1 In Music meets with international composer and producer Santino De La Tore (SDLT). Los-Angeles-based via Peru, SDLT has risen to fame in both South America and the United States. Today, he composes and produces solo albums, as well as music for startup apps, commercials, Hollywood films, television series, and more. We had a few questions for him at the eve of the release of some 8 musical projects!

1 In Music: What is unique about you and your music?
What makes me unique is that I never copied anyone and that led me to evolve in my own world, creating my own style in both composing and singing. I am a seeker, a curious and passing through so many experiences of life, good and bad. I have learned many things that solidify my person, my soul. I am a very passionate man that manages to spread that positive energy to the people that are around me. I am a leader by nature and I knew that from a very young age.

1 In Music: What/who shaped your music and who supports you?
I am the composer and the producer of my songs and the one who sings them. It has taken me many years of learning through several bands that I have had. I developed my identity and of course to do quality work. But all that has a very high financial cost, because I like to work with the best musicians and the best engineers. The support comes with the amount of songs that I have in movies and TV series in Hollywood, so I can afford my art thanks to the royalties.

1 In Music: When did you realise you were going to make music professionally?
Since I made my first rock group at the age of 16. For me, the word “professional” was never tied to the money. It was always the vision to challenge myself to become a better artist every day.

1 In Music: What type of music do you listen to?
I really like Depeche Mode, Buena Vista Social Club, Bob Marley, Massive Attack. There are a lot of wonderful groups and artists that it would take me all day to list. It all depends on the mood of the day.

1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
I know many artists that are undervalued, artists that are exceptionals. But if you refer to the artists who have been in one way or another in the media, the first singer that comes to mind at this time is Johnette Napolitano of the group Concrete Blonde. But the list is endless, there are thousands of incredible artists in all musical styles. Unfortunately people who work day by day do not have the time, nor the energy to look for these artists and the only source of music is the main stream, that is very crowded with just the same stupid idea of a “hit”. Of course they understimate the people, that’s why we are where we are.

1 In Music: How do you prepare for your performances?
I just warm up my voice with some exercises and strech my body as if I were going to fight with a bull. LOL

1 In Music: What do you do when you don’t do music (creative or otherwise) and that you are passionate about?
I direct videos, both musically and commercially. That passion is also very creative and demands a lot from me.

1 In Music: Success to you is…?
For me there are two: the immediate success and the long term … There are days that you feel a winner because everything goes well, you eat well, you make love like never before, you compose a nice song, you are with your family and friends, and so on. So you are happy and that is success! The long term success is the result of the work that you are doing throughout the years, in my case, my family, my songs in Hollywood movies and series, my video company, my health. I owe that success to the amount of failures that I have had throughout my life, because I am a person who very much likes to take risks.

1 In Music: What do you wish you were told when you started out and that you think would help anyone who starts out?
In my case, I have had very good life teachers, starting with my parents and siblings. I was always very clever to understand what was going on around me until I met stress … That happened when I started to pay bills and be self-sufficient. In order to make music, you also need money. That was my big mistake, seeing money as an impediment, instead of seeing it as an energy that would help everything I needed to do. Look for something parallel so that they can solve your needs and invest in your art.

1 In Music: Any upcoming projects?
Many! I am producing 7 albums simultaneously and the 8th is the one I just released in January this year. They are really fascinating projects. For example, I have a Latin Jazz project with the best session musicians in Los Angeles and the lyrics written by Pamela Oland (Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Selena, etc.). I am also producing other projects including a Trip Hop Rock one, an Urban Reggae one and some Ballads. I am already in the last phase of all these projects and I can’t wait to share all that material!

1 In Music: Thank you SDLT for this interview. Where do we find your music and projects?
On all digital platforms: just look for SDLT. It is more specific on my website at www.SDLTmusic.com. Thanks for the interview 1inmusic.