Esteban Alvarez

I first heard Esteban Alvarez a couple of years ago, when he recorded a stunning rendition of Carlos Gardel’s “El Día Que Me Quieras” and posted the video to YouTube. I’ve been intrigued by the piano since I was a young boy growing up listening to my father play in the study on Monday nights when he would return home from work. I learned to play myself, but I was certainly never good enough to play on the stage or in front of a crowd. When I heard Alvarez furiously attacking the keys with a fiery passion in the song, I was struck with an uncontainable nostalgia that took me aback. The feeling, the connection between this man and his instrument; you could tell that there would never and could never be words to describe their relationship. This man truly loves to play, and the piano loves for him to play it. Music critics call this type of experience “the find.”
What I found that day really stuck with me, and it brings us to 2018, now three years after his Gardel cover and into his new album Piano Meets Mariachi, an inspired and thoroughly creative instrumental anthology album led by the rousing single “La Bikina.” Presented in supremely refined high definition audio, “La Bikina” makes a strong argument for song of the year when compared against the output of Alvarez’s most talented contemporaries and rivals, and there’s no denying its tremendous crossover ability with fans of the classical and ambient persuasion. I myself found myself completely lost in its earthy, almost woodsy like fog that it generates out of pure, stripped down notation. It’s hypnotic but not all together overwhelming, and it can take center stage or play well in the background. Versatility isn’t much of a problem for Esteban Alvarez, and neither is compositional authenticity. He doesn’t have to make an emphasized point of showcasing the mariachi elements more than they already are on Piano Meets Mariachi, because the true flavor of this record lies in the spirited energy that it radiates from beginning to end.
If “La Bikina” is any sort of glimpse into the direction of Esteban Alvarez’s career moving forward, then there’s plenty for music enthusiasts to be getting excited about. I mean here we have a stirring single from an artist who is building up quite the following both south and north of the border, and he’s doing so without the assistance of a lead vocalist to attract the attention of the masses. Alvarez’s talented multi-instrumentalism abilities do all of the talking for him, and it’s an absolute treat to bear witness to. I’m a big fan of exotically accented classical music, and “La Bikina” might be the perfect track to introduce more people to the genre. Anyone who ever said that mariachi can’t be exquisitely structured and studied through the lens of postmodernism will be effectively shut down when listening to the whole of Piano Meets Mariachi, and frankly, I don’t think it could have come soon enough.
GOOGLE PLAY: https://play.google.com/music/preview/Bx2vnph57jsmpreafhmhr4anrua?t=Piano_Meets_Mariachi_-_Esteban_Alvarez - Vents Magazine

In his new single “La Bikina” from the forthcoming album Piano Meets Mariachi, Esteban Alvarez presents us with the duality that exists within the parameters of contemporary Latin ambient music. On the one hand, we have a scene that is feverishly attached to its roots and preserving the rich textures that they’ve provided us with for centuries. But that fever is quickly becoming a concern as artists struggle to keep the pace with some of their competitors in the music business. On the other hand, we have the innovators within mariachi that are pushing the limits the same way that the legends before them did, and while they’re getting plenty of pushback from the establishment, their experimentation is ultimately yielding the sound of tomorrow’s Latin pop. “La Bikina” lives in the place between these two powerful, loud voices, and it is we the audience that plays victor of the spoils of their warring.

For those of us who consider ourselves aficionados of the genre, Esteban Alvarez is a straight up game changer. With a command over the keys that is not dissimilar to Liberace, he conducts a symphonic ocean of intricately assembled tones and sounds on Piano Meets Mariachi in a way that is nothing short of breathtaking. Instrumental albums often have a hard time selling themselves to the mainstream, but I dare even the pickiest of record-consumers to give it a spin and find a boring moment. It’s just not there; Alvarez goes above and beyond when it comes to making sure that every one of his tracks contains a unique identity that is equally respectful of mariachi’s historical past and yet cunningly forward-thinking when looking towards the future of the sound.
Stylistically, you could argue that in many ways Piano Meets Mariachi isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. But that’s the beauty of it; Alvarez finds a way to put an elegantly lush and stunning gloss onto even the most tired of song structures. This is not your mama’s mariachi music for certain, if anything, this is boundlessly avant-garde and has absolutely no inhibitions about going places, sonically, that few of its contemporaries would ever dare to travel. I’m not surprised my peers have been buzzing about this upcoming release and “La Bikina” in particular for a while now – and you can only imagine my embarrassment of having just now learned of this fascinating artist.

Without question, if you have a cultured ear of music, then “La Bikina” is a mandatory track in 2018 that demands your attention. Further, if Esteban Alvarez is a new name to you, or even if his style of music is a little different from what you normally go for in the record store, you’re going to want to familiarize yourself with his persona. This is an artist that I can almost guarantee that we’re going to be talking about a lot more as we enter the next decade in popular music, and once you’ve heard his dexterous compositions, you too will see why. - SkopeMag

The problem with mainstream music right now isn’t that there is a lack of talent in the world. Quite the contrary in fact. The problem is more than major record labels and their corporate affiliates have gotten pretty lazy in producing really great acts. I’ve never been very big on the big, glossy pop moniker. I tend to look underground, because just beneath the surface of the vast ocean of artists that dot our planet’s sonic spectrum lies a secret world or truly pure music that isn’t bound by any rules that the stuff on the top is. Here, music is free to be as creative in design as the limitations of imagination will allow, and artists like Esteban Alvarez reign supreme over all others. Everyone following Latin music right now knows who Esteban is, and his music is becoming the soundtrack to a revolution building within a scene that has been waiting for a messiah like him for what can only be described as far too long.

Esteban has everything that it takes to become a really big star in this industry, and a lot of times when I’m listening to his music, I wonder whether or not he even realizes it. His delivery is always very plaintive, served to us straight up with no chaser, and he doesn’t use a lot of flash or bombastic accessories to catch our attention. He’s comfortable letting his music set the tone, and his music alone is the only focal point of his recordings, as opposed to the fancy cover art of the reputation that his name carries with it (as sterling a reputation as it may be). In his single “Has Amado Una Mujer de Veras,” he doesn’t sound like a man covering a vintage rock song from twenty plus years ago. He sounds like a poet reading from an old script and exploring its narrative’s relation to a modern context. If that is too daunting a concept for you, maybe Esteban is too advanced for you to handle. Most listeners keen on new music however, will likely find it rather electrifying.

“Has Amado Una Mujer de Veras” is the song of the year from the artist of the year, and if you’re questioning my logic in nominating a song that is so deeply rooted in exotic mariachi and Latin influences for such a prized title, then you’re not following where the direction of America’s collective taste is going. Latin music is making a bigger and bolder move towards mainstream success and acceptance right now that makes the Latin explosion of the 1990s look like a watered down run at the title. This generation isn’t going to suffer the same fate as previous ones unfortunately did, and under the watchful eye of Esteban Alvarez, I think the movement is in very safe hands. To get a better idea of what I’m talking about, go snag a copy of his new record La Bikina today, and see what every music critic west of Spain can’t seem to stop talking about. - Mobandgeles.com

A lot of artists who are just starting out often wonder what it takes to create a solid Launchpad for their career, and it really boils down to several pretty basic qualities that can’t necessarily be taught. The first is having a good image for promoters to market, whether that be an image shrouded in mystery, vulnerability, happiness or depression. You’ve got to have some kind of identity. The second is that you’ve got to have an approach to recording that is unique and with that a sound that is stylish and discernable from other artists in your medium. Very few have one of these qualities by nature, and almost none have both. Esteban Alvarez is one of those very rare few in the latter category.

Alvarez’s cover of Bryan Adams’ iconic “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” is just one slice of mystical glory from his latest album La Bikina, but it could easily be described as the shiniest and most accessible to outsiders. It isn’t a direct cover of the song, instead a bit of a piano-laced rendition heavily influenced by mariachi and accentuated with a classical bend. The resulting product is reminiscent of the original but completely exclusive to Alvarez’s style of recording, which in itself demands a great deal of care when it comes to producing and finishing any track. You can tell that there was a lot of time and effort put into this recording, and it was well worth the pains of labor to render this final piece.

I must admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Latin-flavored music prior to getting into Esteban Alvarez, but that has changed significantly since discovering his tremendously evocative body of work. I’m a hard sell when it comes to cover songs as well, but had I never heard the original version of this song, I probably wouldn’t have even been able to tell that it was a cover to begin with. Alvarez is just such a rare find, such a fine talent, that his sound sort of washes away traces of any other when you take the time to give him your full attention (which I should note, isn’t hard to do in the slightest).

One listen simply isn’t enough when it comes to “Has Amado Una Mujer de Veras,” and I would challenge any music fan out there to take the challenge of listening to this track and resisting the urge to immediately play it over again. Songs like this get listeners excited about the capabilities that music has in affecting our everyday lives for the better. With so much talent and momentum surrounding his current work, there isn’t much doubt that we’re going to be seeing and hearing a lot more from Esteban Alvarez as this song and La Bikina continue to take the pop music world by storm, and to be quite frank I can’t wait to hear what he’s going to create next, whether it be a cover, an original, or something that maybe lies in between like this song. - neufutur.com

Esteban Alvarez is an award-winning pianist and composer, originally from San José, Costa Rica. Ever since relocating to Texas USA to study music, his priority and goal has been to bridge cultures through my music. His idea was to bring the noble elegance of the piano together with the folkloristic vibrancy of the Mariachi. Hence he launched the album project entitled “Piano meets Mariachi”, which became a reality in 2017. The resulting recording features eight tracks and a 15-piece Mariachi band – El Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán, known as one of the best bands of their genre. The collective represents a very high standard. They are much more than a typical mariachi band; they are more like a total musical organization, featuring great musicianship and excellent singing too. Just when you thought everything in mariachi had been invented, when the festivals are getting monotonous and all orchestras seem to sound the same, up comes Esteban Alvarez to send a loud message with this collaborative effort.

Led with disarming charisma by Alvarez, the project proves itself way ahead of all others in collective and individual vocals and instrumentation, and with the mariachi arranged in a sophisticated and an ambitious way. In their everyday lives the members of this project obviously have the good sense to mix cultures other than their own.

Because of this their artistic selves have found the vocabulary to record music that is foreign to a majority of western cities without making it sound alien. In fact, the results are quite magnificent. This is one of those albums that make you appreciate quality over genre. Why listen to an average album in a genre of music you prefer, when you could be listening to a masterpiece by a band and artist you have never heard of in a genre you know little about.

Maybe people are so afraid of change that they don’t want to accept other genres of music or other cultures and maybe that’s why cities like LA feel so divided because everyone tries to distance themselves from change and form their own groups, and maybe it’s bands like El Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán and Esteban Alvarez that can bridge these gaps in our society. I’ve always found it difficult to connect with traditional mariachi artists simply due to my inability to understand the Spanish language.

Sure, I can get lost in the upbeat trumpet melodies or fast strummed vihuela but never much more than that. This is what sets “Piano meets Mariachi” apart. Combining Alvarez’s skillful piano playing with the Mariachi creates something really special that opens up the genre for a much wider audience.

El Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán still sound authentic and respectful of the music that they play, and the addition of the Alvarez’s piano merely helps to ensure that the project is exploring new smoother ground. And the combination enchants from the word go with the melodic mid-tempo “Amor Eterno” followed closely by the poignant “Has Amado Una Mujer de Veras” which showcases scintillating horns.

“Perfume de Gardenias” contains another sweeping arrangement with Esteban Alvarez delightfully carrying the melody. Further on “Me Has Echado Al Olvido” and “Adoro” both stake their claim as the album centerpieces. Rich and lusciously layered these songs are just as soothing as they are entertaining.

“Piano meets Mariachi” demonstrates that music is still a living, evolving form. The idea of cross-pollinating mariachi style with Alvarez’s piano is definitely a valid one. This album will set your heart ablaze and you won’t want to put it out. - SoundLooks.com