which has given me wonderful exposure to
broader audiences. They also have a fantastic sound quality which is always
great. Artists are always worried about sound quality for live shows. SOB’s is
one of those places where you don’t have to worry. The vibe is very chill and
laid back. Whenever I’m there, either for my own performances or just there to
hang out, it feels like home.
Can you share with us how you got your start in music? What was the very first thing you ever performed live?
I got my start when I was a baby (literally). I was always singing, listening to whatever my mom was blasting on the radio. Because of my close relationship with my grandparents, I was exposed to a lot of vintage Italian music. My first performance was at my cousins wedding, I was just 6 years old. I sang an Italian classic “O’ Paese Di O’Sole.” It was a pretty defining moment. From there I was fascinated with all styles of music growing into my teens. With my father being a skilled pianist, I knew it was in my blood. I started playing guitar, piano, bass (even drums whenever I could get my hands on a free drum set) – while my friends were out in the street playing stick ball, I was inside drilling major, minor, and diminished scales. I’m a true music geek at heart.
I got my start when I was a baby (literally). I was always singing, listening to whatever my mom was blasting on the radio. Because of my close relationship with my grandparents, I was exposed to a lot of vintage Italian music. My first performance was at my cousins wedding, I was just 6 years old. I sang an Italian classic “O’ Paese Di O’Sole.” It was a pretty defining moment. From there I was fascinated with all styles of music growing into my teens. With my father being a skilled pianist, I knew it was in my blood. I started playing guitar, piano, bass (even drums whenever I could get my hands on a free drum set) – while my friends were out in the street playing stick ball, I was inside drilling major, minor, and diminished scales. I’m a true music geek at heart.
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| Courtesy of Gaetano |
Why has R&B never died?
Traditional R&B still exists, it
never died and never will, but it’s just harder to find. You’re not going to
hear R&B being drilled on commercial radio, or bumped in the clubs. It’s
not what the young people are into. Everyone these days is trying to “turn up.”
Some of my recent R&B purchases were albums from Tyrese, Eric Bellinger,
D’Angelo, and Tamar Braxton. I’d say Eric B. is probably the most commercial
out of all of those. For those more traditional sounding R&B albums, I
think you need to be a true R&B head to find them. I usually discover new
music through some of my favorite blogs and websites, social shares, word of
mouth. I don’t discover new music from ads, Spotify, or commercial radio.
I think what needs to be
considered is this - R&B never died, but it’s evolving. What you’re
hearing now with a lot of the mainstream artists is an evolved version of
R&B. The Weeknd, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Jeremih, etc. It’s not the
traditional R&B that we’re used to, but it is what the younger generation
is demanding. As a consumer, the choice is either to adapt and grow with it, or
remain a traditional R&B extremist and stick to the O.G’s, so to speak.
What are your two favourite quotes of the moment?
“It’s more important to have a small group of people that care a lot about you, than a large group of people that care little about you” – Seth Godin
“The thing that we did
was, we didn’t give up” – Jay Z
“It’s more important to have a small group of people that care a lot about you, than a large group of people that care little about you” – Seth Godin
Can you share one pleasant thing we would be surprised to know about you?
I'm a man of many interesting facets. One being that I enjoy knocking back a few shots of whiskey and then performing stand-up comedy in NYC. I don't do it too often, but it gives me a chance to live a momentary fantasy, and have some fun while tapping into another part of my creative side. Another interesting thing is that I am fluent in Italian, and I love to cook.
I'm a man of many interesting facets. One being that I enjoy knocking back a few shots of whiskey and then performing stand-up comedy in NYC. I don't do it too often, but it gives me a chance to live a momentary fantasy, and have some fun while tapping into another part of my creative side. Another interesting thing is that I am fluent in Italian, and I love to cook.
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| Courtesy of Gaetano |
Talk to us about
"Acoustix", the soulful project you recently did.
Based on my videos of covers and
the way I sing other artists songs during live sets, I’ve been told that I have
a unique and interesting interpretation of music. I wanted to do something that
I’ve never done before, so I did. Acoustix is a duet influenced project with
acoustic, unplugged style remixes of popular and classic songs from artists
like Tank, Usher, Eric Benet, Tamia, and more. There’s even a track performed
in Italian. All of the tracks feature guitar solos, live production, and unique
arrangements. I love the project because it allows me to express my musical
geek side. Putting bluesy sounding jazz chords behind an Usher song is
interesting, no one’s really doing that. Fans have been receiving it really
well, everyone’s showing love so far. I’m very happy with it, but I need to put
more efforts into promotion. But that’s a whole other conversation…
What's on the far horizon for Gaetano?
Working on my 3rd EP. Continuing to build my fan-base 1 by 1. Focusing on delivering high quality content and amazing live shows. Also working on production/songwriting placements for major artists.
Working on my 3rd EP. Continuing to build my fan-base 1 by 1. Focusing on delivering high quality content and amazing live shows. Also working on production/songwriting placements for major artists.
For you, Art is...
Expression of a given moment. A vibe. A feeling. Something that evokes (or should evoke) emotion. Something that takes you back in time, something that allows your mind to take you somewhere.
Expression of a given moment. A vibe. A feeling. Something that evokes (or should evoke) emotion. Something that takes you back in time, something that allows your mind to take you somewhere.
According to you, what is the purpose of life?
The purpose of life is simply to LIVE. But I mean, to really live. The big question that comes to mind is “Are you living, or just existing?” There are so many people out there that are just existing. Wake up, get dressed, go to work, go home, eat dinner, TV, sleep, repeat. Not that there’s anything terrible about that. Some folks are very happy with it, and that’s fine. But I know for a fact, many people who get stuck in that cycle are ones that have aspirations to do bigger things, but are too afraid to do them. They may be afraid because of failure, because of what other people might think or say, because of fear in general, etc. The purpose of life is to overcome those fears and execute your ideas. The purpose of life is to look back someday and know that you did everything you set out to do with zero regrets. You didn’t hold back. You didn’t miss out on opportunities because you were worried about what others would say if you failed. You were a leader, and not a follower. You were inspirational, and not aspirational. The first means you did it, the latter means you thought about it, but never did it.
The purpose of life is simply to LIVE. But I mean, to really live. The big question that comes to mind is “Are you living, or just existing?” There are so many people out there that are just existing. Wake up, get dressed, go to work, go home, eat dinner, TV, sleep, repeat. Not that there’s anything terrible about that. Some folks are very happy with it, and that’s fine. But I know for a fact, many people who get stuck in that cycle are ones that have aspirations to do bigger things, but are too afraid to do them. They may be afraid because of failure, because of what other people might think or say, because of fear in general, etc. The purpose of life is to overcome those fears and execute your ideas. The purpose of life is to look back someday and know that you did everything you set out to do with zero regrets. You didn’t hold back. You didn’t miss out on opportunities because you were worried about what others would say if you failed. You were a leader, and not a follower. You were inspirational, and not aspirational. The first means you did it, the latter means you thought about it, but never did it.
Thank you for your precious time Gaetano!
Photos: Courtesy of Gaetano
Dear R&B lovers, baby makers, and love givers, FABE Festival is back for a second edition of its annual concert R&B Never Died, sponsored by Groupe Reno Metrix. Hosted by the lovely Sherley Gene from R&B duo G.NAX, and featuring both local and international performers, R&B Never Died (Second Edition) will be held on December 6, at the famous Club Soda. Save the date for quite the late-night fun soulful party now!
Don't be shy to say hello if you see us!
Don't be shy to say hello if you see us!
The Nice to Meet You Interview is Aile Rėve's signature. It is our way to soulfully connect with the artist and visionary. The NTMY allows us to take off for a voyage into the furthest reaches of their mind, with love, humility, and poetry.
Anaëlle Naná Moon Oyå
Mermaid-in-Chief @AileReve
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