~ Making Of An Album ~

Nihongo / Japanese:

So what type of music is "Adult Contemporary", anyway?

Well, it's what most people would call the mature alternative in music today. You know, songs that don't have screaming vocals, ear-splitting guitar or 'Gangsta' Rap lines? Just try to think of songs that target a more mature audience or market. The 'canned' definition from Wikipedia is: "Adult Contemporary music is a type of radio format that plays mainstream and pop music, except for hip-hop or rap since, as the name suggests, its geared more toward Adults than Teens. Adult Contemporary music is generally divided into 2 categories; 'Hot A/C', (also known as 'Adult Top 40' or 'Adult Alternative'), and 'Soft A/C', (also known as 'Lite Rock')."

Ultimately though, I'd like to think that my songs are an equal mix of Hot & Soft A/C with a touch of Jazz, Rock, Pop and Latin flavors mixed in for some variety. But I'll let you be the judge,... pick up a CD today and let me know what you think!

Okay Dude,… but why are you doing all this from Japan?

Well, it’s a little complicated, but I’ll keep it short for you. You see, I joined the military right out of high school (U.S. Air Force), and was first assigned to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. After about 2 ½ years at that location, I received a surprise set of Transfer Orders to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. My first thought was, “Where the hell is ‘Okinawa’ and why do I have to go there?!” And to be honest, I tried my best to get out of those Orders, but couldn’t shake ‘em loose. So in August 1984, I found myself getting off a military transport plane and stepping foot on Japanese soil for the very first time. And surprisingly enough, I’ve been living here ever since (over 22 years now!). Okinawa turned out to be a tropical paradise that has captured my heart and opened my mind to the true beauty of nature. In fact, the Japanese people view Okinawa as a tropical vacation site, much like we Americans view the Hawaiian Islands. It has crystal clear, turquoise-blue waters, white sand beaches, beautiful sunshine, and warm-hearted, friendly people with down-to-earth, relaxed attitudes.

Here are some examples of the beauty that is,... Okinawa:

So what did you do in the Air Force?

I first started out working as an Administrative Specialist, but quickly realized that I was on a dead-end career track. So I volunteered for a post in Command & Control, which is the function that oversees cargo aircraft once they've touched down and then coordinates all the work required to get the planes prepped up and back into the air. That was a fun place to work, so I stayed there for several years until I changed career paths again and became the Personnel Chief for the 603rd Airlift Support Group, (also on Kadena Air Base), and ran their Command Personnel Section/Unit Orderly Room until I separated from the military in 1992 after 10 years of service. Then, about six months after my separation from the Air Force, I was lucky enough to land a job with my current employer in Japan, where I've been for the past 13 years and I couldn't be happier! So I guess you could say that ending up here, on Okinawa, has been one of the BEST things that could’ve ever happened to me and I’m thankful to God for the blessing he’s bestowed upon me through this life experience!

But looking back on my previous Air Force career, one of the most memorable moments I can remember was when I met the Commander In Chief, Military Airlift Command (CINCMAC), and was presented the Air Force Noncomissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year award for the U.S. Pacific Theater. The CINCMAC was on a tour of the Pacific at the time and decided to surprise me by stopping by my Unit and presenting me the trophy in person. That was a nice event that definitely rates as one of the higher points of my military service time!

So how long have you been writing music?

I would say, since about 1987 or thereabouts. Most of it was silly stuff that probably didn’t make much sense to anybody but me. But I would say that the first “real” song that I ever wrote was a love song that I put together for my wife, Mina. In fact, it was the song that I sang to her on the night I proposed marriage. We had been dating for almost a year and I remember we were on a secluded beach on Okinawa watching a gorgeous sunset while enjoying a chilled bottle of wine, some crackers & cheese. I had my acoustic guitar with me, so I began to serenade her as the sun was setting over the ocean. (Man, was I setting things up right or what?!?)

Here's some examples of those romantic Okinawa sunsets:

Anyway, I started playing a song that I wrote for her called “So In Love”, (which, by-the-way, is included on “Nothing Else Feels So Right”). And at the end of the song she was all teary-eyed and smiling, so I reached into my pocket and pulled out an engagement ring and asked her to marry me, right there on-the-spot. I completely took her by surprise, but I guess my plan worked ‘cause she said “yes”, and now we’re going on 17 beautiful years of marriage! And even since then, I have to say that my wife has been the main source of inspiration for a good majority of my music up until today. But other than that, I just write songs based on things I know about, such as my own life experiences, the experiences of close family & friends, and my personal opinions on life, love and the world in general. I assume that some people will be able to relate with my songs very easily, while others will simply dismiss them. Ultimately though, they provide you a little insight into my state of mind during various stages of my life and reflect my heartfelt desire to relay a POSITIVE message to the world through music.

So, how’d you get this major gig anyway?

Well, I’ve always loved hearing music played by a good live band. And in the early Eighties, Okinawa was a melting pot for clubs called “Live Houses” that were lined up back-to-back with bands performing all types of music. I remember on Friday and Saturday nights making my rounds from club to club trying to sit near the stage so I could study the guitar player up close and personal. And when the shows were over, I’d stay behind to chat with members of the band and, if I was lucky, I’d get to sit-in on an after-hours "Jam" session. It was then that I realized the value of networking with established musicians and later found myself accepting invitations to sit-in during their actual shows, singing a couple of songs here, playing a little guitar there. And over the years, I was able to earn a local reputation as someone with a solid grasp of chord theory and a decent voice. Most of the time we would play “cover” songs, but sometimes I would sneak in one of my original ideas, just to spice things up. Everyone seemed to like what I was doing and tried their best to talk me into recording some of my original tunes, but I never found the time to do so. After all, I had responsibilities as a Father & Husband to put a roof over my family’s head and food on the table, so the thought of pursuing a musical career was just a pipe dream that I kept hidden in the far recesses of my mind,… (though it always called upon my heart with a furious beat!). But ultimately, it was a twist of fate that brought this CD into reality. You see, some very close friends of mine are in a Band called “JET”, and they were recently in the studio cutting a CD of their very own. Well, based on our friendship that developed over several years of those late night "Jam" sessions I talked about earlier, the members of JET asked me to come in and provide some vocal harmony on some of their songs. I wound up singing on six of the nine songs that were recorded for that CD and co-wrote one song that wound up becoming their lead single for the album. It was then that I met my current Producer, Mr. Izumi Wada, who was impressed enough with my Songwriting abilities, that he asked if I had any original material of my own. I said “yes”, and gave him a short Demo Tape of my ideas. And the rest, as they say,… is history.

But how did you hook up with these SERIOUS musicians playing on your CD (i.e., The Style Band)?

Well, little did I know that my Producer, Mr. Izumi Wada, (who I simply met through my mutual friends in "JET"), was actually a made-man in the Japanese music business, with some serious connections at his disposal. And though I thought the initial focus was on my Songwriting only,... once we shook hands and made a deal, he began coordinating with his contacts in the Tokyo music scene for me to sing the songs I had written, while gathering some of the best studio musicians in the business and scheduling sessions in one of the most prestigious recording studios available. And, as each musician walked through the doors of the studio, I was completely floored because I knew each of them by their reputation supporting some of the best Pop, Rock & Top 40 acts in Japan. My first thought was that they were simply going to record in one of the adjoining studios next to ours, but then they said, “No,… we’re here to support your recording!” Needless to say, I was left completely speechless! And as I looked up at my Producer, Mr. Wada, he simply gave me a 'wink-of-the-eye' and said “Carlos, I don’t play around in this business,… everything that I do has to be the best”. So with that, I wound up getting some fabulous musicians to support my debut effort and I couldn’t be happier with the results!

So what does the future hold for you now?:

To tell you the truth, I really don't know! I mean, I'm still surprised at all this myself, since I've always considered myself to be just a regular guy who just happens to play a little guitar, writes a little music, and can sing pretty decent. But now, with my Producer taking action to promote my music, I'm dealing with Corporate sponsorship,… photo shoots,…CD marketing & distribution plans,… introductions to executives from Toshiba/EMI and various major record companies,... as well as other things that are completely overwhelming for me, but the experience has truly been worth it!! However, I can tell you one thing,... I don't have any plans to quit my day job anytime soon. You see, I've invested way too much of my time & effort into establishing a formal career to just throw that out the window -- so that's just never gonna to happen. However, I do intend to pursue any and all additional opportunities that my music can provide for me "on-the-side". After all, only I control my own destiny, right? And only I can take action to either hold myself back or push myself forward in the pursuit of my own dreams. Therefore, I've decided to push myself forward and pursue my musical future as far as it will take me, right alongside my established career.

My main focus will be on promoting my Songwriting skills and to see if other artists would be interested in recording my songs for their albums. But since I also love performing on stage, I only hope that I can become successful doing both. From what my Team tells me, our current album is scheduled to be distributed nationally in Japan starting in June 2006, with plans for a wider release into the English-language Asian market (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Philippines), later in the year. I'll then embark on a small-scale tour of Mainland Japan first, (along with "The Style Band" and other artists on the Sun & Fish roster), starting late this summer to support it. Then perhaps by Late 2007 or Early 2008, (depending on the success of my CD in the Asian market), the plan would be to branch out the distribution network into U.S. and European markets as an "Import". (Though it again depends on the sales within the Asian market, so I'm not expecting that to occur until much later -- if at all). But with any luck, based on the global reach of the world-wide web, I hope to receive even more exposure (and sales) via this internet website too! Isn't it amazing what a little Music in your soul can do for you?!

(Go To Top Of Page)

All "portrait-style" photos on this page are by Master Photographer, Mr. Lloyd Wainscott (shootwme@yahoo.com)