Bass Musician Magazine - SPECIAL August 2013 Latin Issue | Page 64

years of my life and I wasn’t

after playing and studying for

going to waste one more second. two years, I was hired as a bass
This took my parents by

teacher for the most important

surprise and they couldn’t

Chilean Jazz School in those

imagine my quitting school to

years, Academia de Jazz de

become a musician, which I do

Roberto Lecaros.

not blame them for at all. The

I attribute my success to the

bottom line was that if I were

goals I placed on myself to

going to make this decision, then

study bass and focus on music;

I would have to study and work

I always kept in mind how old I

to support myself in order to

was when I started, so catching

buy my books, metronome, first

up was an important goal for me.

bass, first amp, etc., because
there was not going to be any

Growing up, who were your

further financial support from my

musical influences?

parents.

Regarding Bass Players, I

During the first two years I

will go chronologically as I was

studied and played bass for

‘meeting’ them. The first bassists

almost 17 hours a day. By the 8th I had heard where Marcus Miller,
month, I had my first two gigs,

Jaco, Gary Grainger, Jimmy

covering for the bassist of a very

Johnson and a great bassist from

famous Chilean rock trio, Los

France, Michel Alibo. Then came

Tres. Right before the end of the

Jeff Berlin, Gary Willis, Alain

first year, I was playing with the

Caron, John Patitucci, Anthony

most famous Chilean Pop-Singer

Jackson, Kai Eckhardt and many

at the time, Óscar Andrade and

more. I need to express that I

two months later I was the bass

have a very special appreciation

player for the number one Funk

of Jimmy Johnson’s bass playing

band in Chile, De Kiruza. Just

career; probably he’s my favorite

BASSMUSICIANMAGAZINE.COM : AUG 2013