By: Fernanda Morales
Welcome to “Local Soundtrack«, a space to open a conversation with artists who give life and sound to the streets of San Miguel de Allende. For the 21st edition we interviewed Román Sebastian, visual artist, musician and composer, who presents his solo project.
Román Sebastián defines himself as the master of his destiny and a tireless dreamer of the mysteries of romance.
“Music is a portrait of time and I think that many of the songs I have composed have a romantic and introspective tone. My solo project is a more introspective part that has to do with dreams, feelings, the night, sex and love. I think that these are topics that are worth addressing because it is a way of getting to know oneself.”
It should be noted that Román is also the vocalist and guitarist of the San Miguel band Mitika Rock and the difference between both projects is that the solo path is oriented towards a rock ballad, pop, and even funk tone; with a more cheesy and poetic energy.
“Román Sebastián music is a project that seeks to further enhance poetry, introspection, to talk about feelings that we encounter in our daily lives such as a love ending or the feeling of hope, the illusion of a new romance… all those kinds of stories and feelings that portray the passing of time, I think they fit very well within the project.”
His musical influences in English have been Marvin Gaye and in Spanish Leonel García, finding his essence in sounds like Funk that mixes American rock with Latin rhythms and romantic ballads and Trova like Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés and Fernando Delgadillo.
Sebastian grew up surrounded by people who loved to sing, enjoying the moment without any inhibitions. Since he was a child, his family encouraged him to express himself and speak in public.
“Legend has it that when I was 2 years old, I would climb on coffee tables to do a show and there are no video recordings but there are audio recordings of me singing, giving a show. So I was always applauded and all of that influenced me to take this path.”
Román Sebastián came to live in Doctor Mora, Guanajuato in 2003, where he understood the workings of music, inspiration, and poetry. At that time, technology was not so present, so it was important to write letters, to express oneself, and it was a very powerful way to fall in love.
With the adventures of a teenager, he arrived in San Miguel de Allende and found the blues, rock and roll, many artists from different countries playing spectacular guitar solos and he fell in love with that too. So, automatically, the romance of Doctor Mora and the groove of San Miguel came together and that is heard in the “Román Sebastián Music” project.
Mitika's first rock album, called “Fuego Líquido,” talks about caring for nature, world peace, and women as beings full of virtues and strengths from a man's perspective; however, for this new solo project, the message she seeks to convey is passion, feelings, and perception.
“I think that as an artist on stage I am a mirror of the audience. The artist has the possibility to enhance his feelings with a selection of songs according to his perception of moods, so if I see an audience that is downcast, we go for the most romantic, the most nostalgic. And in that moment the audience and I become one.”
If you go to a Román Sebastián show, you won't just hear music, it's also a space for conversation.
“At that moment, the audience is my best friend and I confess things to them and we talk and we make fun of the pain, we make fun of what makes us feel sad and we push forward with what makes us feel happy and full of energy to enter the party.”
Currently, Román Sebastián is working on his first solo album, diversifying this creative line that tells stories such as Fuego líquido (The Album with Mitika Rock). The project is a mix of poetry with music and audiovisual production.
Follow Román Sebastián on all his social networks so you don't miss his upcoming romantic shows and new releases. Thank you for reading us one more month and joining us in this musical discovery, exalting the local scene of San Miguel de Allende. See you next time!
