Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Flores.
Hi Ryan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a California Bay Area native with Czech and Mexican roots (Czexican or Czex-Mex, as I like to call it) and moved to Colorado in 2010 with an erstwhile girlfriend/bandmate after studying at Missouri State. I am a writer, producer, and photographer. I make my living playing live music in a genre I bill as Latin Gypsy—a mixture of Flamenco, Tango, Mariachi, Caribbean, and Balkan styles. In the studio, I have five separate projects to accommodate my varied songwriting styles. I started a record label here in Colorado in 2014: Heart Shaped Records. I’m currently recording three new albums: a solo electronica album, a solo guitar-driven instrumental album, and a Latin dance album with my band Viva la Noche. I am also a published poet and am chipping away at my first novel. My favorite fruit is mango. 🙂
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all, but I have persevered. 2020 has been especially difficult due to the pandemic. I played over 200 gigs in 2019 and a small fraction of that in 2020.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I expounded on this in a previous question, but I’m best known for my lively fusion of dance music. I play drums with my feet while playing guitar and singing. What sets me apart from other musicians/one-man-bands is the stylistic pastiche of my own design. I mix a host of Latin styles (i.e., cumbia, tango, salsa, mambo, flamenco) with Eastern European gypsy music and rock ‘n’ roll to create a sound that is unique, complex, infectious, and fun.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I think finding a voice that is all your own is crucial. Whether in writing, photography, design, music… it’s more rewarding when you are being authentic to your own vision and self-expression in lieu of imitating what’s already been done. While I borrow from many tried and true traditions stylistically, I’ve endeavored to create something that speaks to my unique experience straddling cultures and various media.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: ryanaflores
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ryanfloresband
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