Juan Fernando Velasco comes to the stages of the New York metropolitan area with an unprecedented show: JULIO ETERNO TOUR, in which he pays tribute to the legendary Ecuadorian Julio Jaramillo (1935–1978) and brings him back thanks to artificial intelligence. Fans will be able to experience this unique experience in New Jersey and Flushing, NY, with the following dates: October 15 at the State Theater (New Brunswick), October 17 at Bergen PAC (Englewood) and October 18 at Colden Auditorium (Flushing, NY).
In this innovative show, Velasco manages to isolate and restore Jaramillo’s original voice, projecting it alongside a spectacular holographic scenography that makes possible a “duet” between artists separated by decades. The public will be able to listen to classics such as Cinco Centavitos, Nuestro Juramento and Ódiame, while Velasco also performs his greatest hits: Para que no me memorias, Chao Lola and Hoy Que No estars, celebrating more than 30 years of career.
After resounding success in Colombia and Ecuador, JULIO ETERNO TOUR will bring the magic of Jaramillo’s voice, legacy and image to more than 20 cities in the United States this October, offering a show full of realism, emotion and respect for one of the most beloved icons of Latin music.
Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Velasco, where he tells how the idea for this tribute was born, the creative and ethical challenges of using artificial intelligence and how he managed to balance his voice with that of the immortal Julio Jaramillo.
More information and tickets at: www.juanfernandovelasco.com.
How did the idea of paying this tribute to Julio Jaramillo through virtual duets come about and what does it mean to you to share the stage with his immortal voice?
Well, the truth is, this started because I discovered a new tool that allows you to separate, let’s say, all the elements of a song: the voice, the bass, the drums, the piano. Applied to songs recorded a long time ago, this provides the possibility of having Julio’s voice in a pure way, separated from all the other instruments, and allows, for example, what we did with Julio Eterno: to re-record all the instruments. It’s like taking Julio to the studio so he can sing again.
I don’t know if you understand it, but it’s more or less like serving someone a cup of coffee, adding sugar, cream, a little rum, and the person saying: “Okay, but take away the sugar.” Before, that was impossible; Now, thanks to technology, it is possible to separate each element, as if they had been recorded on multitrack. When this tool came up, I thought: “I would like to do this with Julio, get his voice out and bring him back to the studio, make an album of duets, generate a video with artificial intelligence and eventually present it live.” Today, technology even allows holograms to be projected. That is, bringing Julio back not only on album and video, but in the live experience.
People have mixed feelings about the use of artificial intelligence. However, in this show he achieved something incredible: bringing Jaramillo’s voice back to the stage. How did you handle that creative and ethical challenge?
Indeed, it is a creative and ethical challenge. First there was the issue of deciding to do it. Regarding ethics, I was thinking about it for a couple of years since I learned about the technology and the tool, because I didn’t know if it was appropriate to put myself at Julio’s level: take his voice from his creations and record it in a different environment. I thought about it for a long time and finally decided to do it.
One of the determining factors was approaching the family to tell them about the project and ask for their authorization. They received the news with great pleasure and even encouraged me to do it. Afterwards, what we were looking for was balance: that the musical versions respected Julio’s interpretation, but at the same time had something innovative. It wasn’t just about re-recording the same thing, but about doing something different with the available technology. We kept the original arrangements, the essence of the traditional music of that time, the requintos, etc.
In the video, we try to present a credible Julio, in the fullness of his youth, always respectful and seeking the balance between modern and traditional.
The show mixes Jaramillo’s music with his own hits. How did you manage to balance your artistic identity with the strength of the legacy of an icon like him?
Throughout my career I have made very diverse music: pop songs and also Ecuadorian halls performed in a traditional way, with requinto and guitar. Now these duets with Julio Jaramillo are incorporated.
In the show, those who know my music will have the opportunity to chant and sing important songs from my more than 30 years of career. There are also segments with traditional Ecuadorian hallways and moments where Julio appears thanks to technology and the hologram. It is a very entertaining show. We already presented parts of this show in Ecuador and Colombia, and now we start in the United States. With the complicity of the audience, the feeling that Julio is there, singing with his original voice, is truly achieved.
Julio Jaramillo marked entire generations of Ecuadorians and Latin Americans. What personal or family memories connect you most to your music?
Julio is an icon throughout Latin America. Many people from Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Puerto Rico write to me saying that they just found out that Julio was Ecuadorian. For Ecuadorians, however, it is much closer; It is almost part of our nationality. We don’t remember when we started listening to him, but we know that his music was always present and we know all his songs. Connection is both familial and part of our identity.
Beyond this tribute, what projects or new artistic stages do you have in mind after this tour?
This tour is very extensive. We have been here since September and now we start in the United States with 17 or 18 dates. Then we will do more shows in Ecuador and we will probably finish in Europe at the end of November. For now, my attention is completely on this project, which has been immense and has had a very important impact.
