uPlaya Artist Ray Tarantino has debuted with a #1 placement in the MySpace UK charts, has played hundreds of shows in the US and Europe, and continues to garner positive feedback from fans and the press. Tarantino recently took time away from developing his craft in Europe to answer a few questions for uPlaya ….
uPlaya.com: When did you start playing?
Ray Tarantino: I heard “Tangled Up In Blue” by Bob Dylan when I was 12 and stole a guitar. I had no idea of what to do with it but I felt the need to write songs. I started writing songs straight away, and haven’t stopped since. Nobody ever asked me to give the guitar back.
uPlaya.com: Describe the moment you knew you would become a musician.
Ray Tarantino: I somehow always knew that was what I wanted to do. It took time to say it out loud and accept the risk. A life-changing event some 4 years ago kick-started my career and I found myself on the road I always wanted to walk. You could offer me a million dollars cash to stop doing this, and I would ask you to gently disappear.
uPlaya.com: What would you say your performance is best known for?
Ray Tarantino: I’d say most of the crowd that comes to our shows like the intensity and dynamic the band can create. We try to take it one step forward from the usual singer/songwriter kind of stuff. And I hope those that listen to my songs dedicate a gram of attention to the lyrics too.
uPlaya.com: Tell us about the last song you wrote.
Ray Tarantino: “Masquerade” is a song about a journey. It begins with a man approaching departure due to his inability to deal with the failure to sustain his loss of force. He’ll travel looking for solutions, only to discover that he’ll find them all when going back where the whole journey started. It’s a soft ¾ ballad that never really has a chorus, rather a simple and repetitive harmonic development.
uPlaya.com: Describe one of your most recent performances.
Ray Tarantino: I’m always playing shows, some with the band others solo/acoustic. The greatest feeling is to meet people after the show that read about the gig in a magazine or checked out the music on MySpace, liked it, and liked the show even more. That’s the route music is supposed to follow. Media outlets and CD’s should be the promotional tools that help promote something bigger and deeper that happens on stage. Live performances will always be the exclusive experience, and the only way to thank those who attend is by giving them a good show.
uPlaya.com: What new projects are you working on? What can we expect in the future?
Ray Tarantino: Currently working on a new album and some shows in Europe and the U.S.
uPlaya.com: What else would you like to share with fans and with the uPlaya community?
Ray Tarantino: Three years ago I was fortunate enough to meet blues legend Taj Mahal at a festival. When I asked him to share his secret with me, he replied paraphrasing a Miles Davis’ quote that has been of paramount importance to me ever since when composing and when performing live. He said “give silence the same dignity you give to sound”.
