Artist Interview: Seu
Interview By: Aarusha Pushparajah
Seu is a Queretaro, Mexico born singer and songwriter that is now based in Toronto. Prior to his move, he was known for performing in and around Mexico at places like: festivals, private events, and concerts. He even performed in Germany, Spain, Ireland, and Canada.
He recently released his first album, “Roots”, and is working on releasing more in the future. His EP explores innovative approaches to performing Boleros and contains three songs using electronic sound, as well as acoustic instruments such as the guitar. The general genre of his work is described by Seu to be Acoustic Soul, Reggae, Funk and some Bossa nova.
AADN:
How did you get into the arts? What piqued your interest in music?
Seu:
When I was in kindergarten I started to learn piano and was part of the music chorus. l felt like music was for me and also I started to learn guitar after. I remember some memories about listening to the radio a lot and music from Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and many more.
AADN:
How has the road to become a musician been for you? Are there challenges you have experienced?
Seu:
A lot of things actually but in general if I can say something, I’m still learning how I can become a successful musician. I have three albums now and a couple of singles and all of them have different experiences. The first problem was telling my parents I wanted to be a musician but when they saw my evolution they supported me %100.
AADN:
How was the role of being an artist based in Querétaro, Mexico different from being an artist in Toronto?
Seu:
A couple of things about my city in México were good for me the last few years before I left. Good festivals, private gigs and regular shows during the weekend so it was a big decision to change countries and start from the beginning. After one year in Toronto, it’s still not the same as my country but I met incredible people, musicians and audiences who believe in my projects, so I guess I just need more time here.
AADN:
Are there any future projects you are looking forward to that you would like to share?
Seu:
Yes I have two singles coming at the end of the year. One is going to be a bossa nova song and the other is with my reggae project called “Pachedub Collective”. I’m always excited to share new music with people.
AADN:
Is there any part of your career as a musician that you enjoy the most?
Seu:
My first Tour in Europe with my reggae band in 2015. It was the first time I felt like I wanted tp do this for the rest of my life. We visited Germany and Ireland.
AADN:
How would you describe the music that you create? What kind of genres does it cover?
Seu:
My type of music would be Acoustic Soul, Reggae, Funk and some Bossa nova as well.
AADN:
To what degree does your upbringing in Querétaro influence your music and how has it been received by audiences in other parts of the world?
Seu:
That’s a good question. I think Queretaro gave me the experience to know it’s not going to be easy to live with music and it prepared me for the next few years.
AADN:
A lot of people believe that music has no language, what are your thoughts about this statement?
Seu:
I completely agree about it. A couple of times I played my songs in Spanish and most of the audience didn’t know the language but they caught my emotions and feelings.
AADN:
How was the process of writing “Roots” for you?What were your thoughts and feelings while creating this EP?
Seu:
It was difficult in some ways and easy in others. It was my first solo album without a reggae sound, so I decided to record a few songs with other types of music like hip hop, pop and soul. The final EP makes me super happy and ready to be more open for other music and feats.
Editor: Ezel Urul
