Michael: What is the audience that Salmerum looks for? Heavy dancers? Latin music fans (listeners)? About an even mix of both?
Antonio: It's great to have a mix of both, but what really makes us happy and energized is to see a packed dance floor with everyone enjoying themselves. It is however, satisfying at the end of a gig to have someone come up to you who just enjoying the music tell you that the repertoire was awesome and that they'll be coming back.
Michael: Have you ever had a problem with people dancing too close to the band? Do the girls get up on stage and dance for you?
Antonio: For the most part there is no problem. Every now and then we bring girls up to dance for the crowd on a cumbia or merengue, but there is the occasional drunk person who gets up on stage and disturbs us.
Michael: What are your immediate goals for the group?
Antonio: Immediate goals are to gel as a band a little more (basically to get tighter), and to audition on Mar 27th in front of Virgin, Capital, and DefJam records. They will critique us and who knows, perhaps something will come out of it. The audition will be at 2pm (Mar 27) at Hardrock Café in downtown Houston, and all are invited to support us.
Michael: What would you like to see La Orquesta Salmerum achieve in the end? Where do you want to take the group?
Antonio: My goals are to record a professional album of salsa music that can immediately find airplay on salsa stations. Other than that, I just want to always improve. If big things come our way, that would be great, but if not we're not all going to be heartbroken either.
Michael: Salsa is not the only style of music Salmerum includes in its repetoire. Merengue forms another important part of the playlist. How do you decide to mix the styles? Do you read the crowd and decide, "Okay, Salsa is running down, time to play Merengue or Cumbia"?
Antonio: Aside from taking requests from the crowd, I generally put together the set list before we arrive at the club. We've been playing for so long that I know more or less how much of a certain type of music I can play. At a new venue, we kind of play it by ear. But generally we know what type of crowd we're going to encounter before we arrive at a gig.
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Live, from Houston!
I asked Antonio, if Salmerum could perform at a venue where other Houston Latin artists have not yet appeared, what would it be?
He replied: "That's a tough one. I guess Arena Theater or Verizon Theater would be cool."
Venues are important to groups like La Orquesta Salmerum, but Antonio pointed out that they are also important to the music. When I asked him how he would introduce a new audience to the Houston Latin scene, he said:
"Well I think first I'd say you've found the right city as there is much to choose from. But I would also say that people should try to support live music and the venues who sponsor live music. Without the patronage live music would not exist."
Enjoy the music, everyone!
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