Billboard cover stars and prominent Venezuelan artists, Lele Pons, Elena Rose, Danny Ocean, Mau and Ricky, and Nacho, have come together to discuss the state of their home country. They share the influences of Venezuela within their music, including ‘venequia’ ‘hotel caracas,’ and “CARACAS EN EL 2000.” Together, they emphasize the need for support for Venezuelan artists, the role of social media in their activism and more.
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MusicTranscript
00:00Hi, I'm Sigal Ratner Arias, editor of Billboard Español.
00:04Today we have the honor of having with us Nacho.
00:07I have never been willing to give up Venezuela.
00:11You are a beautiful example of that, of the union.
00:14But that is this generation.
00:17Danny Ocean.
00:18The Venezuelan is tired, he is exhausted.
00:21We need a change.
00:22I believe that all Venezuelans need a change.
00:26The Venezuelan is tired, he is exhausted.
00:28We need a change.
00:29I believe that all Venezuelans need a change.
00:31Maui Riti.
00:32There are real threats.
00:33There are things happening that are serious.
00:35It's very complicated, man.
00:37I mean, this is not as easy as people think, man.
00:40This, for what we are fighting, is worth it.
00:45Elena Rose.
00:46Our music, our words, a hug, do you understand me?
00:49It can give hope to that person.
00:50Because I really don't want any Venezuelan to give up
00:53without seeing their country live.
00:55And Lele Pons.
00:56Now that is our power, communication.
00:59So that everyone, because it's not just Venezuela,
01:01is that everyone knows what is happening.
01:04All Venezuelan artists who have stood out worldwide
01:07with their music, or in the case of Lele,
01:09as content creators on social media,
01:11and who have also used their voice to speak
01:14about causes close to them,
01:16such as the current political crisis in Venezuela
01:18after the disputed presidential elections on July 28.
01:21Together they will share their points of view
01:23on the rise of Venezuelan artists
01:25on the music scene and as models to follow.
01:33You are part of a growing wave of Venezuelan artists
01:37who are standing out all over the world.
01:39If the 80 singers like Oscar de León,
01:42his own father, Ricardo Montaner, El Puma,
01:46made noise outside of Venezuela,
01:48they managed to leave Venezuela.
01:50I feel that in the last 20 years,
01:53with the exception of Chino and Nacho,
01:56who have had a great international career
01:59since 2010,
02:01when one heard Venezuela and heard music,
02:04maybe it linked more to the system,
02:06that the work of the system was sounding a lot,
02:08and thanks to Dudamel, right?
02:10And not so much to pop and urban music
02:13that we are listening to today, other genres too.
02:15Nacho, from this group, you are the one who has this the most.
02:18And you are one of the few artists, as I said,
02:20who actually achieved considerable international success
02:23in those years.
02:24First with Chino and Nacho around 2010
02:26and later as a soloist.
02:28What do you feel when you see this kind of rebirth
02:31of Venezuelan musicians?
02:33And what do you think triggered it?
02:35Let's see, I feel pride, I feel a lot of pride
02:38when I hear everyone
02:40anywhere in the world I visit.
02:43Because Venezuelans have gone through
02:46many difficulties and vicissitudes,
02:49but something that has left these difficulties
02:52is the fact that we all feel part of the same family.
02:56Like when we meet this morning, right?
02:59It's like, hey, we feel like cousins,
03:02or we are family in some way.
03:04We use the same vocabulary,
03:06we almost always have stories in common
03:09with Venezuela,
03:11and we feel close.
03:13So it's difficult,
03:15or you have to be in another spiritual place
03:18to not applaud the successes of our fellow countrymen.
03:21For me, it's a pleasure to see
03:23how they continue to open doors
03:25and also to be part of those people
03:28who gave those first push
03:31so that a new layer had the opportunity
03:34to shine in other latitudes,
03:36not outside of Venezuela.
03:38What do you think triggered this new wave of talent?
03:41Because it's a wave that hadn't been seen before.
03:43So many Latin Grammy nominees in one year.
03:46New Venezuelan artists on the charts.
03:48It's something I hadn't seen working in the United States
03:51for 20 years in entertainment journalism.
03:53So many Venezuelans at the same time,
03:55having so much success.
03:57The desire, the impetus, the disposition,
04:00the responsibility that characterizes us as Venezuelans.
04:03And of course, I suppose that social media
04:06has played an important role
04:09and has been like an escape door for us
04:12in the face of the difficulty
04:14that Venezuelan talents have
04:16of being able to export their music.
04:18Because definitely,
04:20there's a lack of culture,
04:23of musical industry in Venezuela.
04:26And I think that talent
04:29can't be covered with a finger.
04:32They say that art is often
04:34a response to sublimation and repression.
04:37Do you feel that this has been the case
04:39for you, directly or indirectly?
04:42In this particular group of people that we are here,
04:46what stands out is sensitivity and humanity.
04:50I feel that if we were born again,
04:53we would choose in the same way as it happened
04:56and how we have lived things.
04:58But at the same time, I think it goes much further.
05:00I think that when we make music,
05:02we do it in such an intentional way,
05:04so from our soul,
05:07so wanting to leave something.
05:11That all the sacrifices that we have made
05:14are worth it.
05:16That even having the opportunity to make a song,
05:19not seeing it as writing one more,
05:21but one less.
05:23Every time I sit down to write a song,
05:25I say, it's not that I wrote another today,
05:27I wrote one less.
05:28I have another opportunity to do it again.
05:30So I think that in this group,
05:32that feeling stands out.
05:34I am sure that when we sit down to work,
05:37we are not really thinking about everything that is obvious.
05:40What we have been through,
05:42and what has been difficult and complicated
05:45in many moments.
05:47But at the same time, it is what we love to do.
05:50And I think we do it with all our soul.
05:52Yes, I think we all write a little
05:54based on our angle, our perspective
05:56of the things that we have had to live.
06:00I think art is about that,
06:02about each one through their eyes
06:04and their feelings of writing.
06:07If I make music, it's because I love music.
06:10I need to write.
06:12There is a moment when I don't write
06:14and I start to get stressed.
06:16I think we all share that feeling here,
06:19that we need that moment to drain.
06:22And music is like an escape route.
06:26In the case of Lele, it is social media too.
06:29It is communication.
06:31It is another type of art.
06:33Visually, it is like making a film,
06:36a short film.
06:38Using music for that film is also a form of art
06:41to communicate with people about what is happening.
06:44Yes, obviously music,
06:46but I also like to use what I have.
06:50And with all my friends,
06:52who are experts in music and like to write.
06:55And if I can add with my social media
06:58or communication with them,
07:00that's why I'm here.
07:02That's why.
07:03And also because he got it with me too,
07:05that's why I'm here.
07:07Lele, you are here because you are a pioneer in an industry.
07:12We talk about social media as something that is already too common,
07:17but when this woman started on social media,
07:19that thing didn't exist.
07:21So today, we see it because Lele is still here,
07:24we all follow her,
07:26and in 20 years, people will be remembering Lele Pons
07:29like we remember The Beatles.
07:32What? No!
07:34Like your dad!
07:36Icons of an industry.
07:38People take it lightly because it's a joke,
07:40but you have a community of people
07:43and what you have built is very powerful.
07:48Well, everyone here has publicly expressed their frustration and feelings
07:52because of what a long list of organizations and governments
07:55have pointed out as an electoral fraud in Venezuela
07:57and because of the repression that followed the elections.
08:00Most of the comments on social media have been of support or gratitude,
08:04but some have criticized them saying that artists should dedicate themselves to being artists
08:08and not get involved in politics.
08:11Do you feel that artists have a duty to speak up?
08:15If it's not us who pushes people, who is going to do it?
08:20Because many times, we have many people who are afraid,
08:23and because we do it, or because of people you admire,
08:26if you admire Elena, Dani, Mao, Nacho,
08:29and they do it, and they speak for you,
08:31you push them to speak up.
08:33Because that's our power, communication.
08:36So that everyone, because it's not just Venezuela,
08:39so that everyone knows what's going on.
08:41Not just us.
08:43I also think it's important to think,
08:46beyond me thinking that it can lead to a change or not,
08:51what's important to me is that the people who feel that they're part of,
08:56or that they belong to this family that we're building,
08:59Ricky and I, of people,
09:01feel that Ricky and I have their backs,
09:04and that we're with them.
09:06That's important to me, because many times,
09:09when you're going through something,
09:11what you need, beyond a voice,
09:15you need people around you to hold on to,
09:19and say, I'm not alone in this.
09:21And we're in a position where,
09:25because God decided that way,
09:28people admire us, and have us in a beautiful position.
09:32So the fact that we say something means a lot to a lot of people.
09:37And that's what grabbed me.
09:39And from there, and based on that,
09:41is where I make my decisions.
09:43I'm always thinking, along with my brother,
09:47about how best to be there for the people who follow us.
09:51In your case, you used your huge social media platform
09:55not only to express yourself, your pain, your frustration,
09:58I know you even showed up crying,
10:00but you also offered the platform to the opposition leader,
10:05Maria Corina Machao, for a live,
10:07and then you even appeared in a Maduro speech.
10:10We're all on your side.
10:13All of you.
10:14And if you're not, get off the live.
10:16Get out of here.
10:17Because this is a very healthy place.
10:19Now there's a certain Lele Pons.
10:25And she wants Lele Pons, from Miami,
10:28with a concert on Saturday,
10:30to impose a government in Venezuela.
10:32What did you think when all this happened?
10:34I think it's the most important thing I've done in my career.
10:37Because, you know, being an influencer is helping.
10:40It's a way of being a leader.
10:42And if I can help another leader
10:44talk to people who don't know what's going on,
10:47because I have an audience that many didn't know what was going on in Venezuela.
10:51Because not everyone is Venezuelan.
10:52Exactly.
10:53So when I made a video, I did it in Italian,
10:55I did it in English, and I did it in Spanish,
10:57so that everyone knows what's going on,
10:59so that they can share, repost,
11:01and use my platform to have a voice.
11:04I mean, it's the most important thing you can do.
11:07It's more important than helping people who need help.
11:11Because I hear, I see what people are saying,
11:13what they're saying, please help me, this is happening.
11:15And I say, damn, I'm here.
11:17What can I do?
11:19Use everything I have to be able to help,
11:22so that people know, and the world knows,
11:24and everyone comes together, too.
11:26Because when you see a union, people also come together.
11:30It was a really rough few weeks,
11:35with a thousand aspects from all sides,
11:38from all over the world.
11:40But internally, we, as colleagues,
11:43as friends, as brothers, as artists,
11:46who love what we do,
11:48we saw each other in so many moments,
11:50at least Daniel is my best friend,
11:52and so many times we saw each other like,
11:54I don't think like you do, I'm upset,
11:57you know, what are we going to do?
11:59In so many moments, we saw each other
12:01on the verge of collapsing, really,
12:03because we were together for three weeks,
12:06I'm sure, because we were on the phone all day,
12:09without sleeping, without eating, stressed out,
12:12even after the threats with family members there.
12:17And I think that what I would really like to rescue,
12:21besides what is already obvious,
12:23because we already know what is obvious,
12:25and since we have openly communicated
12:27how we all think, especially those of us who are here,
12:30with respect to music,
12:33which is what I really feel is what,
12:35at least for me, I have to communicate,
12:38is that it was and is a process that has taught us a lot
12:43to respect where we agree and embrace where we don't.
12:48Where it has strengthened us a lot
12:51as a community of artists who love their country,
12:54who want to see their country well,
12:56who want to see their country free.
12:58Each one of us individually called each other,
13:00hey, what do you think about this?
13:02How are we?
13:03The message that I really want to say is transmitted,
13:06each one individually has a way of expressing themselves
13:10and in the same way we were helping each other.
13:13Even in my case, when I received a misinterpretation
13:18regarding something I said,
13:20I really felt supported by them,
13:22reminding me of what can sometimes be forgotten
13:25in a moment of darkness,
13:27which at the same time I see as God telling us,
13:30okay, hold on, hold on,
13:32because in the end what they want is for everyone to separate.
13:35So I feel proud that we stayed like this
13:39and we got up and I feel that we represent the love
13:43that Venezuela deserves where it was able to.
13:47Dani, Nacho, after the elections on July 28,
13:50you appealed to the armed forces
13:52and the police to prevent the use of violence in the demonstrations.
13:56Nacho, you even said, and I'm going to quote you here,
13:59I promised my family for the safety of everyone
14:01that I would not do this again,
14:03because I cannot see what is happening in the country
14:05and remain silent.
14:07Have you ever feared for your life while in Venezuela?
14:10The truth is that no,
14:12but not because something bad cannot happen,
14:16but because for some reason,
14:18I don't know if it's because I've had a closer encounter with God,
14:24death is something that doesn't mortify me so much.
14:27I feel that when you overcome your ego,
14:30there are legacies that you want to leave for a purpose
14:35and there are legacies that you want to leave for ego and pride.
14:39When I separated myself from that,
14:42and I'm still working a lot on that,
14:44I feel that I stopped fearing the fact
14:46that at some point physically I will no longer be there.
14:50If God has a mission for me that depends on my physical life,
14:56then it is what God decides.
14:59But definitely,
15:01there are people around you who always tell you,
15:06or they can even tell you,
15:08the actions that you have done have affected my stability,
15:12my tranquility, my integrity.
15:14Then you start to feel guilty
15:16because they are people that you love,
15:18that you have around you.
15:20Oh no, look, they took my job
15:23because they found out that I am your cousin,
15:25or they don't want to do anything with me
15:28because they know that I am your friend.
15:30Or they closed my business
15:32because they saw me in a picture with you
15:34or hanging out with you.
15:36So, more than fearing for myself,
15:40those were the repercussions
15:42that worried me when it came to expressing myself,
15:45but there are bigger purposes than that.
15:47So, I had to go out and say something,
15:51being inside Venezuela, in fact.
15:53Obviously, the issue of the concern began,
15:55that people were posting something or reposting.
15:59They were being chased and searched.
16:02We saw how they were entering people's homes
16:05without permission, without an order to enter.
16:10So, I was also trying to keep the family calm.
16:16But imagine, there are so many things
16:18that I have had to live through.
16:20What has been the repercussion of my protest?
16:23So, there it is.
16:25You even get used to living that way.
16:29And I have never been willing to give up Venezuela.
16:34I mean, the passport twice, the certificate.
16:38It's been a long time since you gave a concert, I understand.
16:41Since 2016, I think, more or less.
16:43I haven't been able to give a concert in Venezuela.
16:45But, well, we are moving forward.
16:47We feel the pride of being Venezuelans
16:50and representing our country on another border
16:52and we also want to motivate others
16:55who are in there to not give up on their dreams,
16:58to keep moving forward,
16:59to not stagnate in the present situation,
17:02even though we can put our grain of sand
17:06or the power that we have gained, so to speak,
17:10so that the situation progresses
17:12and so that at some point we can aspire
17:14to a real change.
17:16Danny, you even made a call,
17:19and, in fact, we published it on Billboard,
17:21in our interview,
17:22to your fans who have relatives
17:24in the armed police forces,
17:26to talk to them to make them come to their senses
17:29and to prevent the use of violence.
17:31What do you tell them today,
17:33after several months have passed?
17:37No, I tell them the same thing.
17:39Look, for me, I'm talking here from my personal side.
17:43For me, Venezuela has stopped being a political issue a long time ago.
17:47For me, it's already a humanitarian issue.
17:53I don't know how we are today,
17:58after July 28th,
18:01but we are in the top three countries
18:05with the most displaced people in the world.
18:08I don't have to say anything here.
18:10I can only tell you the numbers
18:14and why we, the Venezuelan people, need it.
18:18So, for me, it's not a political issue anymore.
18:21For me, it's a matter of need.
18:23We are millions of people
18:25who have had to leave our country,
18:28leave everything, leave a future,
18:30I explain, leave a life
18:32to look for a better future,
18:34and that's not right.
18:36It's that simple.
18:38That's not right.
18:40And I think we are tired.
18:43When I was little, I was raised with the phrase
18:46that says, look, what's good feels good,
18:49and what's bad feels bad.
18:51And this feels bad.
18:53This is not right.
18:55So, why did I write Venecia?
18:57Because I wanted to tell from my side.
19:00I think since 2017, when I retired,
19:05it became a song that talks about
19:08having to leave someone behind
19:10to look for a better future.
19:12And I was tired.
19:13Seven years later, eight years later,
19:15of having to leave Venezuela,
19:17and I'm still seeing the numbers increasing,
19:21and saying, but nothing is happening.
19:25Nothing is happening.
19:27So, we are really tired, I explain.
19:30And it's no longer a matter of whether
19:33a politician, whether the other,
19:36whether the other,
19:38no, no, the Venezuelan is tired,
19:41and I just feel the need to express it.
19:44And the video I made,
19:46calling the military families,
19:48because it's true, I mean,
19:50we need a change.
19:51I think everyone knows that.
19:53I think we all here know that we deserve
19:55to have a change to flourish,
19:57both in our industry,
19:59as well as in the economic part.
20:01Yes, as a community.
20:02Exactly.
20:03And as a society too.
20:04As a society, exactly.
20:05As a society, we also have to grow.
20:07I explain.
20:08At least it happens to us a lot,
20:10and I know it happens to you too, Erma.
20:12For example, when we arrive in another country,
20:14when a Venezuelan sees us,
20:16it's as if they see fresh water,
20:18and they're feeling the heat,
20:20and it's happened to me, for example,
20:22that someone hugs me and says,
20:24I haven't seen my dad in years,
20:26I've been away from my kids for years,
20:28those are the kinds of things that you say,
20:30really, it's not, I mean,
20:33it's something that goes beyond the limit,
20:37you know, of what we can accept,
20:40and especially us, who are artists,
20:42and it's very difficult,
20:45when you give that hug,
20:47what do you say to that person, you know?
20:49For example, I always do it,
20:51I like to pray with the person at that moment,
20:54and my message has always been to feed the faith,
20:57you know?
20:58I really trust that God has a plan,
21:01and that this is going to make us better,
21:04and it's not going to be forever.
21:05I trust him, but imagine the people
21:07who are even worse,
21:09and with less hope than us,
21:11so our music, our words,
21:14a hug, you know?
21:16It can give hope to that person,
21:17because I really don't want any Venezuelan
21:19to give up without seeing their country free.
21:22And this is not for,
21:24there are many people who will say,
21:25ah, not being on our side,
21:26but knowing that you are on the right side of history,
21:30that when you go to sleep, you say,
21:32I did something good today,
21:33I am proud of my friends, of my family,
21:35of what is happening.
21:37It gives you peace,
21:38and I, although you know,
21:40many times you lose friends,
21:42or you know, friends, or followers,
21:44or whatever,
21:45but it doesn't have to matter,
21:47because what you are doing,
21:48and I want to say this to all of us,
21:49what you are doing,
21:50what we are doing,
21:51how do you feel?
21:52You feel good,
21:53you feel good because it's something human,
21:55it's for the,
21:56it's not political,
21:57it's nothing like that,
21:58it's for the people.
21:59It's something human that is supported by numbers,
22:01that is, it's a fact,
22:03it's a fact.
22:05Do I make myself clear?
22:06And if this continues like this,
22:07that number is going to increase.
22:09I don't want to see that number increasing,
22:11we don't deserve it.
22:13It's that simple.
22:14I mean, that's enough,
22:15it's a flow,
22:16it's a,
22:17I mean,
22:18at least from my side,
22:19from Daniela,
22:20I get to a point where I say,
22:21that's enough,
22:22that's enough,
22:23you see?
22:24And I do feel the need
22:25to have communicated it,
22:27and I, in my case,
22:28I made an EP
22:29about how we feel
22:31when we're outside.
22:43At least the night before
22:44that album came out,
22:46I remember you called me
22:47and we talked for like an hour
22:49about how you felt
22:50the moment before that came out,
22:52and these are the things
22:53that people don't see and don't know.
22:54How did you feel, Dani?
22:57Well, both of us,
22:58I mean, of course,
22:59we were like,
23:00ok, this is going to happen,
23:01and after we crossed this line,
23:03we already crossed it,
23:04and it's fine,
23:05but at the same time,
23:06I remember telling you,
23:07that's been in your heart
23:08for a long time,
23:09and you have to say it now,
23:11you know?
23:12And these are things
23:13that at the moment,
23:14we also feel free
23:16to express that feeling
23:18that we have,
23:20and feel supported
23:21by each other,
23:22like that,
23:23come on,
23:24it's a work of art
23:25that exists,
23:26and it's your perspective,
23:27and it's going to fill with love
23:29to whoever listens to it,
23:30you know?
23:31It's a letter of love
23:32for Venezuela,
23:33like your album,
23:34you know?
23:35Like Caracas in 2000,
23:36which at the end of the day
23:37was also what we always talked about.
23:39I want this to be
23:40a hug for the Venezuelan
23:42and for Venezuela.
23:47Dani,
23:48how did you feel
23:49after releasing the album?
23:50How do you feel now
23:51that you can see it
23:52a little,
23:53from a little distance?
23:54I feel...
23:55I needed to get
23:56those songs out of my system.
23:58Honestly,
23:59I needed to get
24:00those songs out of my system.
24:02Mau and Ricky,
24:04talking about the album
24:05Hotel Caracas Tan Lindo,
24:07were able to travel to Venezuela.
24:09They showed me part
24:10of their wonderful documentary,
24:11Lloramos Juntos en la Oficina,
24:13in Bilbao,
24:14in New York.
24:15They were able
24:16to reunite with Venezuela
24:17after so many years away.
24:19Since they were kids,
24:20they hadn't done something like that.
24:21And Elena,
24:22you lived in Venezuela
24:23but you weren't born in Venezuela.
24:25I want to know,
24:26what keeps you all,
24:28especially those
24:29who may have been
24:30other kids,
24:31Lele too,
24:32what keeps you all
24:33so connected to Venezuela?
24:35Because obviously
24:36you feel that love
24:37and that passion
24:39and that devotion
24:40for the country.
24:42What keeps you all
24:43so attached to Venezuela?
24:44I've been in Venezuela
24:45since I was 10 years old
24:46and my reality
24:47of Venezuela and Caracas
24:49was different.
24:50I've been...
24:52I've been a Montaner's son
24:53all my life.
24:55And I lived the 10 years
24:56I lived in Venezuela
24:57as my father's son.
24:58My father was kidnapped
24:59when I was 6 years old.
25:01I mean,
25:02my relationship
25:03was almost
25:04a toxic relationship,
25:05as they say.
25:06I didn't...
25:07I met Venezuela
25:08because of what they told me.
25:09There were 20 years
25:10of fear
25:11of thinking
25:12I was going to get there
25:13and that they were going
25:14to kill me,
25:15that they were going to...
25:16So,
25:18when we started
25:19Hotel Caracas,
25:20which is an album
25:21where we're going back
25:22to our creative beginnings
25:23as well,
25:24without...
25:25without so many
25:26schemes and rules
25:27and so on,
25:28to do whatever
25:29we want
25:30from the heart.
25:31We realized
25:32that within that search
25:33we were also...
25:34because that artistic search
25:35is also a personal search.
25:36And in that personal search
25:37we realized
25:38that we needed
25:39to go back
25:40to the place
25:41where we are,
25:42to be able
25:43to not only
25:44take MAU
25:45to his bed
25:46and say,
25:47hey,
25:48you're from here too
25:49and feel that
25:50but to live it
25:51for ourselves
25:52and for our own flesh,
25:53to be able
25:54to stand up
25:55if we're in Argentina
25:56in a stadium
25:57and say,
25:58long live Venezuela,
25:59not feel
26:00that the people
26:01who are there
26:02say,
26:03oh,
26:04how cute is this,
26:05they say
26:06they're from Venezuela
26:07but they haven't gone.
26:08I mean,
26:09it's very...
26:10You know,
26:11I felt like that
26:12almost like
26:13they call it
26:14impostor syndrome,
26:15right?
26:16So,
26:17I didn't want
26:18to feel that anymore
26:20with that desire
26:21but at the same time
26:22that insecurity
26:23because the ego
26:24of saying,
26:25you think you don't
26:26but as an artist
26:27that ego
26:28you have it so
26:29in the flesh
26:30that you say,
26:31I want people
26:32in my country
26:33to know who the fuck
26:34I am,
26:35you know?
26:36And I get there
26:37and feel their pride
26:38and say,
26:39I'm so proud
26:40of what you've achieved
26:41out there
26:42and how you're
26:43representing us
26:44that for us
26:45became
26:46our motivation.
26:47So,
26:48how can we
26:49take this
26:50communication
26:51to the other side
26:52too?
26:53Because we come
26:54from a family
26:55and a house
26:56where our position
26:57has always been
26:58very clear
26:59from the beginning
27:00and we've always
27:01been super active
27:02but we felt
27:03a responsibility
27:04to say,
27:05how can we
27:06communicate it
27:07our way?
27:08And our way
27:09was that,
27:10to go back to Venezuela
27:11to make a movie
27:12and employ
27:13200 people there
27:14and invest
27:15an absurd amount
27:16of money
27:17to make it happen.
27:18This is why
27:19we're fighting
27:20and it's worth it.
27:21And I know
27:22you only hear
27:23what you hear
27:24on the news
27:25but let me show you
27:26why we're fighting.
27:27I mean,
27:28look at this country
27:29and how beautiful
27:30it is.
27:31Look at the people
27:32of this country.
27:33Look at the talent.
27:34Look,
27:35we can make
27:36an entire movie
27:37in cinema
27:38in Venezuela
27:39excellent.
27:40Yes,
27:41and that's why
27:42we're fighting.
27:43That became
27:44our motivation
27:45and the reason
27:46why we're fighting.
27:47I swear,
27:48of the three nominations,
27:49the one that
27:50excites me the most
27:51is the one
27:52that the guys
27:53voted for
27:54because it's almost
27:55like taking it
27:56to Venezuela.
27:57The one
27:58in the long video.
27:59The one
28:00in the long video.
28:01The one
28:02in the long video.
28:03And that it be
28:04a project
28:05called Hotel Caracas
28:06and that it be
28:07our most nominated
28:08project
28:09in our career.
28:10Going back
28:11to your beginnings
28:12and being honest
28:13with what you're
28:14feeling
28:15about being
28:16a singer
28:17and being an artist,
28:18everyone was
28:19coming back
28:20to Venezuela
28:21to give
28:22big concerts.
28:23Something
28:24I haven't known
28:25in years,
28:26now obviously
28:27with the current
28:28situation,
28:29I think
28:30those possibilities
28:31have closed
28:32a little bit.
28:33We see
28:34stadium tours
28:35by Karol G
28:36and other artists
28:37who have the
28:38support
28:39of their
28:40countries
28:41to start.
28:42You don't
28:43have that
28:44Well, let's hope it happens, of course.
28:46I mean, I have the hope and the dream.
28:48I think that all of us here
28:50want to sing again, which is what we do.
28:52I mean, speaking of Venezuela,
28:56which is something you were talking about,
28:57that responsibility,
28:58I mean, my responsibility,
28:59yes, to speak and everything,
29:00but my biggest dream
29:02is, yes, to imagine myself going back to Venezuela
29:05and with our people singing,
29:07and not...
29:09But obviously,
29:11the way it is proposed to be done now
29:15can be very uncomfortable for us,
29:18because we are...
29:19And complicated.
29:20And complicated,
29:21because we have clear opinions,
29:23clear where we stand.
29:24So, stepping on a stage
29:26and not communicating a truth
29:28is very complicated for one.
29:31So, being in that game,
29:34I don't wish...
29:35The truth is that being a Venezuelan artist is beautiful,
29:37but at the same time,
29:38it's boring and complicated.
29:40Because you were talking about responsibility,
29:42and of course we feel responsible
29:44for having to say things,
29:45but many times,
29:46there are a thousand things behind
29:48that people are not so clear about.
29:51There are real threats,
29:53there are real threats,
29:55there are things happening that are serious,
29:58and yes, I feel responsible for saying things,
30:02but at the same time,
30:03it's very complicated.
30:05I mean, this is not as easy
30:07as people think.
30:09So, yes, we dream of going back,
30:12but we don't know when it will be.
30:15I don't know when it will be.
30:17Dani, what do you think will happen now
30:19with the big concerts in Venezuela?
30:21I...
30:22Look, I'm going to be very frank,
30:24I'm sorry,
30:25I'm going to try to choose the best words.
30:29I'm not thinking about concerts.
30:31What I'm thinking about
30:33is that my country can open up again
30:35in the market
30:36and be able to go quietly to a concert.
30:38That's all.
30:39I'm not thinking about concerts,
30:41whether I'm going to do one or not.
30:44I don't care about that.
30:45I don't even care about the World Cup.
30:48All I want is for this to fall
30:50and for us to be calm
30:52and to be able to walk quietly.
30:54I know what I'm saying sounds very selfish,
30:57but I'm already tired,
30:59and what I'm interested in doing in Venezuela,
31:03which for me is my biggest dream,
31:05is to be able to sing in Venezuela.
31:07I know that there are many of us here
31:09who haven't had that opportunity,
31:11apart from Nacho's,
31:13but to want to sing in Venezuela again
31:15is a big dream of all of us sitting here.
31:18I'm going to do content
31:20or do something creative in Venezuela.
31:22But right now I'm not thinking about that.
31:24All I'm thinking about is
31:26simply trying to help the message,
31:29so that the world understands
31:31the situation we're in.
31:33And that's it.
31:34Especially because there are many things
31:36that are missing in Venezuela
31:39when it comes to music.
31:41Concerts are the last thing
31:43that should happen in theory.
31:45There is no industry as such
31:47with a solid foundation in Venezuela.
31:51There are many things happening,
31:53even internally,
31:55with artists who are there,
31:57who have other needs than ours,
31:59who have fewer opportunities
32:01to say no,
32:03to say it that way.
32:05Because you also have to...
32:09You have to understand,
32:11unfortunately,
32:13and since there hasn't been
32:15a good education for the artist
32:17and to explain to him
32:19the value of his art,
32:21that it's not right,
32:23and I'm sorry to use this word,
32:25I'm not even going to use it,
32:27to give away,
32:30to give away something
32:32that really doesn't have a price.
32:35That no one should be able
32:37to come and say,
32:39come, give it to me, and take it.
32:41I'm going to put a number
32:43on how it works in Venezuela.
32:45There are many things behind
32:47that people sometimes don't understand.
32:49I'm not saying that Venezuela
32:51is not suitable for concerts.
32:53I think people deserve joy.
32:55Of course.
32:56I think people deserve
32:58to be able to enjoy.
33:00To embrace their artists, you know?
33:02I think, exactly.
33:04But I also think that right now,
33:06in the position we're in,
33:08and that's why the answer
33:10was so sharp,
33:12is because,
33:14on my personal side,
33:16I can't think of a concert
33:18right now in Venezuela,
33:20knowing the critical situation
33:22we're in.
33:24I'll explain.
33:26It doesn't make sense to me
33:28how I'm going to give a concert
33:30when my people still don't have
33:32the minimum to do it.
33:34They don't have the minimum as a base.
33:36That's why I wanted to clarify
33:38a little bit what I was saying.
33:40No, but I understood that.
33:42Well, going back a little bit
33:44to those who may be outside,
33:48and the exposure
33:50that Venezuelan music has had
33:52lately.
33:54In Colombia, music has caused
33:56a tangible change in how
33:58the country is perceived.
34:00Do you think the same can happen
34:02with Venezuela?
34:04I think it can happen,
34:06but we need to have,
34:08or have the resources
34:10that Colombia has.
34:12For example, consumption platforms.
34:14I'm going to the economic side,
34:16which generates dividends
34:18for artists through streams,
34:20through views.
34:22Look,
34:24you see a Venezuelan artist
34:26succeeding abroad,
34:28and maybe Venezuela
34:30doesn't appear as the country
34:32that consumes its music the most.
34:34If you look at the countries
34:36that consume me the most,
34:38Mexico is number one,
34:40and Venezuela is number 17.
34:42And it's not that there aren't
34:44more Venezuelans following my career
34:46than Mexicans,
34:48it's just that there's no industry.
34:50We need to change
34:52the reality of the country.
34:54We need to start looking
34:56at what's best for us
34:58in terms of economy,
35:00so that things start moving
35:02the way they're moving
35:04in Colombia.
35:06You see the main artists
35:08of Colombia who are still
35:10living in Colombia,
35:12and they're top 10
35:14because they have a country
35:16that consumes them so much
35:18in Colombia.
35:20In our country,
35:22we're actually survivors.
35:24We're fighting
35:26because our country
35:28adds love to us,
35:30adds joy to us.
35:32And the Venezuelans
35:34who are abroad,
35:36who then come to Mexico
35:38and say,
35:40listen to this singer.
35:42And the Venezuelans
35:44who are abroad
35:46say that a number one
35:48in Spotify Venezuela,
35:50unlike a number one
35:52in Spotify Mexico.
35:54In Spotify Mexico,
35:56a number one can be
35:582 million streams in one day.
36:00In Venezuela,
36:02it can be 8,000.
36:04It's all relative.
36:06It's not even relative.
36:08It's absurd.
36:10The numbers are not
36:12condensed in one place.
36:14To be able to
36:16concentrate the numbers in one place,
36:18we're not, in the end,
36:20an attraction.
36:22It's not that we're not attractive.
36:24I think we're very cool creatively.
36:26We have a very rich culture.
36:28We're incredible.
36:30But for the industry,
36:32you don't take yourself seriously.
36:34At the industry level,
36:36you're not an attraction.
36:38Because it's not profitable.
36:40They're not concentrated in one place.
36:42So there's a lot of work to be done.
36:44What happens is that our
36:46main market
36:48is not our main market.
36:50It's supposed to be our main market.
36:52So if you see a Danny
36:54who's number one,
36:56or has a million,
36:58or Elena,
37:00or Lele,
37:02or a million listeners
37:04on any of the digital platforms,
37:06you have to understand
37:08that Lele's effort,
37:10you have to multiply it
37:12by ten compared to
37:14any other nationality.
37:16Because you say,
37:18being Venezuelan,
37:20you're achieving this consumption
37:22because you're conquering the world
37:24around Venezuela.
37:26So it's not a fair fight
37:28for us.
37:30It's not a fair fight.
37:32And obviously,
37:34without belittling
37:36the wonderful talents
37:38of Colombia or our colleagues
37:40that we love, adore, follow,
37:42and admire, but definitely,
37:44objectively,
37:46for us, it's a little more.
37:48Having the country backing you
37:50is the difference.
37:52We're talking about 30 million people,
37:54less than they could be pushing you.
37:56Like you.
37:58This is our bet.
38:00This is for the world.
38:02Why do I think what's happening
38:04with Venezuela right now in the world?
38:06Because I think we're more united
38:08than ever.
38:10I think that's the difference.
38:12And that's what's happening.
38:14Because I think we're realizing
38:16something that Colombia realized
38:18a while ago.
38:20And Puerto Rico.
38:22They understood that
38:24to be able to take
38:26and a little bit
38:28to make people outside
38:30also say,
38:32wow, you're from Colombia,
38:34that was not only J Balvin.
38:36That was that everyone
38:38said, hey, we're in this together.
38:40And that's what it's about.
38:42That's why I also thank Billboard,
38:44because it's strong to have
38:46all of us in a room.
38:48Not because we don't want to,
38:50because I admire and love all of them.
38:52It's because many times,
38:54over time, we're all seeing
38:56how the fuck we do to fight
38:58and to be able to carry
39:00the name of Venezuela high.
39:02We can't even meet in Caracas.
39:04That's the problem.
39:06We can't even see each other in Caracas.
39:08That's the problem.
39:10You live in Mexico, I live here.
39:12We can't even see each other in December
39:14in Caracas.
39:16Yes, we always see each other
39:18in any other part of the world.
39:20We have a hard time.
39:22Yes, but let's go.
39:24Let's keep going.
39:26And the idea is that
39:28I know that many Venezuelan artists
39:30and creatives
39:32protect each other.
39:34At least I've met
39:36people who
39:38don't even
39:40touch
39:42a Venezuelan.
39:44Don't do that to your brother.
39:46I'd like to add something to that.
39:48You know that you are
39:50a beautiful example of that, of the union.
39:52But that
39:54is this generation.
39:56We come from
39:58a very separate generation.
40:00They always won
40:02over their egos.
40:04And the competition was
40:06who would achieve more
40:08without understanding.
40:10And that's why I bring technology.
40:12Because now you can see with numbers
40:14what you can achieve
40:16through the union.
40:18And not necessarily economic numbers,
40:20but the fact that I want to share
40:22the people I've fought so hard to have
40:24with whom I dreamed.
40:26I want to share with you,
40:28so you can share your people with me.
40:30The problem is
40:32that that selfishness
40:34that existed before
40:36has to be diluted
40:38under examples
40:40like the one you've given.
40:42With collaborations.
40:44We're not used to collaborations
40:46because it's true that Puerto Rico
40:48has been demonstrating
40:50that union.
40:52And again, I love all my Puerto Rican colleagues.
40:54I've shared a lot with them.
40:56But I feel that the basis
40:58of that union has a lot to do
41:00with the business.
41:02It has a lot to do with the fact that
41:04in Puerto Rico, you feel that
41:06those who are born already know
41:08the business. At 12, you know
41:10that you can't sign with this one,
41:12you can't sign with the other.
41:14When we left Venezuela, it was like
41:16whatever, I'll sign it.
41:18And we signed a contract
41:20where we owned 10%
41:22of what we were doing.
41:24And with that 10%,
41:26we were able to survive.
41:28I want to tell you something, Nacho.
41:30What you did with Chine and Nacho
41:32was something that I know
41:34reached many hearts,
41:36many of us who were in Venezuela.
41:38You made us understand
41:40that you can do it
41:42when things are difficult.
41:44So I wanted to thank you personally.
41:48You opened doors for us.
41:50I think the doors we are in today
41:52are thanks to
41:54the work you have done
41:56abroad for us.
41:58Internationally.
42:00And I wanted to thank you.
42:04Thank you for what you are doing.
42:06Music and arts in general
42:08have the power to help us
42:10deal with difficult situations.
42:12Both artists and listeners.
42:14When you are sad, you play a song that makes you happy.
42:16When you are sad, sometimes you hear a sad song
42:18that makes you feel sad
42:20and heal.
42:22How do you feel that music
42:24has helped you?
42:26Music for me
42:28is
42:30my great love.
42:32Music
42:34is everything for me.
42:36I don't remember a moment in my life
42:38where there was a plan B.
42:40I was going to dedicate myself to doing this
42:42all my life.
42:44Life has helped me
42:46heal the most difficult moments
42:48to go through them.
42:50It has helped me put them into words.
42:52The most beautiful moments
42:54to dedicate a song to my wife.
42:56Or many.
42:58Music is...
43:00That's why I have dedicated my whole life.
43:02I believe so much in it
43:04that my whole life has been dedicated
43:06to the service of music.
43:08Music is the only thing
43:10that is able
43:12to connect people
43:14in a profound way.
43:16Beyond
43:18situations
43:20and things.
43:22It's the only thing
43:24that manages
43:26to connect
43:28thousands of millions of people
43:30in a way
43:32that is almost spiritual.
43:34Anyone who listens to a song
43:36and their skin turns gray is already lucky.
43:38I always say that
43:40music has dedicated so many songs to me
43:42that I can only dedicate my life to it.
43:44Do you understand me?
43:46For me, through music,
43:48I feel that I got to know God more.
43:50Because I can't put God into words.
43:52And I can't put into words
43:54what I feel when I listen to music.
43:56And I always tell music
43:58that I love her with all my life,
44:00but I feel that she loves me more.
44:02I do thank music
44:04for helping me
44:06to recognize myself,
44:08to see myself inside.
44:10Because that's what music does.
44:12It takes you to the point
44:14where it tells you, look at yourself.
44:16Look at yourself and this is you.
44:18And you hear yourself.
44:20Through the songs, you hear yourself.
44:22Ah, I was in that moment of my life,
44:24in this place,
44:26spiritually speaking.
44:28And today,
44:30for me, the most grateful thing
44:32in the world is to be able to enter a studio
44:34and last until 6 in the morning.
44:36Doing things that
44:38I could never do,
44:40but that fill my soul in a huge way.
44:42For me, music, since I was little,
44:44I used it as a therapy,
44:46a way to communicate because I didn't speak much.
44:48So in my videos, I don't speak that much either.
44:50So I put the music so that I can speak.
44:52I don't feel so alone when I listen to music.
44:54Because that person, the artist,
44:56you, when you're singing a song,
44:58I say, I feel like this, and we need more.
45:00I am someone else that I like to hear.
45:02And thanks to you,
45:04because I like to hear the songs,
45:06and I don't like to speak,
45:08you speak for me,
45:10and you speak for many people.
45:12Can music change lives?
45:14Can music change hearts?
45:16Do you feel that it can change
45:18the course of history?
45:20I think so, healthy music.
45:22Music accompanies you,
45:24and it can save you from a big problem,
45:26or it can make an unforgettable moment.
45:28In the end, that's life too.
45:30Unforgettable moments.
45:32I remember the first time
45:34I used Bob Marley's cassette
45:36in the car,
45:38and I learned a whole cassette
45:40going from Caracas to Mérida.
45:42You know, driving.
45:44It's a moment I'll never forget.
45:46And it's because I have that with me.
45:48So, wherever the music is,
45:50and someone wants to listen to it,
45:52there's love.
45:54Sigmund Freud said that music is for the soul,
45:56what the gymnasium is for the body.
45:58I totally agree with what Sigmund Freud said.
46:00Very nice.
46:02I think it's important to remember
46:04what a song can mean
46:06to a person.
46:08What a song has meant to me, for example.
46:10It's cool to reach
46:12a lot of numbers,
46:14and that's beautiful,
46:16but we shouldn't forget
46:18the importance of the one,
46:20of the person, of a person,
46:22and what that song
46:24could have meant to that person.
46:26The encounters I've had with people
46:28who have told me,
46:30oh, thank you,
46:32cool.
46:34People who have told me,
46:36hey, I want you to know that this song
46:38accompanied me when my dad
46:40killed himself.
46:42And I want you to know that
46:44that song was the song that made me
46:46forgive my dad,
46:48and that I could, through that song,
46:50forgive God.
46:52That's strong.
46:54That's something
46:56you can't quantify.
46:58It's impossible.
47:00There's no way.
47:02And you don't know how it's impacting people
47:04because, again, it doesn't chart.
47:06So if we focus more and more
47:08on the songs and the music
47:10and what we really love to do,
47:12and that media like Billboard
47:14give,
47:16even if it's a chart,
47:18but give spaces like this
47:20to talk about the songs, etc.,
47:22it's wonderful.
47:24Long live music. Long live Venezuela.
47:26Long live Venezuela.