Part I : Beto Vazquez

Part II : Sonia Pineault

Part III : Jessica , Melissa, Kiara, Mikki

Interview by Daves Couture

BETO VAZQUEZ INTERVIEW

At first, thanks a lot for taking the time to respond for our interview!

Thanks to you for write me. I always try to reply to everyone that write’s me as is very important for me.

Musik Universe is thankful for you. French people in North America will have the chance to know you a little bit better.Could you first take a moment to resume your career since it started in 1999? The Canadian people don’t know you a lot.

Actually my career started long back before in 1984. I’m a musicians since then and I recorded 3 albums with a thrash metal band from Argentina.
In 1999 I realized that I got reached a roof as a composer, and I decided to brake this limit, so i went to perfection myself at the Florida Music School of Buenos Aires in where I study keyboards and harmonies. And there was born Beto Vazquez Infinity project. Then a company from my own country have an eye on me, and on the demo that I was preparing , so immediately they offered me a contract. My bigger request to this company was that I was going to need international musicians and they agreed on it, as i wanted to explore and expand my music outside my country. So was born the idea of Beto Vazquez Infinity, from Argentina with guest musicians from all over the world.


From the beginning with your first demo in 1999, reactions were strong & a new record label signed you. Can you talk a little bit about the impressive guests list that appeared on this first album? Well known singers appeared on it? 

Yes, they all did a great job and I was so pleased with the final result. Sign with that label did  make me grow up worldwide as an artist and been more known through this great international musicians. Now days I have the luck of handle my own label which is BVM RECORDS. I made myself all the invitations to the guest musicians, so I can handle all the issues, without interferences. And this is very important for me, as this way I can keep on editing and producing my own Albums and do investments on them so any new album that I made can be better.

It seems that it became common for you to invite guest on your album. It is the same in 2003 when you made ‘Space Without the Limits’. Guests like Liv Kristine, Arjen Lucassen, naming only them, were joining their voices to your composition?

Actually is the band-project formula that gave’s new artist and those lead you to new musical styles, that was for fact what I wanted for my career, hence the idea of worldwide musicians participating, and is great that all the one’s you named and that participate on it, that accepted to collaborate on this project.


Do you consider today that it’s a trademark? Darkmind was produced in this same way?

If we see it from a geographical point of view, that the Album is coming out from Argentina, I might think so.
As I believe I’m one of the first musicians from here doing this.
Obviously we all know about the great Arjen’s project from Holland. And I will never said that I was before him. Of course I do admire Lucassen and the musicians participating on his album’s are brilliant, but coming out from Argentina I kind of believe that I’m the first one. I’m very proud of all my guest musicians that participated with me and I believe that all of them put the best of them when they re doing it.


It seems that ‘Space Without Limits’ is already on hold for the final production by Nems Enterprises? Am I ok with that?

Yes, but SWL. Is the ghost album of Beto Vazquez Infinity. Maybe one day it will be released, there’s always some kind of troubles with this album. From legal issues till mixing problems and recording studios. Honestly for all the fan’s to know, is not on my hands to release this album, and if ever happens will be as finally we arrived to close all the details with it.


A female singer well known by Quebec people has been a guest on one of your album, Sonia Pineault from Forgotten Tales. For those fans here in the Province of Quebec, can you tell us a little bit about the way you approach her? Did you know Forgotten Tales? I also asked her to testify about that so it could be great.

Forgotten Tales was a band that a friend of mine showed me, he got the cds while traveling and told me, I wanna give this to you ,have a listen to this band that is very good, then he gave me the CD , and when I heard it, i was like : whoa what a great singer, I do really like it.
So, I made contact with her via Myspace and Sonia agreed on participate. What Sonia didn’t knew and was a  big challenge for her, was me not giving to her a power metal song, as is her style on her band, as I give her a Gothic ballad. And Sonia did a great job on it, more that outstanding. Honestly Sonia is incredible. I’m very grateful with her for her participation, and was a proud for me that she agreed on participate for that album.

Now, let’s go on with question about your Darkmind album. Do you consider that the line up on it is more permanent now?

The band is stable. And the guest musicians change from album. If you refer to the band members, the answer is yes.

Only one member is not from Argentina. How you meet Jessica Lehto?

Jessica made contact with me at first, so I went have a look over her site to hear her. And I was blinded by her voice, but more impressed I was when she send to me parts of her first work for me . So I realized we had a great symbiosis for working, then I sent her a second work, as I saw she was brilliant, and she was as fast as a lighting for work. We have a saying in the band and staff members when were talking about Jessica : We give to Jess a song today and we have it for yesterday!!
And she do everthing  fast and perfect, and honestly when i saw she had such a great talent and that we get along so well, it was me who decided to propose her to become a stable band member and not a guest musician. As at first I ask her to be a permanent guest member in all my albums. Then I emailed her saying: why be a guest musician, wont be better to be a band member?
As if we ever get to play Europe, I’ll be calling Jessica for sing. If we play Argentina or near here for a budget issue I wont be able to called her, but in Europe sure will be Jessica singing on stage. My demand with the producer will be that Jessica must travel to the concert and pay all the expenses to her as a band member. Because Jessica is simply incredible.

This album seems a great accomplishment in your career? Isn’t it? First, is the production near of what you searched for? You have your own label, does it remove some pressure when it’s time to record?

I’m very please about everything about Darkmind.
Absolutely, in this moment I’m recording everything in my home studio and I’m quiet satisfied with the final result and I don't have the pressure, that some persons or companies put on you, when your under a label, and they ask you to do this or that. As I do handle the time’s, I can now solve everything myself with my guest musicians, and that make’s all the work easy. And we all end up satisfied with the result.

Do you accept the Gothic style with ‘power metal’ colors we described about your style?

For fact I do practise a very open style in where we use all the metal varieties. For sure Gothic is a referent and a style that I do enjoy a lot and symphonic power metal is something that I do enjoy and practise always.

We also say that certain guests are very similar (voices parts). What is your perception about that? If yes, is it your intention? If not, what have you tried to produce in the way of musical intentions?

Actually , depending on the voice color of the singer , is the type of song that I gave for sing. I’m not so sure if they're all similar, I’d like to believe that the description is not accurate. I’ know they all have different colors and to each I give a music style that will match the guest musician. That's my own perception of what I do. If sound similar is an issue of each person. For my taste, I think that each one that was called for participate has a diferent voice color, as you mention Sonia, for example, she has a voice color for a very different style of music, however, i gave her a song in where she brights with her great vocal quality.

Is it the fact that there’s a lot of female singers?

This cud be the case, maybe that fact can give you the felling that they all sound alike, but I believe if you appreciate each song, for example, Jessica Lehto voice, and Kiara or Sonia, those are 3 absolutely different voice tones. That give’s you the hint that is each person , what it does make the difference. Actually i believe your appreciation isn't’ correct.

With so much guests on your albums, as much singers as other musicians, your albums, especially Darkmind, adopt a very colourful approach. How you made successful all of your work with the shows? Pretty hard task, isn’t it?

I do agreed absolutely. That’s why I do have a completely professional band with excellent musicians . And with this band I can perform on stage, adapting all the guest musicians parts, to make it on stage.

What about the international part of your career? With major guests, a lot of European, does it help to promote BVI in other countries? What is the reception actually? Is there any effects from that fact that there’s a lot of well known guests?

Mainly this project was born from Argentina to the world. And of course it makes people curious to know , how is that a musician from south America, like me, can get together so many figures from around the world, not only Europe, in just one album.
Of course it does help. All the collaborations from my guest musicians, increase the curiosity of hear this great singers and musicians in a different band. And the reaction so far around the world is been great.

I just want to close interview by asking if there’s any possibility to see your band in Canada?

That will be a really honour for me as Canada is an excellent country to take my music to. And I will love to play with bands from there. It will be a really great honour. And for you to know something more, my big influence as a bass player, is Geddy lee from Rush, and his from Canada.

Your style of music could fit very well here in the province of Quebec. People here loves Gothic or power style. Rhapsody were amazed by the fans reaction when they first came here in 2005. If there’s any opportunity, let us know, we’ll make some news about that.

Thanks to you, for fact I do appreciate a lot this interviews, as fans can get to read more about this project and I’d like that people ask questions for made doubts vanish . Then again as I said before, have no doubts that It will be a great honour to play in Canada. And more it will be, to be able to say hello to everybody that is supporting and helping us. From all the websites, and media, and magazines. So a big hello and hugs goes for all the people that read this interview. And thanks a lot to you for made this interview.

Thanks for your precious time, that was really great!!!!

Interview by Daves Couture.