World

music recording ar0st and nylon string guitarist,

Stefan Vale, is on a mission to prove that he can do it all
as a mul0-faceted Indie Recording Ar0st, Music & Video
Producer, Author and Music Educator. By Daniela Silva
From his humble beginnings as an aspiring Pop Now aged 50, Vale recalls his early beginnings as
music Recording ar0st in New York City during the a young aspiring musician growing up in the
mid-eigh0es to the re-launch of his music career suburbs of Washington DC and in New York City.
in 2005, he has reinvented himself several 0mes I was born in the 60s and I originally started
along the way, and each 0me he has done so playing music in the early 80s as a drummer in
masterfully by demonstrated his crea0ve genius in a basement Rock band, which worried my
the eclec0c genre of World music. His latest parents because I was born completely deaf in
single, en0tled Esplanade, is a cap0va0ngly one ear. I then learned how to sing and play the
hypno0c smooth groove, which denes what has steel string guitar, but always preferred using
become his signature style, or as he aec0onately my ngers verses a pick. The Music industry was
calls it a composi0on with intricate arpeggios and very dierent back then", he says. "You had to
very rhythmic quali0es. We caught up with him actually know how to play an instrument or sing
during a rehearsal session at Velvet Basement to be considered a music act. Today any DJ can
recording studio in Miami, where he was hard at press play or Rapper can trash talk into a
work preparing for some upcoming live acous0c microphone and call themselves a music ar0st.
performances. Today real musicians are too oaen under
The studio was dimly lit to recreate an appreciated in the industry. But on the posi0ve
in0mate venue atmosphere, as he side, today its much easier to be an Indie
performed solo acous0c guitar versions recording ar0st, and for that Im very grateful,
of his most popular songs created over he exclaims with a warm smile.
the past 10 years, carefully seasoned In the 80's, Vale studied art and music at the
with emo0onal trappings of Flamenco pres0gious Duke Ellington School of the Arts
are and expressionism. My style is (in DC), the New School for Social Research
a blend of World music, Rumba (in NYC) and he aeended numerous
Flamenco, La0n Jazz, Roman0c comprehensive Music Business workshops,
ballads, New Age and so much where he learned the inner workings of the
more, he explains to me during industry and carefully charted his career as an
a break. Then he lays his guitar down aspiring recording ar0st.
on an adjacent sofa and casually
does a Yoga pose to stretch his back.

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 He then created a home Careful not to be typecast as a typical Flamenco
recording studio in his guitarist, he explains, "I became interested in the
Upper Manhaean Flamenco guitar in the mid 90's during a trip to
apartment, and spent Spain, and like everything that I became
years recording demo passionate about, I spent a great deal of 0me and
casseees of his original eort carefully analyzing its intricacies, before
Pop and R&B music, forging my own unique hybrid musical style. I
while networking have never been one to just 'follow the beat of
through the compe00ve, the drum'. Everything about me is a purposeful
and oaen cut throat, devia0on from the norm, a mul0-cultural fusion
New York and LA music of something new and dierent. The greatest
scenes. compliment I can receive is for someone to say
Then nally on New Years Eve 1990, he would give they enjoy listening to my music but have a hard
up on his dream of a music career, sell o all of his 0me placing it into a predened category.
equipment and move to Miami to live the 'quiet His guitar picking style is uniquely dierent as
life. "Miami was a sleepy liele town when I rst well, as he favors solos that exhibit emo0onally
moved here. I rst seeled in Wynwood, which was a punctua0ng crescendos, played blazingly fast by
virtually abandoned neighborhood back then that quickly plucking the guitar s0ngs with three
nobody ever dreamed would eventually become the ngers at a 0me.
"Greenwich Village" of Miami. There were no fancy
art galleries, fusion cuisine restaurants or Indie
music scene, only abandoned warehouses and
walking zombies", he says jokingly. He would then
get a desk job, start a family, and become
entrenched in La0n American culture and music,
becoming an accomplished Salsa dancer and editor-
in-chief of an online urban magazine. Then in 2005,
he would go through a bieer divorce and the death
of a former dance partner (who was tragically killed
by a drunk driver).
These events would encourage him to go back to
his ar0s0c roots and pursue his dream of becoming
a mul0-faceted Indie music recording ar0st and
author, no maeer what it took. Since then, he has WDNA Radio (Miami): Stefan Vale with Majica and Mano P
been on a prolic whirlwind, authoring and self
publishing 3 books, 2 original movie screenplays,
releasing 4 music albums, several singles (of
primarily original music) and producing numerous
music videos, which have received thousands of hits
on YouTube. He was also twice nominated for the
Independent Music Awards (La0n and New Age
music divisions) and he has performed live all over
South Florida including the Art Basel Miami
(Wynwood) fes0val, the Gusman Theater, NPR radio
aliate WLRN and he was featured on the popular
World music radio program Global Gumbo with WDNA Radio with Serena Stroppa (vocals), Stefan Vale and Mounir B Gaied (guitar)
Majica and Mano P on 88.9 FM WDNA (Miami).
MARCH 2017 WORLD MUSIC 27
 "I prefer to live in the here
and now' and to allow
myself to be freely open to
inspira8on. That way the
crea8ve energy ows purely
and unscripted.
Velvet Basement studios: Robert Dante (Engineer), Stefan Vale and Evan Kline (percussionist)

Vale is a versa0le musician, playing dierent musical instruments on his recordings, while also arranging
various acous0c band formats (duos, trios, quartets and quintets) consis0ng of other guitarists,
percussionists, a bassist and/or a singer. He also performs as a soloist, demonstra0ng his versa0lity as a
musician both in the studio and on stage. When asked what he would like to do next in his music career,
he pensively replies, "I prefer to live in the here and now' and to allow myself to be freely open to
inspira0on. That way the crea0ve energy ows purely and unscripted. But, one thing is for sure, I have
always had a burning desire to produce art for self expression purposes, regardless of whether it's
commercially successful or not. Because it's who I am and for beeer or for worse, it's my legacy.

Discography

Album covers feature original artwork by Humberto Benitez and Holly A Jones
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