Ritmo Latino comes to North Sydney

The Ritmo Latino festival is a vibrant celebration of all things Latin, and for $35 you too can salsa the night away on Saturday 24 June.

Alongside an array of mouthwatering food options, including tacos, empanadas and burritos, the outdoor courtyard will be turned into a one night only dance floor with performances ranging from authentic reggaeton to mariachi beats.

Performers include Club Havana Band, Gonzalo Porta and Victor Valdes - who spoke to the Sun about his lengthy career and what to expect for the festival.

Coined the ‘walking encyclopaedia of Latin music past and present’, Valdes has been a performer since his primary school days in 1975.

“I was chosen in primary school for the music and dance program in my home town of Xalapa - Veracruz in Mexico,” he told the Sun.

“They made up little routines, and little things to sing to see who works on talent to be part of the program and I was lucky enough to get there and be chosen.”

The performer said music quickly became his ‘main incentive’ to attend school.

“It became very serious even from the very beginning because we trained to do interstate and national competitions,” he said.

“I won three times the national champion of folk dance in Mexico when we were in primary (school), then when we joined high school I kept doing more intensively, and after a few years I started teaching younger kids.”

“Firstly, (it was) something on the side, but then with the years became my principal thing - when I was 16, I was a dance teacher.”

Valdes first ventured out to Australia in 1992, as a part of a larger band called Tlen Huicani that quickly became renowned in Mexico.

“(Tlen Huicani) means ‘The Singers’ in Indigenous Nawat language,” he added.

“That band was very international, and we started touring Australia in 1992 in the first Mexican festival of Sydney, organised by the Mexican Cultural Foundation, the Mexican Embassy and used to be a Mexican Consulate.”

“We performed at the Opera House during the Festival of the Cultures, we also performed in Bondi’s Festival of the Wind and we performed in con- certs in major universities in Sydney,” he said.

“We kept coming from 1992 until 1997, and then I decided to try Australia in 1998 as an individual without any contract or anything.”

“Just wanted to see how I would go.”

Valdes said he has loved a challenge from a young age, with Australia offering something new after initial success in the industry in Mexico. His biggest challenge to date has been learning to sing in English.

“In those days I couldn’t speak any English to save my life,” he explained. “It was a big challenge! I embraced the challenge and luckily I was employed by Sydney Dance Company for Latin dance.”

“I started busking on the streets of Sydney, as when I came to Australia it was very difficult for me to get a job. So I decided ‘I’m going to the streets’, because I can see great quality music by musicians busking on the streets,” he added.

“I did so well busking, and I met a lot of contacts. I used to stand in Circular Quay and people used to say to me: ‘Oh my God, why don’t you play at the Opera House?’ and I replied ‘I’m 200 metres away, I’m getting closer!’”

The performer had an unlikely ally in overcoming this challenge in the form of Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes.

“This life in Australia, I see it as before (opening for) Jimmy Barnes and after Jimmy Barnes,” he said.

“To play with Jimmy Barnes and tour nationally with him was another great, great event in my life.”

“Before Jimmy, I had a bit of recognition and people called me in the media a ‘very good ethnic act’. Very good, high standard, ‘ethnic’ act. Then the next day, I played with Jimmy in Melbourne and the magazines, the newspapers called me: ‘the versatile, Mexican harpist’. From ‘ethnic’ to ‘versatile’ - all because of the power of an invitation from one of the greatest singers ever from Australia.”

“It really changed my life,” he added. “Jimmy Barnes said, ‘you need to sing with me, you need to sing in English,’ and he showed me a couple of tunes.”

TEX-MEX TUNES: “He loves some Tex-Mex (Mexican-American tunes) so we sung them together sometimes,” Valdes said, “and he made me feel confident.”

“That was my biggest challenge in

Australia, to feel confident enough to sing in English.”

Valdes has also opened for and performed alongside other big names such as Angus and Julia Stone, The Wiggles, Marusia, and Tex-Mex rock band Los Lobos.

Throughout his career he has had so many beautiful memories, he said.

“The most recent was to sing the Argentinian national anthem for the international rugby world cup before the match between Australia and Argentina.”

“In the full stadium, it was a very big honour,” he added.

“With my band in Mexico, I performed for the 500 years anniversary of the discovery of America. At the Bahamas in 1992 we performed for all the Royals from Europe and every President in the American continent. I played in Berlin when the wall fell ... we used to sleep in East Berlin, then cross the border every morning to perform in West Berlin. I also worked in 1990 in the Achille Zavatta Cirque in Paris, and we toured France intensively for one and a half months.”

“I’m very fortunate.”

Valdes said he treasured collaborations the most when he is able to play with the artist.

“To open the concert for Angus and Julia Stone, then play a couple of tunes with them - now that is great,” he said.

“I did the same with Los Bobos, they came in 2011 and the Sydney Festival booked me. This is something that really fills up my heart,” he explained.

“At that time I was performing in Mexico for about six months, and then the Sydney Festival called me and said: ‘Victor, this year we invited Los Lobos who are a symbol of MexicanAmerican music around the world. They represent Mexican-Americans around the world. And we are calling you because you represent HispanicAustralians.’”

“‘Oh my god!’ I said. ‘When and where do I need to be?’”

“And so they asked if I was willing to open for Los Lobos, and they wanted to know if I would be willing to sing a couple of tunes with them. That was a big honour,” he added.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Gypsy Kings are two bands Mr Valdes would love to perform with one day.

“Honestly I never craved the kind of life I seemed to get,” he said.

“The most important thing, my goal, is to be known Australia-wide with my cultural heritage. Showing authentic mariachi music to every corner of Australia.”

“What I really want to do in the future, from next year, is to go wider and go regional Australia and just to go everywhere - it’s a big country I know - but that’s my goal to show my authentic mariachi Mexican music and make everybody cheer, and shout, and dance and to be happy.”

For those ready to boogie down to the Ritmo Latino festival at the Greenwood later this month, Mr Valdes is ready to ‘make people jump with (his) music’.

“We will play the most iconic Mexican and Latin-American songs and hopefully people will sing along with us. Some of the most Iconic Mexican Songs such as La Negra, Cielito Lindo, México Lindo y Querido, Volver Volver, La Malagueña, El Rey, Serenata Huasteca to name just a few .. and of course La Bamba!”

“Everybody is going to be jumping, singing Bamba Bamba with us.”

“The most important thing is to connect,” he said.

“What I’m looking forward to is making people from Australia, from every ethnic background, cheer and dance to my Mexican music.”