“Tropical Jesus is among all my albums that Colombia has the most”: Carlos Sadness returns to the country to promote his latest album

In 2020, Spanish singer-songwriter Carlos Sadness released his fourth studio album, 'Tropical Jesus', a musical project in which he wanted to capture all the experiences and emotions that he permeated in his travels through Latin America during the promotion of his previous record work. The result: an album of 13 songs that, in his words, compile the landscapes he knew in the region and, whose title, in fact, emerged in Colombia.

After three years of not stepping on a Colombian stage, and after having to cancel his concerts in Latin America and Europe due to the start of the pandemic, the Barcelona native will return to Colombia on April 10 as part of the tour of his latest musical project. A little over a week after its presentation in Bogotá, in dialogue with Infobae, Sadness spoke about the birth of his fourth album, the Colombian influence on it, his future projects and, as an extra, he went into detail about 'tuchico', his new song that was released on Wednesday afternoon.

Infobae: How was Tropical Jesus born?

Carlos Sadness (C.S): The idea of the name was born in Colombia, and it is because once on a radio station the announcer to explain to listeners what I looked like said: “Imagine Carlos as a kind of tropical Jesus”.

This 'Tropical Jesus' thing was a joke and I thought it was fun to create that alter ego at that time, a way to reinvent yourself, to do new things again. (...) We artists always like to have the feeling that we start things, that there is room to grow, to experiment, and there is a nice feeling there and also a little bit of that metaphor behind using a name as if it were new for a project that is not.

Infobae: This new album has new rhythms, varied collaborations, how would you define 'Tropical Jesus'?

C.S: It's an album that was born from some very beautiful experiences that are, in large part, all the trips around Latin America that the previous album brought, an album that connected me with Latin American countries, that made me travel and discover places I didn't know, experience exciting things. I think it is a very scenic album, because through descriptions with words, music and sounds, one immediately creates a landscape and finds that song in a place and in an environment. (...) It is also true that I had always wanted to be a painter, so somehow I also tried to paint with songs, so I think that's one of the characteristics of Tropical Jesus.

Infobae: And how did your travels in Colombia influence the album?

C.S: In the end there are many things, there are two Colombian collaborations. We did one of them directly in Santa Marta. On the coast I spent a few days at the house of Li (Saumet), from Bomba Estéreo, and obviously there is a lot of inspiration because I had never been to the Colombian coast, I hadn't seen the Caribbean so close and that leaves your mark and inspires you when it comes to writing and describing the landscapes that you hear, for example, in songs like Chocolate and Cream, or make more obvious references by saying “look cool” -in the song with Li.- I think Tropical Jesus is the one that Colombia has the most from all my albums and without directly mentioning it either.

Infobae: Your collaboration with Li Saumet was titled 'Aloha', what led you to name the song that?

C.S: We started to get the idea of the word aloha because it has that meaning of greeting, but at the same time dismissed. It's also like saying I love you, I appreciate you, and we really liked that a word will bring all those things together and from there, talk about something like feeling accompanied. In addition, I saw that Li also always has a message behind her songs, that she really likes to care as that social point, give people hope and I liked that.

Infobae: The album also featured the collaboration of Manuel Medrano on the song 'When everything was bien', how did he end up being linked to the project?

C.S: Well, notice that I met both artists outside Colombia. I met Li in Spain when she came on tour and I liked her very well, we were cool and from there we started talking and then she invited me to work on songs. Everything went very smoothly and the song at the end has what happens when collaborations are done for a little out of love, out of mutual admiration, out of interest in crossing genres and styles, and the song sounds both to one and the other.

I met Manuel Medrano in Mexico City, he had a presentation and so did I. It was very cool and he was a guy that I loved, I had discovered him recently on the radio, precisely in Mexico, and I loved his voice. We kept talking, we became friends and I sent him this song almost finished ('When everything was fine'). I said, “Uncle, I think your voice here would add up and add a lot”, and in a matter of two three days he returned the song to me with a part he had done and that's when I felt the song had taken on a dimension.

Infobae: And for your next musical projects, do you have on your horizon to collaborate again with more Colombian artists?

C.S: I'm already starting to write for the next album and I haven't thought about collaborations yet, but of course Colombia is and always has been in an incredible moment of artists. In fact, there are many Colombian urban artists that I love and that every time I think that music is there to mix and I would love to have some, or also (collaborate) with some more traditional ones like my good friend Camilo (Echeverry), whom I admire and because it would be incredible to share a song with him one day.

Infobae: So, can you already confirm that you are going to release a fifth album?

C.S: Yes, yes, I am always working. It is true that 2021 for me was not a super inspiring year, it was a half-gray year, I wasn't inspired, I didn't work almost anything, it hasn't been my favorite year, but this 2022 I think with all the good news we are having from the return to normal I have felt like a creative flourishing and I am writing quite a lot this year, finding beautiful musicalities, so maybe not this year, but next year I would like to publish an album with all these little ideas that are coming out these days.

Infobae: Changing the subject a little, almost a year after he released 'Tropical Jesus', he published his second illustrated book, 'Instructions to Stop Time', what is the raison d'être of this project? Is it an extension of your latest album?

C.S: It came out about a year apart, so no, it doesn't mean that they are together, what is true is that this is a book that I was able to work with during the pandemic years in which I had a little more free time.

The idea came about because people always asked me for tattoo designs of my songs and I thought it was nice to choose a phrase from each song of mine and make it a small illustration so that people didn't have to wait to cross paths with me. The truth is that it had a very nice reception because it is not really a book as such, rather it would be a catalog, a small gift designed for people who have been listening to me for a long time.

Infobae: And why call it 'Instructions to Stop Time?

C.S: Because in the end it is very linked to the subject of tattoos, an eternal way of marking a very precise moment. What people do is try to take away something that is happening forever, and I thought that idea that it is impossible to stop time but that we can try to retain it as much as possible through memory (...), I liked that idea that they were instructions to stop time even though we know that this is impossible.

Infobae: Moving on to his current projects, the first images he has shared of 'tuchico', the new song that he will release on March 31, has attracted much attention in recent weeks on social networks, as he is seen playing the role of teacher. Tell us a little about what this new project is about.

C.S: The truth is that in the end that is what the video clip talks a little about, which I play as a teacher because the song suddenly tries to theorize love, that is, to apply words that we use for science, for physics, for mathematics, to love. But beyond that the song is talking about is being in love with a person who is already paired, that that creates enormous frustration, I think that many people have probably felt that way, even if it is at one point in our life, and well I decided to approach this drama in a friendly way. It's a song to dance to, to take this with a certain sense of humor.

Infobae: And why did they decide to take her out in the middle of the tour?

C.S: It comes out now because we have all this agility ahead of us in which people will be able to dance the concerts again. We wanted to celebrate it with a song that plays dance and deals with a theme of love that is often like a taboo, many people don't say: “Look, I'm in love with a person who has a partner and I would love for him to leave her and come with me”, it's a bit harsh and a little selfish, but at the same time it's very human.

Infobae: Explain to us the name of the song, why is' tuchico 'united and not separated?

C.S: This is more understood with the video clip, but it was because your separated boy sounded too obvious and suddenly as I wrote it together and it was almost like a person's name, to me it sounded like a Japanese name, a song from a Japanese series, and I thought it was also a way of taking drama out of the song, of converting it in something a little more, I won't call you funny, but I will take away a little bit of drama.

Infobae: To finish, we are going to ask a round of quick questions, I will tell you some words related to your tour or your album and you will tell me the first thing that comes to your mind.

C.S: Okay, come on!

Colombia

Fun because I've always had a great time, so whenever they talk to me about going to Colombia I think: “Well I'm going to have fun”.

Music

Emotions.

Amor

Of course, the first thing that came to mind was papaya (laughs), but I think I think it's because of my songs ('Love Papaya').

I would also tell you that diversity. We are learning that there are many ways to love, different ways and that it is good to know and respect them.

Desamor

Oops! songs because that comes out of many, although it is true that I have very very few songs of heartbreak.

Astrology

Well, I'd say curious.

Time

I would tell you my favorite word in Spanish, which, despite being from Spanish, is a word that is born in Latin America, is: right now.

covid-19

Phew! I want to say goodbye to him.

And well, on the occasion of the launch of 'tuchico', Popus or alternative?

Super alternative, although luckily he was also a friend of the Popus and there was no problem (laughs). In fact, I had problems and they kicked me out of school because they told me not to come back until I cut my hair like a normal person... Look, I'm still wearing it long.

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