Ready for replay is Episode 14 -- see below for the link (2hrs 24mins, 27 tracks).
October 27 was another fun show for World Salsa Radio. Our guest this time was the multi-talented Fabrizio Zoro of Milan, Italy, where he fulfils the roles of salsa DJ, composer, arranger, musician, band leader, and artistic director of a music label. Perhaps he is best known as the director of one of Europe's best salsa bands, La Maxima 79. It was great having him on the show, where he gave an interesting talk*. See the pre-show post for more information about Fabrizio Zoro.
*Although both English and Spanish were used on the show, the guest showcase was solely in Spanish. There is an English transcript of the interview towards the bottom of this page.
Show Highlights:
Introductory salsa mix: ~35:19 featuring 7 tracks by La Maxima 79, Mundito Y Su Orquesta Celestial, Sr Ortegon, Bailatino, Echo Park Project, and DJ Fabrizio Zoro.
Spotlight 1 (New salsa releases): 35:20~ featuring Lazarito Valdes y Bamboleo, Son Con Ron, and Orquesta Yambao.
Spotlight 2 (Latin music by Japanese artists) 49:21~ featuring Rie Akagi, Orquesta Copa Salvo, and Obrigarrd.
Spotlight 3 (Covers of Cuban music): 1:06:41~ featuring Cheo Navarro, Orquesta La Criolla, and Alfredito Linares.
Spotlight 4 (Guest showcase): 1:22:13~ featuring our guest, Fabrizio Zoro, who talks about his inspiratinon, projects, and future goals; he also chooses 3 songs for us to listen to (by La Maxima 79, Los Dementes, and Orquesta Elio Revé).
Concluding salsa mix: 1:56:19~ featuring 5 tracks by La Maxima 79, Joel Uriola y su Orquesta, Orquesta Magia Caribeña Federico Junior, and Fabio Gianni.
Replay Episode 14
Guest Showcase
English transcript
Feat. Fabrizio Zoro
(by Angel Figueroa)
And now, it’s the highlight of the show, with the guest showcase. With us today is Fabrizio Zoro -- Italian DJ, composer, arranger, musician, and director of La Maxima 79 based in Milan, Italy.
Hello everyone, I am Fabrizio Zoro, director of the orchestra La Maxima 79, from Italy. I live in Milan, in the north of Italy, and I started deejaying in February of 2002, so it's been 20 years, and these days I mostly deejay at European events, but I have also been to several festivals in Asia, Africa, and South America.
In addition to directing La Maxima 79, and working as a producer, I also have a music label called iLatin Music, based in Milan.
I started playing salsa and bachata and fell in love with the music and began dancing different styles. ...It was a lot of fun. And I am very grateful to the many people who started before me who helped me learn the basics of deejaying, not just about pressing "play" and "pause", but also everything needed for deejaying salsa.
From the year 2009 I started the project of La Maxima 79, a project that continues to be one of the best salsa orchestras in Europe and exports salsa around the world.
In the 2000s there was a lot of salsa already but it was all very "clean". I preferred the salsa of the 1970s -- Bobby Valentin, Ismael Rivera, and Los Dementes. So I decided to do something modern but in the old style... and I continue working as a DJ, director, and producer.
You can find me on both Instagram (@fabriziozoro / @LaMaxima79) and Facebook (Fabrizio Zoro / La Maxima 79 / iLatin Music Distribution).
How exactly did you start your salsa career?
I started in 2002 thanks to a woman who was an instructor of Latin American dance. Actually, I preferred house music at the time, but in the end I found myself doing a little dancing here and there, and then it started getting into my blood; it was like a drug because every day after work I would go salsa dancing. And I started deejaying because in the normal clubs I always admired the DJs who appeared like God looking down from their console... and I wanted to be the same in salsa.
What are your inspirations?
For sure the big names in salsa, like Ismael Rivera, Los Dementes, Tito Rodriguez Jr, Orquesta Revé, Oscar d'Leon. But I always believe that when you have an idea, you should follow it to the day you die and do everything you can to realize it as best you can.
What was a memorable experience you had with your band, La Maxima 79?
What comes to mind at the moment is the time when we went to Mexico to play for the first time, and the song "Iglesia Rumbera" had been released only about ten days before, but when we appeared, the crowd of about 6,000 people sang out loud all of the words to "Iglesia Rumbera", even though it had been out for little more than a week. I'll never forget it -- the dancing and the singing. It was just incredible.
What are some current projects and future goals?
We are doing our fifth album; we are just about ready to start recording and I also have a lot of songs to do under my name, DJ Fabrizio Zoro. I did a salsa cover of "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica. And I just released a song called "Cienfuegos" dedicated to the Cuban city. It's a very romantic, moving song, with a great vibe, and it is available on all digital platforms.
What are you looking forward to in the future?
Here in Italy, TV and and radio do not currently pay any attention to salsa and bachata, so I look forward to the time when they can become more mainstream and bring people closer to Latin music because, honestly speaking, once you discover Latin music, you will never be able to forget it. At the moment it is happening with reggaeton. I hope some day it can happen with salsa and bachata, too.
What message do you have for DJs, dancers and other salsa enthusiasts?
That they enjoy doing what they love and that they hang on to their own ideas and styles, whether its for deejaying or for dancing. This is fundamental, and they need to do it with passion, to never stop listening and to continue educating themselves about musicians, salseros, bachateros... and to never stop learning and studying because latin music is universal.
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