- 21 hours ago
- #rauwalejandro
- #ninagarcia
- #defining
- #elle
Rauw Alejandro is always one step ahead—whether he’s serving looks, blurring genres, or crafting a world entirely his own. In this episode of 'Defining,' the Latin Grammy-winning artist sits down with ELLE Editor-in-Chief Nina Garcia to reflect on his evolution from a small-town dreamer in Puerto Rico to a global force reshaping the sound—and look—of a generation. Rauw opens up about the discipline he learned from fútbol, the creative freedom he found through music, and how he built his new album, 'Cosa Nuestra: Capítulo 0,' like a cinematic universe. Together, he and Nina discuss the rise of Latin music worldwide, the flavor that fuels his artistry, and why he’s not afraid to admit that he’s the ultimate “lover boy.”
#RauwAlejandro #NinaGarcia #Defining #ELLE
#RauwAlejandro #NinaGarcia #Defining #ELLE
Category
✨
PeopleTranscript
00:00Why do you think that Latin music has hit such a chord?
00:05We got the flavor.
00:09It's so true!
00:10If 10 people like it, I bet 20 or 30 are gonna like it too.
00:14Don't listen to my first songs, they're like, awful.
00:17I don't believe that.
00:19Did you know before you went into the festival that you had a good song?
00:22Yes.
00:23You did?
00:24Yes.
00:25Hi, I'm Dina Garcia, and today's guest is a force in global music.
00:32He is a Grammy-winning artist, songwriter, and visionary who has redefined the sound of a generation.
00:38This is Defining Rao Alejandro.
00:43Rao, I love your style, so I'm gonna start by asking you, who are you wearing?
00:48I'm wearing Prada.
00:50Prada or nada.
00:52But this is my hat.
00:54This is not Prada.
00:55This is part of me, you know?
00:58I love it.
00:59Back in the days, it gives you this vintage look, but the rest, Prada.
01:03You always look sharp, man.
01:04Un poquito de calter, you know, just for the vibe.
01:08Santos.
01:09The Santos.
01:10Wanna see the time.
01:11In terms of style, when you're making an album or you're about to go on tour, how does your personal style adapt to that world or that concept?
01:24Everything starts with the music, and then when I decide where the album is going, then I adapt the fashion to it.
01:34And it's all about the music, what I'm doing.
01:36But you like fashion.
01:37I love fashion.
01:38Is there an icon in the music that you kind of like?
01:41In the music?
01:42Well, musically speaking, James Brown, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, you know, they were like Prince, you know?
01:51Yeah.
01:52But then you see the rock stars, you know?
01:55No shirt, skinny jeans.
01:56It's different vibes, you know?
01:58Different moments, because I love music overall.
02:01But then you see the salsa singers, you know?
02:04Miami vibe.
02:06Caribee, you know, like, it's all a vibe.
02:10You're pretty out there.
02:11You like to experiment.
02:13Is there something that you are just like, I will not wear that?
02:17I don't know.
02:18Or are you open?
02:20Right now, I remember my old photos using skinny jeans.
02:25And I don't know if I'll go back to that.
02:29You go back there?
02:30I never say never, you know?
02:31Because, like, maybe, you know, I go back to that vibe with, you know, a skinny, leather, black pant, maybe.
02:39But, yeah, I think I'm a little bit away from skinny jeans for a while.
02:43Okay, now I want to go back to the beginning.
02:45I'm curious if there is a moment for you where you were like, yes, I'm in the right track.
02:51I kind of made it.
02:52I think when I knew that I was in the right path, when I was singing live, seeing the feedback of the people.
03:00You know, my first shows that I did in Puerto Rico, eran discotecas.
03:04You know, small clubs, local clubs.
03:06And just me seeing, like, 10 fans singing my hook, that was my only motivation to continue doing it.
03:14Because if 10 people like it, I bet 20 or 30 are going to like it, too.
03:19So it's all about consistency, you know?
03:22And first advice that I received from other artists when I started was, like, just be at the studio every day.
03:29Every day, just continue, you know, crafting and creating and finding your sound.
03:36And that helped me a lot to really find myself as an artist.
03:41But I know that in the beginning, you had ambitions to be a football player.
03:45Yeah, yeah.
03:46And you were a good football player, and then you got injured.
03:48I mean, how did you let go of that dream? Was that hard?
03:51It was tough.
03:52I mean, it wasn't a bad injury, thank God.
03:54But it was in a crucial moment of my football career because I was doing tryouts in Florida, in Orlando.
04:01I come from an island that soccer, football, we say football, no soccer.
04:06Football.
04:07Football, entiendo también.
04:08It's not that popular.
04:11I knew inside me that I think it wasn't my...
04:14It wasn't your thing.
04:15My thing.
04:16It was a moment of my life that gave me a lot of good memories, passion, love for discipline.
04:23And I'm sure also discipline.
04:24Discipline, also.
04:25Yes, of course.
04:26Sports are so...
04:27Thanks to my coaches.
04:28Donde quiera que estén.
04:29Oh, so nice.
04:30You know, they were the one who teach me, like, being resilient and consistent besides,
04:37you know, my family.
04:40And I think that helped me later on lo que Dios tenía para mí, ¿me entiendes?
04:45Lo que me esperaba en mi carrera.
04:47I didn't imagine.
04:49Nunca me imaginé nada de esto, so...
04:51But let's go back to your family.
04:53Your...
04:54Both your parents were musicians.
04:56My...
04:57My dad.
04:58Or your dad.
04:59My mom, she's a...
05:00Una corista.
05:01Coro.
05:02Bueno, también.
05:03También, sí.
05:04Por supuesto.
05:05Son de oído.
05:06No son...
05:07Pero viene en tu sangre, hijo.
05:08Yes, yes, yes.
05:09It's in your blood.
05:10I remember.
05:11Saturdays in Puerto Rico, my mom was cleaning the house with Olga Tañón and un merengue.
05:17And then, like, two hours later, my dad had Elvis Presley.
05:20You know, it was a whole mix of sounds since I was a kid.
05:23And I think it was kind of, like, natural.
05:27Yeah.
05:28Well, your voice is incredible.
05:30Muchas gracias.
05:31Don't listen to my first songs.
05:32They're, like, awful.
05:34I don't believe that.
05:35I...
05:36No lo creo.
05:40Hablemos un poquito de Fantasías.
05:42I know this was the song that put you on the map.
05:46Fantasías, shout out to Farruko.
05:48You know, he was also part of the song.
05:51It was a collab with Farruko.
05:53Esta canción fue la que me ayudó being in bigger festivals.
06:00You know, festivales, as a new artist, are really important because...
06:04Yeah.
06:05...you share the stage with other artists, but there's new fans that they can see you in action.
06:10And fue la primera vez que fui a México a un fest que hacen allá, que había más de 70 mil personas.
06:16And Fantasías was the song that everybody was screaming.
06:19So...
06:20So you knew.
06:21But did you know before you went into the festival that you had a good song?
06:24Yes.
06:25You did?
06:26Yes.
06:27Yes.
06:28I know.
06:29It's a...
06:30It's a gut feeling.
06:31It's a gut feeling, yes.
06:32Yeah, yeah.
06:37Let's talk about Cosa Nuestra, that has been celebrated for its unique concept of blending
06:43elements of salsa, reggaeton, with the energies of 1970s New York.
06:48So, where does this idea come from?
06:51Cosa Nuestra is, for all of you there, one of my obsessions.
06:56I've listened to every one of those.
06:58And this new album also is wild.
07:03For whoever is a fan of Cosa Nuestra, Cosa Nuestra, new version is even better.
07:10That's the challenge.
07:11As an artist, me as an artist, I like to challenge myself.
07:15Like, every project that I do, it has to be better than the last one.
07:19I was moving to New York, so I was like starting to feel the vibe of the city.
07:23And I was like, you know, reviewing all of what I've done in my career.
07:27And every album that I do, I like the contrast.
07:32If I do one album this time, the other one is the opposite.
07:36So, my, uh, Saturno was in the future.
07:40So, for this one, I was like, you know, let's change the character.
07:44And then, also, I like to create characters through my whole project.
07:47Let's go to, uh, you know, another era.
07:50And it's your world.
07:51It becomes the world.
07:52Yeah, I think that's the most fun part.
07:54Like, just creating an era.
07:56And I don't know, I feel that like I'm a movie character in my own world.
08:00And then, I'm just changing the script, whatever I want.
08:03And, um, there's no rules.
08:05And yeah, I switched to the 1950s, you know, New York.
08:09The South, all these Puerto Ricans.
08:12Inmigrando a Puerto Rico.
08:13Tambien mis abuelo.
08:15They son de Puerto Rico, pero tuvieron que viajar a Brooklyn.
08:18And listen to their story.
08:21The difficulties que tuvieron que pasar para estar en Brooklyn.
08:24All the sacrifice.
08:26The immigrants.
08:27And how they all get together and share culture.
08:30It's really pretty.
08:31Porque de ahí sale cosas tan bonitas como la música.
08:35You know, salsa.
08:36Then hip-hop.
08:37Then it's just like...
08:38It's incredible.
08:39It's a whole bunch of things.
08:40And we were talking about how Nueva York is such a...
08:43El corazón como que...
08:44See, it's really for our community, Latin community and the music.
08:49Yes.
08:50There's so much history.
08:51Crazy.
08:52Here, right?
08:53Como los dominicanos, puertorriqueños, colombianos, todos.
08:56Yeah, everybody.
08:57It's really a melting pot.
08:59You just released your Cosa Nuestra, capítulo cero.
09:02Yeah.
09:03In what ways is this album for you different than the first one?
09:10It's way different because Cosa Nuestra, it was kind of like the introduction of what I was going to do now.
09:19Going to be doing.
09:20Okay.
09:21It was the foreword.
09:22Because of what people are going to listen now.
09:24But it's like Star Wars, you know, like Star Wars starts...
09:26Yeah.
09:27Yes, yes.
09:28Empieza con la última película y termina como que...
09:30Yes, yes, yes.
09:31And I think for me it was really important, you know, prepare the people.
09:35El oído.
09:36Prepararlos para todo lo que está pasando ahora, ¿me entiende?
09:40And I was like, that was my plan from the beginning.
09:43And now they are ready to listen to Cosa Nuestra, chapter zero.
09:47Why do you think that Latin music has hit such a chord?
09:52Not only the United States, but in Europe and throughout.
09:55Like, why?
09:56I think because we got the flavor.
10:03It's so true.
10:04It's like, it's like, we got...
10:06Como un condimento, you know, like...
10:09Yeah, I don't wanna...
10:11Como te digo, yo no quiero menospreciar, you know, other countries or other type of artists, but like...
10:18We got the goods.
10:20Listen to the music.
10:22Go to Puerto Rico, vea al Caribe.
10:24You see how people party, see how people spend their lives.
10:27It's a lot of joy.
10:28There's no rule.
10:29And the dancing, you see...
10:31Como una latina mueve su cadera.
10:33It's totally different from a, you know, I don't wanna be in trouble.
10:37I love all my fans.
10:38Yes, yes, yes.
10:39We got it.
10:40But, you know, you have to live there to understand it.
10:45And that's it, we got the flavor.
10:47Right now, like, Spanish music is the most streamed music in the world.
10:52Like, numbers don't lie.
10:54Concerts don't lie.
10:55You can see it, you know?
10:56It's a stadium, so that didn't happen before, you know?
10:59Yeah.
11:00Aunque tienes muchas canciones para bailar, para rumbear, un tema que se repite en tu música es el amor, el desamor.
11:09It's for the ladies.
11:11It's all for the ladies.
11:12It's all for the ladies.
11:13¿Te cuesta mostrar esa parte sensitiva?
11:18Or are you cool with that?
11:19I'm a lover boy.
11:20I'm a lover boy.
11:21And you're okay being sensitive.
11:23Yeah, of course.
11:24Like, I was raised by three women.
11:26My mom, mi abuela, and my little sister, you know?
11:29Que divino.
11:30I know all the tricks, you know?
11:32Mi mamá siempre me enseñó ser detallista, you know?
11:36Que divino.
11:37No, like, I don't, I don't, I'm not afraid to show my feelings.
11:40With time, I have a private life, because a private life is way healthy.
11:44Yeah.
11:45We're gonna wrap this up with, es como un juego.
11:48It's called Inner Circle.
11:49It's a game where I ask you something, and...
11:55Don't worry.
11:58Who do you trust on Ox?
12:01I trust...
12:03Dime Lonino, que está aquí.
12:06One of my boys, my producer.
12:08Who's the person you can't say no to?
12:11My mom.
12:12Who's keeping all your secrets?
12:15Damn.
12:17Myself.
12:18Who's the best wingman?
12:20Yo creo que...
12:23I'm gonna keep it private.
12:24Obvio.
12:26Who's always down for a studio session?
12:28Studio session.
12:30Dime Lonino también.
12:32Who gives you the best fashion advice?
12:35Shout out to Kate.
12:37And also, Chloe and Chanel.
12:40All of them always helping me.
12:42Who's the first person you play a song, a new song for?
12:45My high school friends, because they are the ones that say...
12:51The truth.
12:52The truth.
12:53I know when they don't like something, and I like to ask them questions,
12:57but why you don't like it?
12:58Then I try to convince them why they should like the song,
13:03but they help me take the best decision at the end of my songs.
13:07So you listen to them?
13:09I like to listen to all opinion before a song came out,
13:12because it helps to make my final decision.
13:15I already know what I like.
13:17Right.
13:18But I think understanding how the world moves is also good for your art,
13:25because nothing sierra.
13:28You open your mind a little bit, I think.
13:30And surrounding yourself with people that don't always agree with you.
13:34That's the important thing, like having true people around you.
13:38Who keeps you humble?
13:39My family.
13:40Who do you call first with bad news?
13:43Matias.
13:45Okay, Matias.
13:46My manager.
13:47My manager.
13:48And my brother.
13:49My brother for another man, Matias.
13:50Shout out to Matias.
13:51And who's the MVP on tour?
13:54Rao Alejandro.
13:55Rao Alejandro.
13:56Okay.
13:57Rao, que divino tenerte.
13:59You don't understand.
14:01We're so happy.
14:02Thank you, Nina.
14:03We have to do more.
14:04We have to do more.
14:05We have to do more.
14:06We have to do more.
14:07I'm really happy to be here.
14:08Congratulations on this new album.
14:11It is a lot of people will be dancing.
14:15We're still touring.
14:16So you guys, get your tickets.
14:18Go to see the show.
14:19It's a whole Broadway vibe.
14:21It's incredible.
14:22Nina, si puede.
14:23And all the team.
14:24I'm going.
14:25I'm going to be there.
14:26Everybody will invite my special guests, okay?
14:28So, muchas gracias.
14:30Gracias.
14:31Bye.
14:32Bye.
14:33Bye.
Recommended
0:40
|
Up next
3:12
59:25
35:55
52:06
1:56
1:00
1:08
7:27
Be the first to comment