CESAR
TAKES WORLDS OF CHANGE
ACROSS THE GLOBE!
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Former LAX McDonald's worker and guitar sensation performed
in his youth with London Philharmonic, Frank Sinatra, and Al Di Meola
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Called “The Next Santana,” Cesar to Share Heartfelt Hit “Soldier of Glory”
With Troops in Iraq on Month-Long Tour In May As Part of Gratitude Tour
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Ex American Idol Finalist Mario Vazquez Performs Three Vocals on Guitarist's Newly Released Disc “Worlds of Change,” On Darque Records
Forget clubs, concert halls and 5,000 seat amphitheatres…Argentine born guitar sensation and rising pop star Cesar (www.CesarMusic.com ) is celebrating the recent release of his independent album Worlds of Change in a global fashion worthy of his album title--by showing his deep appreciation for those who put their lives on the line to defend his adopted homeland of America. The album, his debut for Los Angeles based Darque Records , includes three vocal tracks featuring former American Idol finalist Mario Vazquez .
Hailed by many as “the next Santana” for his blistering blend of Latin and rock guitar with dance/pop grooves (and collaborating with great vocalists), the charismatic musician is set to spend May entertaining thousands of U.S. and international troops throughout the Middle East (in the grand USO style of old) with a two hour extravaganza called “The Gratitude Tour.”
The show will be filled with great moments, dancers and, of course, a touch of home for the soldiers so far away from their loved ones. Scheduled to hit Iraq and a host of six other countries throughout the Middle East and even into Northern Africa, the tour will no doubt remind Cesar of his days living in Spain and working as a touring musician throughout Europe, doing solo shows and performing at a young age with Frank Sinatra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra and guitar legend Al Di Meola.
The centerpiece of Cesar's show—and sure to become one of the great inspirational classics of all time—is his career launching hit “Soldier of Glory,” a song which poignantly portrays a soldier in battle on the field, thinking longingly of a loved one and hoping for a letter from home. A sampling of the lyrics—which are sung on the album by renowned pop session and touring singer Steve Real, over Cesar's inimitable guitar lines and colorful arrangement—speaks to the hearts of millions who sacrifice for their country: “I am courage, I have fears…a letter from home will heal the wounds I feel…” The images of any newscast or epic film of war stir in the mind.
Last September, months before the February 2005 release of Worlds of Change, the song got the attention of the late Bob Hope's widow Delores and daughter Linda, who invited Cesar to headline at the re-dedication ceremony of the Bob Hope Hollywood USO at Los Angeles International Airport—an event which featured celebrities from the golden age of Bob Hope's USO tours and members of each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. The organization asked Cesar back to perform “Soldier of Glory” last December at a special holiday celebration for thousands of children and spouses of American servicemen and women at the Hollywood Park Racetrack.
“Beyond any fame the song brings me, I want it to touch people and bring them together,” says Cesar. “These are tough times we're going through as a nation, and it is especially tough for these young men and women, being so far away from those they love. I can only imagine what they and their families are going through. My hope is that the song can put everyone together, heart to heart, even if it can't join them physically. The song is about my debt of gratitude to those who are willing to put their lives on the line to serve our country when they are called upon.”
If VH-1 ever takes Cesar's fans “behind the music,” they're going to find a fascinating tale about how this once in a lifetime song was written. Down on his luck after many years of success as a working musician and artist in New York and Los Angeles (which included his instrumental Sony debut album Rhythm of Fire in 1996, now a collector's item), Cesar was selling and activating cell phones by day and working at the McDonald's at LAX's Delta terminal at night.
“I wasn't ashamed of what I had to do to support my family, and now these humbling experiences have earned me a lot of respect,” says Cesar. “During this time, I kept working on songs, and I was heavily inspired by global events like 9/11 and the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan , which inspired ‘Save The World,' one of the songs Mario Vazquez sings on the album. The challenge with songwriting is to find life stories that can touch the heart in ways no one ever thought of.”
Fresh inspiration arrived two years ago, around the time of the U.S. invasion of Iraq , in the form of soldiers coming into the LAX McDonald's on their ways in and out of town between stints overseas. “I got to meet all these soldiers and told them about my music and how I was just doing my best to make a living,” says Cesar. “This one soldier in particular, whose name was Jason, seemed kind of lost, and he told me he had been injured in Kuwait and that the armed forces were sending him back home. We talked for a few minutes and he told me of his experiences there.
“The minute he left,” he continues, “I went into the restroom with a pencil and paper and literally wrote the song in five minutes. I had been working on my CD at night, had this cool mix of dance tunes with a Latin touch like ‘Get Up And Dance' and spiritual things (‘God is Like a Mirror'), but I knew this song was special.”
Getting it in the right hands was crucial, of course, and destiny smiled upon Cesar in the form of Steven Dunning, something of a Renaissance man in the film business who was also Cesar's black belt level teacher in a Kung Fu class (Cesar has since earned his own black belt). Dunning, who had worked for Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and for Tom Hanks at Playtone on projects like the HBO Series “From the Earth To the Moon,” had traveled the world film festival circuit with his multiple award winning indie film Now Chinatown , but was eager to expand his media interests into the recording arena.
Dunning loved Cesar's Rhythm of Fire CD and was fascinated as numerous big name record producers approached the young, versatile songwriter and guitarist. When none of the other offers materialized, Dunning formed Darque Records as an extension of his company and signed Cesar as his first artist. Now, with Worlds of Change just starting to catch fire, the artist's growing global fan club includes mainstream American pop fans; avid jazz listeners in Germany, flamenco aficionados in Australia, and Latin lovers dancing all over the world. Cesar also joined Dunning to support an international charitable prize, The Greater Good Award, lending his musical talents overseas.
A few recent reviews said it all: The well-respected industry publication Music Connection calls Cesar's music, “Great pop with a Latin touch! He's an excellent guitarist…he plays too fast for the human ears but he's always in the pocket. ”Hispanic magazine Nuestro Tiempo proclaimed, “Perfecto, Cesar is an extraordinary guitarist who touches the heart.”
Bound to touch the hearts of millions around the globe in 2005, Cesar's actually been making these kinds of emotional and spiritual connections since he was a teenager in Buenos Aires . While Cesar was performing at the Opera Theatre in the famed Argentine city, Astor Piazzolla, the father of contemporary tango and classical music, took an interest in the boy and helped launch his career.
But a funny thing happened on his way to his first wave of stardom in Europe . Spanish guitar great Paco de Lucia met the 17-year-old Cesar in Argentina and told him to look him up if he ever came to Spain . The young musician did and arrived at the Madrid Airport with eight dollars (and a few dreams) in his pocket, and immigration stopped him and threatened to deport him. He told them he knew the great Paco, and they scoffed, of course. As if it were a great adventure movie, Cesar was in a holding cell for six hours before escaping and finding a pay phone. He got Paco on the line and the guitar legend rescued him personally handing back Cesar his passport. Cesar lived in Spain for four years before moving to New York in 1991 at the invitation of Sony.
“It's been quite a crazy journey, but in many ways, things are just getting started for me, and I'm really excited,” says Cesar. “We live in such a changing environment and music is the one thing that can really connect people of various cultures. To have experienced so many interesting people, places and cultures around the world has enriched my life so much. The only way you can succeed is by remaining humble and believing in yourself. I tell everyone I meet, ‘be gentle, be humble but always be strong.'”
