Buenos Aires 92101
Maria Amuchastegui is a star. She may not be famous (YET) but with a voice like an angel and killer good looks…it’s only a matter of time. The down to earth beauty took some time to answer our questions about life, music and ties to Latin roots that run deep.
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BFC: How did your family end up in San Diego?
Maria: My father came to San Diego to meet a friend who offered him a job…a few days later he called my mom and told her to sell everything and come to California to a city that she had never even heard of but nevertheless she had faith and did as he told her. At first, we were one of the very few Argentineans living in San Diego but little by little the community of Argentine’s grew and even some family and friends came to live and are still here. But unfortunately, most of my family is still living in Buenos Aires.
I don’t know the percentages but if you ever come to my house for a party, we have a way of making Americans feel like the minority and everything from the people to the food to the music make all of the Argentine’s feel right at home.
On the weekends, I sing at Puerto La Boca Argentine Steakhouse in Downtown where I am constantly meeting new people from Argentina and performing traditional Argentine songs, tango, pop, and folklore. It has been an amazing experience for me to do what I love to do most and share it with the people I love most.
Although I have lived here most of my life, I have never let go of the culture and traditions of my country. I am perfectly fluent in both Spanish and English but in our house we continue to speak mostly Castillian (the native language), drink mate, eat empanadas, alfljores, and dulce de leche, and asados, and watch every Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente futbol game on TV!
BFC: Do you find yourself facing challenges? What are they and how do you overcome them?
Maria: MUSIC IS MY RELEASE AND MEANS OF HAPPINESS, singing and painting are my passions and forms of _expression. When I was younger up until a few years ago, I was very shy and quiet and didn’t ever draw out my emotions in front of other people.
Singing was something I did by myself and only dreamt of being able to share with others. Luckily, I was blessed to have family and friends that recognized my talent and encouraged me to not waste it. One of my inspirations, my friend Jerry, told me something that stuck with me forever, he said “your talent is God’s gift to you, and what you do with it is your gift back to God”. Little by little, I began studying music and the voice, singing at church, at school, and amongst my friends. Nothing made me happier than the appreciation of the people around me and the ability to inspire children and teenagers to use their voice as a means of expressing their thoughts, fears, and emotions in a peaceful way. Peace- it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. I’ve always had a strong relationship with God but consider myself to be a spiritual person, as oppose to religious. I believe there is one God, called by many different names and found through many different paths.
BFC:How do you make a living? What is the ultimate form of expression for you?
Maria: Although I’ve been singing, teaching, and performing for a few years now, I feel like I’m just getting started. I’m working with some of the greatest musicians in San Diego have got a lot of projects ahead of me that are beginning to unfold. I always feel like the “young one” because the people I work with have been doing this for longer than I’ve been alive but I’m not going to let that hold me back. I hope to bring more Latin and Argentine sounds and influences to American music. I am also working on putting together a CD mostly in Spanish with a strong Argentine influence. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be living out my dreams and I cant wait to see what will come of it.
Maria is currently working on her CD, once she has some samples completed, we’ll be sure to post samples of her music.
am/05/06
