ROSALÍA

boys in the right place. And then every time were changing the consonant, And the reason I have you keep changing the consonants when we're practicing is so that you get used to singing them easily in any range, right yeah, and you'll be able to pronounce them on higher notes, lower notes and sound good when you do it. So you don't tense up or tighten up, because some words are harder to enunciate when you're singing high. That's me

with Rosalia, a Spanish singer, songwriter, and producer. She's a star in both the Latin and American music scenes. This is backstage passed with Eric Vitro and I'm Eric Vitro. I have to say I love my job because I get to coach some of the most talented and famous singers working today. On this show, I'll talk to them about their lives, their craft, and what it takes to

really make it big in the business. So, now tell me, do you have a least favorite exercise, one that you don't like, one that I don't like, or do you just love all of them because they're also I love all of them? Naa, there's one that I think is very tricky for me that has like a big big jumps, but I don't remember the melo. I don't remember which one was. What one that you were like like, way, way, way,

way way. Yes, those are hard. That's hard for me, I think, yes, because I got to place the boys in a high place. Since the beginning. I always forget that. I don't know why I always forgetting you like from the beginning, you're got to place it in the front, and I'm like, yeah, yeah, right, right right, So I think it's good that I practice it, but because it's hard for me, Yeah, that's one that I don't know. That's why I do that exercise, because you really do

have to place it in a good placement. Yes, if you want to do a smooth transition going from low to high, and so it helps with your muscle memory of that, right, you know. Yeah. Rosalia has collaborated with artists such as Bad Bunny, Billie Eilis, Jay Belvin, and Travis Scott. You might know her songs ConA t K N Lamente or Piano n Tumira. Now she's a big star,

but that wasn't always the case. Do you remember the first song you ever saying When you were a little girl, There was this song that I heard in the TV. I think it was called Akuarella. This was like Hello Smario, something like that, no no no no no no no no no, no no Nina something like that, I think was.

I sang it for the first time because my dad he asked me to sing it in front of the family, and I was like so shy, I didn't want to, and he was like really like pushing, like come on, come on, come on, sing it, sing it, sing it. And I did it, and then I remember that everybody in the family it's been a year that I didn't sew them that we didn't so I shot up. But then I sang it and they started crying. I was like nine years old or something like that, and I

didn't understand what was going on in that moment. One and later I was like, okay, like I can communicate through music. Wow, So that's how it really started for you. Yeah, I think so, because I was like a little bit shy at the same time, I was like I was like having fun and laughing and screaming, like with a lot of energy. I was the type of kid. Oh that's a shot. I had no idea. I would have never guess that. It's not surprising. No, well, I was

like that. I was like that, but when I felt like, oh, I was being observed. When I was too conscious about it, I didn't felt like doing it like singing. It used to be something more like I did for fun than something that I wanted them to see. I wasn't overthinking it when I was a kid. I was just doing it because I had fun with it. Right. Oh, that's so great. That's the best way, right, Yeah. I think so when you don't think about it and you're not in your head about it exactly. Yeah, I know that

you say that. I think that you helped me to not overthink. At the same time, you helped me to see a lot of details, technical details I would never see by myself, because yeah, it's very hard to see unless somebody sees from the outside and tell you in points this and that. I think I could never do for myself. And it's so helpful when somebody's like, hey, did you realize this? Did you realize you can do like that? And these things. I feel like it's been

very helpful since we started doing class. Oh good, well, you know, I feel like that's my job as a teacher to really listen and then being able to say, hey, you know, that might sound really good, but this might even sound better, or just to open your mind to trying new things. Possibilities, possibilities. It's all about possibilities, right, yeah, yeah, And I feel like the more that we open our mind to that, then all of a sudden, things that

we never even thought we'd try we're doing. Yes, Yes, I feel like that when we work together that Yeah, it is your job, it's your career, it's important. But I always do feel like we're having a good time. We are having fun. Yeah, we're always laughing a lot. It's a joyous experience, and that's what's so great. I think If people lose that, they don't do as well, they don't sing as well, and their career doesn't do

as well. There has to be a lightness. Yeah. When you take it to serious, don't you think that your body tends, Yeah, it's a disaster, usually much more than when you're just having fun with it, and then everything flows much more. I think that's one of the most important lessons anybody can learn, is not to overthink it

and not to take it too seriously. Yeah, and nothing that you always remind me these things, and I think it's great to have somebody that reminds you to still have fun, even if it becomes your job, still have fun with it. Still remember why you started doing it. Is there a moment that you can remember where you knew this is what I'm gonna do. I'm going to

be a music artist. I'm gonna sing. Yes. I remember I was at home with my sister and this woman that she used to take care of both of us, and I think I was around eight nine years old, and I remember Alaska was sounding. I think it was sounding on the radio. Alaska used to be like a very big singer in my country, and she still is an amazing, amazing artist that I admire a lot. And Alaska she was like singing something very playful and I

loved it. Now I was like kind of singing it with her when she was like sounding on the radio. And then that woman called Maribel. Maribel said, oh, ima artista. She says only like, oh, she's feeling herself as an artist, like as a singer or something like that. And then I was like, you know what, I'm gonna do it. And since very young, like nine years old, wow, really young, when I really really really committed, I decided it. It was like a decision. I was like, I'm gonna do this.

I'm gonna perform. And I started singing on stage when I was fourteen fifteen. At sixteen, I started like really working, like doing shows and things like that, like going to places to perform. Are there any artists, any singers when you were young that really inspired you, that made you go, oh, I want to do what they're doing. There was Camaronella Isla. It was a Flamenco singer, a gypsy singer from Spain that I loved. I was like, oh my god, his boys.

He had a natural way to place his boys in a magical way, like really good and it was very intuitive the way he did it, and it really inspired me, like I wish one day I can sound like that. I later I realized, like, okay, my voice is completely different than or you are a girl to start, But I was like, oh, but I love this man so much. I loved his music. I loved this Flamenco traditional music from there, and I was I was like, really really really inspired by this music and by his boys. So

I loved camaland la Isla. I loved Lola Flores. She was a big, big artist from Spain. Now with Lola, did you sing any of her songs or with his either one of them? Come on? When I studied it, like when I was in college, and did you sing some of his songs? Yes? Because it was he used to sing a lot of traditional Flamenco music and that's what I studied in knowledge. For sure, He's a great influence, Kenny, Can you sing a tiny bit of one of those songs? Mmmm?

I'm thinking about Lola. I can sing if you want something about Lola. She was like singing this how to vertra, how to verta simpa veratoja simprella, veritatoja, how tack the bernama and come around just to sing run sobria ru sobriairafelii sobodi ruboia to maky sierra cafeliceria. Wow. You know I can hear the influence both of them on your your voice, the Frisian melodies verything. Yeah, exactly. Well that was great training for you because you have the technique

to be able to sing fast runs accurately. But also, yeah, you're very invested in the story, yes, and also it really inspired me to write my songs nowadays. Like if I haven't studied this music for so long, I don't think I could write the music that I write today. Yeah, and with him, I feel like you probably got some of that strength that you sing with such a solid, strong sound, and with her that flow, that beautiful flow,

with some of that vibrato. And I think that she had like a quick, fast vibrato, and I think that come out on had like more slower vibrato. Right, And they had different style for sure, for sure. Right. But that's why you're able to do both, because you listen to both and sang along, and that's why you're so adept at doing both the faster and the slower, because when I say to you, let's do it, you know, when we do those exercises with vibrato without vibrato, slow

it down, you're always able to do it. Not everybody can do that. Do you think that it's not that people can do like fast by brato if that's what's not rough for them, or they can do just slow by brato, or they can practice both and everybody can do both. What do you think? Well, no, I don't think everybody can do both. I think that everyone has

the potential, but they just have to work at it. Yeah, you get it very quickly, and some people it takes a little bit longer, but they have to really practice it. And then some people they just never get it. But you know, the way I look at it is some people I think maybe they're not supposed to, Maybe they're supposed to sing just how it is, because that's who

they are and makes them who they are. We know their voice when we hear it, and so I always try to, you know, have everyone try everything like an adventure, mind the goal, see what's there, but also always keeping in mind what makes you special or what makes you unique, because that's important too. You want to sound like yourself, but when we do it, I don't worry about you not sounding like yourself because I know you're going to

sound like yourself. It'll just speed with a faster story if I brought it, but it's still going to sound like Rosalia because your tone and everything else is so distinctive. Oh thanks, you know so, I just never want anyone to lose that, because I think that's so important, the personality in the voice, right, everything right, right, right right. When I was studying Flamenco, like this traditional style, there's so many stories that I never experienced in my life.

I felt like it was very beautiful to be able to channel those stories on stage, and I was like, wow, I really think that that's the challenge with this music. Aside of the technical, Flamenco is super technical, is very complicated, but in a beautiful way. The melodies are like complex, like the rhythms, there's a lot of different things. But then for me, like the most beautiful thing about it

is the expression, the stories and everything behind it. I'm very, very very grateful that I could spend these years of just studying for so long, at least ten years studying this music. Don't move a muscle. I'll be right back with backstage pass and my guest Rosalia. I'm Eric Vitro,

and I'm back with my guests Rosalia. You know, it doesn't surprise me you talk about doing these things so young, because I think that people who do become great and have longevity are the people that, well, they were first of all, lucky enough to know something they really wanted to do when they were really young. That's yeah, it's a total blessing. But then to also have that work

ethic to really keep working towards it. Yes, And but I feel like I was one of those lucky people who knew when I was very young what I wanted to do. Because what I'm doing now is what I've done my whole life, you know, which is amazing, and you still do with so much passion. And I think that's amazing. Well, I think when you really work at getting better at something, if you feel like you are continually getting better, I think it just makes it even

more exciting. So that's why I say I'm enjoying teaching more now than I ever did. And I said that last year, and I said that the year before. But it's true I enjoy it more now because I feel like I'm better at it now and that's exciting. And then I think, well, maybe I could give them better or maybe I could do even more. Yeah, hell yeah, of course music keeps evolving, so that makes it interesting

as well. Yeah, it's not the same, yes, And I think that for example, for me, my family was very supportive, but nobody around was a musician, nobody was connected to the industry, and it was really hard to like figure out how to become a musician for me. And it wasn't like it wasn't as I was telling you before, I didn't feel like I had like a great voice or something like that. There's kids that they will naturally they seem amazing, they have these big voices since they're kids,

and me it wasn't like that. So I really had to like spend this time this years years, years and years and have a lot of patient and a lot of like being humble, you know, like, really, Okay, failing this doesn't sound right yet, Okay, if I'm going to keep trying, I'm gonna keep doing it till it sounds right. And I think that sometimes it's more about that being persistent, being consistent too, like being there, like committed than anything else. Yeah,

I think you're absolutely right. I'm so glad you're saying that because I think for people listening, they can apply it to anything they're doing. I think sometimes you can kind of forget how hard it was to get here, at least for me, I could forget for a second how hard I had to work, how important it was for me to get to this point where I can work and do the work that I love the most. So I always feel like being grateful and feeling happy,

feeling joyful about it. That's important for me. I think that's the best mindset for me. I totally agree with that, And I really got to know Rosalie quite well during that first period because for months we would do lessons five to six days a week. Yeah, almost every day. We did a lot of lessons, and I was so impressed with your work ethic. I wanted to ask you,

is that just naturally who you are? Like you're just someone who throws themselves one hundred percent in I think so, yes, yes completely, Because I'm a perfectionist, so I always liked try to push myself to learn as much as possible and to try to get the best result in my work, if that makes sense. It was like a lot of new things that you were teaching me, and I was like, wow, this is all very new, even if I was studying

for so long a voice lessons and everything. With you, it was like, there's so many new things and I really want to learn these and understand it. I try to really, really really push. I commit. I think no matter what you choose, what you do, you gotta commit. At least that's how I approach it. Rosalia has told me that her discipline to her career was influenced by

her mom, and that doesn't surprise me at all. I've been observing people for years and I've seen the artists who have great work ethics quite often learn them from the people who raised them. She's a very strong woman with a lot of her work ethic is amazing, unbelievable. She's such a hard working person, and I think that she always had great advices. She always advised me, and she always have a perspective about things that I'm always like, okay,

let me see what my mom thinks. Always always, and I think that nowadays, like it's very important for me, my family the Latin Grammys in Las Vegas. It was two years ago and my grandpa just passed, like he just died, like the day before. I had to perform, and I was very far from home, and I remember I didn't feel like singing, but still I sang and I did it, and that was I think one of the hardest performances I had to do. My mind wasn't there and my heart wasn't there, if that makes sense.

But the other moments, I'm always very happy, very very excited, very grateful to be able to perform. And he would have wanted you to, I'm sure, I hope so. I was thinking about him when I was singing. Wow, for sure. No, I bet he felt that wherever he is. I think that because parents, grandparents, anybody who leaves us, they want you to keep going and shine and do your best. They don't want you to stop your life. I feel like he protects me somehow. Oh yeah, he protects me. Yeah. Wow.

But that now, that performance in Vegas, did you feel good about that you were able to do it and do a good job? I think so, yes, because it was it was really hard, and I think at some point m I had to sing it. Maybe that sadness I could kind of channel it by singing, right. I think I really feel very excited to perform. Most of the times. I think my heart always goes faster, like my heart always races, always, always, and I feel like

that's because I care. I'd have to say my favorite time seeing Rosalia perform was that the twenty twenty Grammys. No matter how proud I am when I watched Rosalia perform or make her music, I have to say, I'm always excited to start our vocal lessons again. I've been missing me now that we're not doing it so much because I'm in the studio trying to finish this record. I think it's almost there, so I had to focus on production. But eddic, I'm coming back. Oh good. What

is it about doing that? Is it just that it's so created that you love it? Or is it because you feel like I know what I want better than anyone else can create for me? What is it that because I know you get so immersed in it. Yes, I feel like for me it's so important how my music sound, how the songs sound, and it's so personal too that I feel like there's no way that I can just let somebody else do it. At the end of the day, I feel like my album just what

it's gonna last when I'm not here anymore. This is what it's going to be here. I really care about songs, every song to try to make it the best way possible. I wish maybe I didn't care as much, but at the same time, I know that caring so much makes a difference. I think in the way things sound, and that's just who I am, Like I cannot change it. It really represents you, represents your point of view, and you can really be like proud of it. I really try to do it the best I can. I really

try to practice as much as I can. I care for the details on everything, not just when I'm singing. I see that in everything, in the light, the stage design, the clothes that I'm wearing, the colors, the nails I mean, I mean the nails, of course, everything, everything, everything, And I enjoy do anything like that, and I think that that's like a work ethic. And I feel like if one day I don't care like that as much as like that, I don't think that the result would be

as good. So I don't feel it's a bad thing to be perfectionist. That makes sense. But at the same time, I feel very grateful that you help me to be like, Okay, yeah, you can be a perfectionist while you are practicing, but once you go on stage, forget it. Forget it and just perform, because that's how I used to do it when I was younger, when I was a kid, when I was a teenager. But then sometimes you can kind of forget it for a second when you get caught

up on technical things. And it's great that somebody reminds you speaking of technical things. After the break, we'll get to the vocal tips of the week, influenced by Rosalia herself right after this. Here they are my vocal tips of the week. First, I've had really good results having my students always do at least one forward placement exercise lesson one where I actually encourage them to allow themselves

to sound nasal. Now, I always say to them, don't panic, I'm not trying to turn you into a nasal sounding singer. It's just one of the many exercises that will help you warm up your voice in a healthy way and also help you to increase your range. Basically, What I want you to do is to focus the sound and the vibrations of your voice in the front part of your face, which is referred to as the mask. That area is starting right around your forehead all the way

down to about the bottom of your nose. You heard Rosalia, it's her favorite exercise. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah. Now it's your turn to try. Bases. Baritones and tenors. Start on the sea below middle sea like this. Repeat that pattern, transposing it in other words, changing keys down by half steps ntil you reach your lowest note, and then going right back up until you reach your highest note. Sopranos and elto's, you start on

an A below middle C like this. Again, repeat that pattern, transposing it down, changing keys by half steps until you reach your lowest note, and then going right back up, changing keys by half steps until you reach your highest note. I'll give you an example. Try not to move your jaw when you're pronouncing that na na na, Just move your tongue. By practicing, moving your tongue without moving your jaw will not only free up your voice, but it will make it so much easier for you to pronounce

lyrics on high notes. When you're doing songs. Another exercise I always try to fit in every lesson is one that will prep you to sing your runs and rifts better, one that will make your vocal cords more flexible and limber, and also really help you to level up your skills with better agility. Try starting out with half steps like this.

If it feels hard for you to stand pitch on this exercise because it is tricky, start really slow, trying to sing every note cleanly, and then gradually build up speed. A really great way to teach you to sing these half steps would be to play them on the piano as you sing them. Even if you don't know how to play the piano, anyone could play half steps because

it's just one note after another. You might not have a piano or a keyboard at home, but you can always download a piano keyboard app onto your phone or tablet. A good middle range for sopranos and altos would be to start here on a middle C. For you bases, baritones and tenors start here one act of lower than middle c as always experiment and see how high and how low you can go, but of course without straining.

It should always feel comfortable. If you want to try out the vocal tips from this episode, I'd love to hear you. Use the hashtag Backstage passpod on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or wherever you like to post. I can't wait to hear you. After the credits, you'll hear more of my conversation with Rosalia Maybe maybe maybe may. Backstage Pass with Eric Vitro is written and hosted by me Eric Vitro and produced by Morgan Jaffee. Katherine Girardeau is our showrunner.

Emily Rosstek is our associate producer, mixed and mastered by Ben Tolliday. Additional engineering help is from Jacob Gorski. Mia Lobell is our executive producer. Our development team, Letal Mullad and Justine Lange helped create the show, thanks also to Jacob Weisberg, Heather Fame, John Schnars, Carlie Migliori, Christina Sullivan, Eric Sandler, Maggie Taylor, Nicolparando, Daniella Lucan, and Royston Baserve. Original theme music is by Jacob and Cita Steele for

Premier Music Group. We record it Resonate Studios. Fred Talkson does our videography and the photography is by Ken Sawyer. A very special thanks to Michael Lewis for his inspiration and the best guidance anyone could ask for. Backstage Passed with Eric Vitro is the production of Pushkin Into And if you like the show, please remember to share, rate, and review. I mean that really, share it, rate it, and review it. If you love this show and others

from Pushkin Industries, consider subscribing to Pushkin Plus. Pushkin Plus is a podcast subscription that offers bonus content and uninterrupted listening for four ninety nine a month. Look for Pushkin Plus on Apple podcast subscriptions. To find more Pushkin podcasts, listen to the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. I was out recently. I had to go pick up something, and I went into the store to pick it up, and your song with Bad Bunny

was playing. This girl who was I was waiting to help me, was doing something for someone else, and all of a sudden, I looked over and she was singing along, and I saw her lips going with it, and she was kind of smiling, and I thought, Wow, I'm seeing the joy that an artist's music brings to people. She was probably enjoying her day so much more getting to hear your songs. It was making her day go by

faster than when she came over to help me. She was all smiles, really friendly, and I thought, Wow, it's really beautiful to see that, not just in a life setting. It's on the recording, it's in the videos, it's where ever anyone's listening. Yeah, how powerful is that? Right? For me,

what makes my day is listening music. And I feel so happy when you tell me that, because then that happens the same thing that happens to me that I listened so much music, it can happen to other people with the music I do, and I feel so grateful, you know,