Interview with Ziggurat Teacher: CRIS ROSA

Cris Rosa was born in New York and from a very young age she was enthralled with music. During her childhood and adolescence, Cris devoted most of her free time to learning to sing and to play different instruments.

In 1998, she decided to move to Barcelona to look for a change; after five years living in the Ciutat Comtal she formed her current musical group, Cris Five. Next September, they are presenting their new CD ‘It’s about time’. The new album, in the words of Cris, is “about rhythm, about groove”. According to the New York native, that’s their thing, it’s what they do.

Cris Rosa: «I always felt connected to music somehow;
I can’t remember a time in my life when it wasn’t with me».

To begin, let’s first talk a little about your musical background. When did you first begin to be interested in music?
My first hands-on contact with music was in the 2nd grade of elementary school, when I started to play my first instrument: the clarinet. Throughout my childhood and adolescence I also sang a lot- with friends, family, in choruses, plays, etc. I got a guitar for my 13th birthday, but didn’t start to take it up seriously until I was in my second year of college, at 19.  I always felt connected to music somehow; I can’t remember a time in my life when it wasn’t with me. I even started writing songs when I was like 8 or 9 years old.

What sort of formal musical training have you had?
As I mentioned earlier, I started playing the clarinet in the school orchestra at 7, and continued until high school. During high school I began to get interested in acting, which led me to a very prestigious and rigorous theatre program at University. It was so rigorous; however, that I decided it wasn’t for me!

Around that time I heard a record by jazz guitar player Wes Montgomery and said “that’s what I want to do!” I was confused and unfocused and got kicked out of school. But when I returned, I got serious. I did my main degree in English and secondary studies in Jazz guitar. After graduating I continued my studies, but this time in the “real world.” I took lots of classes from different private teachers, participated in seminars and jam sessions, mostly in the areas of jazz, free improvisation, Cuban and Puerto Rican folkloric music and latin-jazz, as a guitarist, singer, dancer and percussionist.

What groups or singers have most inspired you musically?
I love all types of music, but I must say that jazz was what really moved me in such a deep way that I felt compelled to dedicate myself to music entirely. Some of the artists whose music has really touched me are: the Beatles, jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter, and Stevie Wonder, to name a few!

Another interesting thing for me is hip-hop. This is the only genre of music that I can truly say “I was there at the time and place it came to life.” Growing up in New York City in the 1980’s I witnessed the birth of rap first hand; In many ways it formed the soundtrack of my teenage years and has definitely left its imprint on me.

After all the musical influence from the US, why and when did you decide to come to Barcelona?
I moved to Barcelona in 1998 because I wanted a change. I had some contacts at the Taller de Músics and a Catalan boyfriend. In the beginning I though I might only stay for a few months, but here I am 12 years later!

The group Cris Five was created at the end of 2003. What motivated you to form the band instead of working solo?
I really wanted the experience of working in a group setting. From my work in the theatre I knew how wonderful it could be to work on a specific project with a team. The communication that’s formed among the members of the band is invaluable, and it makes your ideas bigger and better; it forces you to grow and try different things because it’s not just you, you’ve got people who you trust and respect bringing in their influences, and it just makes the whole experience richer.

What is Cris Five?
It’s five people from different backgrounds who have come together to make music, that’s all. The music happens to be mine, and I suppose the others feel connected to it somehow, they feel that they can take it, mold it and “express themselves” with it. Although I’m the leader it’s very much a team effort.

What do you try to communicate or transmit with your songs?
Well I guess on one level, there’s the meanings of the songs, in terms of what the lyrics are talking about – mostly personal experiences, some funny, some bitter, some introspective and melancholy, some carefree and just about having a good time. On the musical level, I think all of us have tried to find the “groove” (como “el duende” pero en el mundo del funk). That is, really digging deep rhythmically, and that’s probably our strongest common point.

Before Cris Five, had you ever been in any other bands?
In New York, when I started playing gigs (bolos) I played guitar in mostly small jazz settings. Then I started singing as a back-up singer in a funk/soul group called Nougat. But it wasn’t until I moved to Barcelona that I debuted as a lead singer. That was with a disco cover group called Bionic.

Our first gig was at the Jazz Sí (Taller de Músics). After that, I began to consolidate my own songs and formed a group called Bapanueva, which mutated into Nuyorican View, which finally became Cris Five. In addition, I’ve formed part of lots of other projects as well: as a back-up singer in a cover band called Groove Chambers, as one of the four voices in an acapella group called Onda, as a guitarist/singer/percussionist in an acoustic Beatles trio, as a back-up singer/guitarist/percussionist in the pop-group group Petróleo Loco, among others.

What do you get out of your musical career and the contact with the public?
It’s really fulfilling to have created something that means so much to you and be able to share it with others. It’s also a bit intimidating at times, you feel very exposed, very naked. But in the end it’s all about taking “a leap of faith”, really believing in what you do and what you have to say and just getting up there on stage and enjoying the experience, hoping it reaches others on some level, even if they don’t understand the lyrics. Many times I feel that the musical message transcends what the lyrics are about, it’s about sound, rhythm, vibration, intention, the emotion of the person performing – I think that all gets transmitted. I hope so!

«Someone who has experience performing knows how to capture
the attention of the audience or the class»

Besides being a musician, you are also a teacher for Ziggurat English Services. What do you most like about teaching English?
The contact with my students; getting to know them and helping them reach their goals.

Do you apply things that you’ve learned from music in your English classes?
I don’t think that I consciously apply anything I’ve learned on stage in the classroom. I don’t know. Maybe someone who has experience performing knows how to capture the attention of the audience or the class, in this case and make it entertaining. I think it’s helped me in terms of being a public speaker, speaking clearly and with confidence. That must help me as a teacher, in some way.

Soon you will release your new album. What’s it called?
It’s called “It’s About Time” which is a play on words. On one hand “it’s about” means “se trata de o va de..” and “time” means “rhythm” so saying “it’s about time” is like saying this CD or this band, is about rhythm, about groove, that’s our thing, it’s what we do. On the other hand “it’s about time” means “ya era hora” and refers to the loooong time it took to complete this CD! Years!

I understand that you included songs from your last album (Fine Slice) on this album.
The 5 tunes on Fine Slice are included in this CD, but are remixed with vocal arrangements, some extra percussion, and of course, mastered.

Do you have a favourite song from this new álbum (It’s about time)?
Probably the last tune, called Fine Slice. This tune really marked the beginning of a new direction in the group (both musical and otherwise) and a dear friend of mine form New York, who also mastered the CD, plays an amazing trumpet solo on it!

When will you release the album. Will there be a special event?
We’ll be presenting the CD on Friday September 3rd at the Centre Cívic Sant Pere Apóstol located on Sant Pere Més Alt nº 25, near the Palau de la Música [in Barcelona]. All the details will be posted on: www.myspace.com/crisfiveband

Thanks a lot, Cris! We hope to see you soon!

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