Camilo returns with “De adentro pa afuera,” a new album we can’t stop looping!
GRAMMY-nominated Latin artist CAMILO released his latest album De adentro pa afuera on September 6th. His single from the album, “PEGAO”, was an instant hit —listen to it here! The video has over 19M views and features his new baby, watch it here! There’s a wonderful and delightful charm that Camilo radiates, and his Latin Urbano music definitely gets the vibe going. His social numbers are also massive – he is the most followed Latin male artist on Tik Tok with 28 Million followers. Camilo also has 27.3 Million followers on Instagram and 15.1 Million subscribers & 5.8 Billion views on YouTube. This speaks to the impact of his work and his music.
Camilo was nominated for Best Latin Pop Album at the GRAMMYs and was also the most nominated artist at the Latin GRAMMYs where he took home 4 awards! He was recently featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk – watch it here! Camilo’s previous album Mis Manos peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums Chart and is 2x Multi-Platinum in the US. Camilo has collaborated with superstars such as Selena Gomez, Ozuna, Rauw Alejandro, Manuel Turizo and more!
Here at Galore we had the pleasure of interviewing Camilo, we hope you enjoy!
FEATURE INTERVIEW
Hello Camilo! Thank you so much for speaking with us here at Galore. For those of us who don’t know you, how would you describe yourself in 5 words?
It is an honor to be here with you at the magazine! Thank you for the questions you sent and the opportunity to answer them.
For those who don’t know me, it’s hard to describe myself because it’s like putting labels on myself. It is difficult when oneself agrees and voluntarily accepts to define oneself, especially when the artist’s task is to break with definitions in order to change and evolve; art needs movement. But well, there are factors that are reoccurring in me and in my music: honesty, the search for excellence, love and sensitivity. I don’t know if I would define myself that way, but they are words that pop into my head when I think about who I am.
You are releasing your third album with Sony Music Latin, it is so exciting! Are you still making Latin pop songs or did you venture out to do something different?
We are at a time where it is increasingly difficult to divide things into genres because the lines that divide them are thinner. I like that, I like that it’s difficult when it comes to thinking about genres. But I am a diverse person and I am amused by the diversity within me. This third album visits all corners of that inner diversity of who I am.
What do you want listeners to take away from your new album “De adentro pa afuera“?
I would like for listeners to open the doors that will allow for them to engage with their sensibility. There are many rooms behind doors, rooms that contain different parts of us. There are times when one is not sure of being qualified for certain feelings and all you need is a key that opens the door to that new feeling and sometimes those keys are songs. I like to think that my songs can accompany people to these new places.
What are three of your favorite songs from the new album?
It’s hard for me to talk about my favorite songs, but on this album “De Adentro Pa’ Afuera” is a very important song for me that talks about that path between the head and the heart, which is barely 30 centimeters, but I think It is the greatest distance that a person can travel in the world. It is a distance that most people do not travel. I would also say that 524 is a song that has accompanied me in very difficult moments of goodbyes. I love that song so much and it has a very spiritual meaning to me. “Bebiendo sola” with Myke Towers is a song that amuses me, it visits a place of urban music sound that I love to visit. Well the truth is that they are all so special to me.
Are there any artists appearing on your new album? How was creating with these artists?
This album is full of collaborations with people I admire, with whom I have few things in common in terms of sound, and when it comes to creating, it’s what I enjoy the most. For example, making a song with Grupo Firme is something that challenges and adventures me a lot.
You have won several Latin Grammys. In 2020 you won Best Pop Song, and in 2021 you won Best Pop Vocal Album, Best Pop Song, Best Urban Fusion and Best Tropical Song. What meaning do these awards have for you?
The awards for me mean confirmation from colleagues that I respect, of something that I already suspected, which is that my songs are significant in the lives of many people. But of course an award is a compliment, I do not make music for praise nor do I need things to be awarded for me to feel that they are successful, but it does feel like a treasure or a precious dessert.
If your third album could be an ice cream flavor, what would it be?
If this album were an ice cream it would be one of those little balls that one asks sometimes that they allow you to make several flavors (and they charge you for it as a single little ball hahaha) and it would have red berry ice cream and yogurt, well, those two flavors I think. Suddenly I thought of rum raisins, but I’m not so sure, ahaha.
In the past you have worked with many notable artists such as Rauw Alejandro, Alejandro Sanz, Shawn Mendes, Farruko and more. What were some memorable moments with any of these artists?
Of all the artists I have worked with, I keep the treasure of being able to call them all friends, because the songs are symptoms of something greater than the friendship with which they were created. So I keep with each one of them precious stories of the conception of the songs, of the recordings of the videos, of how we have been able to share them live. It is the most beautiful thing about my job and profession, collecting experiences with wonderful people.
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
I’m not looking forward to the future and what kind of collaborations I want to do in the future. I’m so busy enjoying the present and the collaborations I’m with right now that I’m not looking forward to the unknown. For a long time I have been trying to see less and less of the future and more of the present.
You’ve also made a career writing songs for other artists, including “Sin Pijama” by Becky G and Natti Natasha, “Veneno” by Anitta and “Ya No Tiene Novio” by Sebastian Yatra with Mau y Ricky. Do you still write songs for other artists? What is your process when you write songs for other people, is it different if you write for yourself?
Yes, my career as a composer started writing for other artists, let’s say commercially. It was female artists, especially at the beginning, who gave me the first opportunities as a composer. At the beginning I was very afraid to share what I wrote because I thought it was like a dangerous surgical procedure, and writing for other artists I lost my fear a little because there is less ego and I was able to unblock that little brick, that obstacle that I needed to overcome to be able to share my talents. But it is very different to write for other artists that, for one, the ego is more compromised when it is for one.
What are some community projects you have done or would like to do?
I like to know first that my career and my music are voices of things bigger than me. I am a sensitive person and dedicated to community work and to the addition to important causes. With my family we have a foundation called The House Project in which we attend to the basic needs of people in vulnerable situations in India, Venezuela, Colombia and La Guajira. Until recently, we were also working at La Ventana de los Cielos, which is the foundation of my wife’s family, where we provided support and treatment to people with disabilities and special abilities. I have also tried to make my music the voice of environmental causes that move me a lot.
Who are some other Latin artists that you recommend for Galore’s audience to listen to?
I recommend the music of my wife Evaluna, that of Nicole Zignago, also that of David Aguilar, a Mexican artist that I really like. I’m just naming the first three that come to mind, as they have been my favorites in recent days.
If you could plan your own festival, what would the name of the festival be, where would it be located and who would be in the lineup?
I would make a festival of La Tribu and I would love for all the people who were there to want to share light. Above all, I would love to do a festival with new talent from La Tribu. There is so much talent in La Tribu… La Tribu Festival is a good name, don’t you think?
Music Videos:
Vida de Rico – 722 Million Views
Favorito – 471 Million Views
Por Primera Vez – 470 Million Views
Índigo – 150 Million Views
CREDITS
Photo credit Cristian Saumeth
Interviewed and Translated by: Shirley Reynozo
