rita quintero's blog

nonconcept: The city that never sleeps. NY. I miss it terribly

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:39:51 -0400

The city that never sleeps. NY.

I miss it terribly

I keep coming across pictures of Grace Jones on my Tumblr feed...

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:22:07 -0400

I keep coming across pictures of Grace Jones on my Tumblr feed and they keep sparking memories of when I coached her for a short stint. Grace was in Miami working with Island Records. The label paired her with two young turks who were the techno geniuses of the time as producers. She was quite unhappy with them for they had no idea who she was. Crazy I know, not to mention pretty uneducated.

I offered to work with her at the studio, which was housed in The Marlin Hotel, but she chose to come to me. I met with her for a couple of weeks and was always astounded by her outfits. One time, she actually wore jumper cables as a belt and pulled it off beautifully.

Her range was that of a tenor more so than a contralto. She had a resounding C3. It was a strong voice with immaculate pitch. She just wanted to warm up and exercise her voice. We never got to the material she was recording. I knew something was up. It was obvious she was not getting along with the production team by the tidbits she would throw out in conversation. Soon enough, there was a message left on my voice mail. It was from her personally and I kept it for a short while because it was kind of surreal to hear her deep voice with the unmistakable Jamaican accent saying, “…aah Rita…I’m going to have to cancel today’s session…”

She took advantage of having to leave Miami due to a hurricane that was threatening to make landfall and swiftly severed ties with the project. I never saw her again.

lush

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 23:49:01 -0400

lush

bliss

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:20:47 -0400

bliss

beatpie: The Bacardi Building’s tiled facade. Miami, Florida

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 09:31:45 -0400

beatpie:

The Bacardi Building’s tiled facade. Miami, Florida

Photo

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:41:02 -0400

In memory of Mr. Phil Ramone, I would like to share an experience I had when called on a session. I...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 06:42:00 -0400

In memory of Mr. Phil Ramone, I would like to share an experience I had when called on a session. I...

Beautiful Building (at Miami Design District)

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:32:15 -0400

Beautiful Building (at Miami Design District)

nonconcept: Traffic.

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 06:37:33 -0500

nonconcept:

Traffic.

Oscar Party!

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:17:55 -0500

Oscar Party!

You're a Gentleman and a Scholar

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 16:24:00 -0500

Many moons ago I was at the Beverly Hilton for the Pre-Grammy Awards show, which translates to a...

in tune during rehearsal for those of you who started to...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 11:44:07 -0500

in tune during rehearsal for those of you who started to doubt…

They need a horse to solve a crime? (at 2000 S. Dixie Hwy)

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:13:00 -0500

They need a horse to solve a crime? (at 2000 S. Dixie Hwy)

At the Dungeon (at Miami Studio City District)

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:30:00 -0500

At the Dungeon (at Miami Studio City District)

Audio

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 04:12:37 -0500

The Case of the Falling Truss I became a part of Shakira’s...

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:41:00 -0500

The Case of the Falling Truss

I became a part of Shakira’s entrance into the North American market by being called upon to coach her on her English accent. It was a rough start as the powers that be were convinced they had to get her to sing an English translation of her first big hit “Estoy Aqui”. The idea was awful. Nonetheless, she came to my home twice a week and we hung at the piano. I faithfully reproduced the track on the piano as she sang her new lyric. We tore it apart bit by bit and this became a lesson in the language itself. We had a good time. She remembered my skills and I eventually became a band member. After all, I had sung background vocals on most of her projects.

Before she conquered the crossover hurdle, the band toured South America with “Donde Estan los Ladrones.” Her audience was in love. The air was electric. We were in the epicenter of a strange perfect storm of desperation, politics, dreams, and loud, very well rehearsed, rock and roll. At one of these concerts, don’t ask me what city or country, one of the trusses had been compromised. We were carrying a huge digital screen that weighed a ridiculous amount. How many tons I don’t know. All I know is we took the stage and on both sides there were scouts. They were put there by the stage manager and we were to keep an eye on them throughout the show in case the truss gave.

Looking back, I find it remarkable we all took the stage in a carefree manner. We understood the danger. We didn’t give it a second thought. This is what this wonderful insane life had brought us. Rock and Roll - It’s why we’re all here isn’t it?

Photo

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 06:25:02 -0500

at Miami Freedom Tower

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 22:31:33 -0500

at Miami Freedom Tower

pamplinas…

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:46:25 -0500

pamplinas…

Miami Sky (at I-95 North Bound)

Sat, 20 Oct 2012 14:36:05 -0400

Miami Sky (at I-95 North Bound)