El Gato
[Editor's note: What follows is an extensive interview held by Big And Tall Records agent Ricardo Monzina. After they introduced each other, they sat together at a table in the same locale where the agent heard the band the night before. Delfina Moretti, female vocalist of the group accompanied El Gato, and it was apparent that there was more to the pair than just players in a tango band. El Gato was dressed in casual, clean clothes that looked new, and spoke in a soft voice that was opposite of his singing voice.]
RM- Big And Tall Records and myself as their representative want to thank you for participating in this interview. Would you like to be addressed as El Gato, or your actual name?
GATO- Talk is cheap, señor. Music is not. Call me Gato.
RM - Let us begin, Gato, with some information about yourself.
GATO- I play in, manage best tango band in Buenos Aires.
RM - I have no doubt of that. But how about your background, your training?
GATO - Tango product of dock workers and immigrants of Buenos Aires. My Grandfather,Father worked docks, played Tango,Mironga. Tango looked down upon by upper classes music of poor and inferior. Now have art form dance and music known all over world. It is Buenos Aires gift.
RM- Did your Grandfather and Father teach you?
GATO- Not my Papa! Insist that I learn a trade,get away from the docks. If I learn Tango, I learn everything else that go with it on the docks, he thought. El viego helped me mucho, but he die when I was young. You like what you hear last night?
RM - We've been looking for a tango band. Yours is the best we've heard.
GATO - Por favor señor. It makes sense you like our music. If not, you go back America already. So what do you offer, amigo?
RM- I would like some more information about the band and you before we see if there's a chance for the band to record for us.
GATO- Is day off, so band rehearse later. They know about you, and are tension about it. I think it good for them to know if we have deal or not.
RM- Alright. Let me say I have full authority to negotiate and approve any business deal we come to. Here's our standard new artist contract. Read it over, tell me what you think.
GATO - No! El Gato is only new to you. I have band to pay, other expenses. I don't have to read standard offer. El Gato not standard!
RM - This is actually a very good contract to start with. 2 releases guaranteed, renegotiation of contract according to sales of those releases. Realize that the company has the same concerns for their company as you do for your band. So won't you please read it?
GATO - Do not push! I told you what I think. You think you're only recording company want us? They offer same thing, I tell them all NO!
RM - Alright. So tell me what you think you're worth, what you'd like to see in a contract between us.
GATO - Disculpe, amigo. It's not ego. It is quality and integrity of band and Tango. Your company world over, I try to get best deal for band. They worth it!
RM- Tell me, amigo, what you have in mind. We can work from there.
GATO - Band do not want to go to America to record. Plenty studios we use here. No single debut song. Have many original tango, enough to have album of 5 songs our debut. We want control of all images used. We have image with followers. Only star is band. No fancy clothes, stay true to our origins with the poor.
RM- Recording in Buenos Aires can be done if the appropriate studio can be found, but it is unheard of to have an album of 5 songs as a debut! Not possible! You may have a solid following in Bueno Aires, but it is unknown if the band would earn enough sales to cover an album as first release, and we haven't discussed the money paid to the band yet!
GATO- Is possible. Not unheard of. You just hear from me.
RM- Maybe I need to explain how our business works...
GATO - All respect, I'm not peloduto! I don't need to know your business more than you sell product we make. You promote, we sell enough so everyone make money!
RM- But you don't understand...
GATO- But I do, señor. You tell me now, honest, what you think of band, eh?
RM- I've never heard better playing and singing. Unique, can be sophisticated in one song followed by a more raw performance. A band of great artists lead by a unique singer, El Gato!
GATO - So, let us write contract right here. We have no time to waste. Go to rehearse, got tight schedule so need to finalize soon as possible. We record immediately! I bring Delfina along to help. She better with English than me. Put in contract you cover all expenses, cost of recording studio, we take no pay upfront for a five song album. Doesn't sell, we say adiós amigos, gracias! You owe us nada!
[Editor's note: Obviously Ricardo was not dealing with an ignorant local musician! The interview transcript to be continued...]
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