Ahead of this year's version of the Barranquilla Carnaval, a singer that most people would think of as new to the music industry, Roberto Camargo, gained popularity. However, with more than seven years in this business and three productions to prove it, he should be considered an experienced musician.
Roberto Camargo became popular at the end of last year with his song 'No hay billete' (There is no money) that was named to be the Barranquilla Carnaval song in 2009, and immediately gained general recognition because it is about common subjects in recent times, like the money shortage, the debts and the joy of life even though everything else seems wrong.
About 'No hay billete', its singer and composer Roberto Camargo says: "This song is about the lack of money, but even though you don't have money, life has more to it. This song came to the media after everything that happened with the pyramids. But this is not a song made based on all this social tragedy that was the falling of those pyramids and a lot of people losing their money, and that has to be clear. 'No hay billete' was born in 2006 and that same year it received a price by the Bogotá Culture and Tourism Institute for best interpretation. And after two years it turned out to form some kind of caricature of what was happening.
How did this song get to the media?
Through the record company I work with, Star Group Entertainment, that works with Universal Music. They sent a press release to the media proposing the song to become the Barranquilla carnaval song this year and it was RCN that paid attention. They called me to tell me I was going to be in the news during the December 8th holiday and that unleashed a media wave.
What is your new production like?
It is called Humor Amor (Humor Love) and it offers a fun version of relationships and the world of love. It talks about subjects like loneliness, jealousy, virtual love, flirtatious remarks, the woman's body and despair. Everyting with a touch of humor, that is my thing. 'No hay billete' is included and it was launched in September 2008. This production has several rythms and all the songs have in common that even if the situation described is very sad, there is a little space to laugh about everything.
What was the creation process of 'No hay billete'?
One day I went out of the office with a friend named Alfredo Rojas and it was one of those days when we should have received the monthly payment and it did not come. We really wanted to go and party. Then we bought something to drink and we went to someone's house in a taxi and started making fun of the situation singing the chorus 'No hay billete'. Then the taxi driver told me "if you make a song like that it would be a success", so we made that song following the wise advise of that man. This song was recorded with my musician friends of the band Doctor Krápula of Bogotá and it seems to be working.
What is the procedure of songs at the Barranquilla Carnaval?
This is a song that has been made the official song of the carnaval by some media, because for the carnaval there are musicians like Checo Acosta, Silvestre Dangong, Iván Villazón, vallenato singers in general, Juan Carlos Coronel and Joe Arroyo, to name a few, who are from there and have more of a history at the carnaval. This song is part of a lot of songs that could call themselves "the song of the carnaval". Most of those songs die in the carnaval and maybe are reborn in another carnaval. But what happened with 'No hay billete' is that it started to sound at the end of 2008 and the carnaval is helping to promote it, but it will surely keep on sounding after that. On february 24th we will be singing at the 'death of Joselito Carnaval', and it is very symbolic because we are going to bury all the debts, lack of money, the sadness and the troubles with him. And after that we will be able to sing it and dance it, free of troubles.
Roberto Camargo and his song on TeleBarranquilla
