Imagine you just turned 20 years old and then you’re approached by one of the world’s leading rock bands to go on tour as a lead singer. Scared yet?
Well, that’s what happened to Andy Vargas, when he joined Carlos Santana’s band in 1999 at the opening of the Supernatural Tour.
“Honestly, it was completely surreal at the moment, and what I saw in front of me were some of the big questions that a young person is asked in life and the challenges of asking what you are going to do with your life,” Vargas said. “It was just feelings of doing the best you can every single day of your life and that’s all you can do.”
Vargas was raised in a family of musicians. His father, Javier Vargas, raised him on boleros, mariachi, and of course Latin rock ’n’ roll like Santana. So he definitely had some skills when entering Santana’s band as a vocalist.
But joining Santana at such an early age—he still tours with the band—helped elevate his artistry and reinforced his solo career.
“What I’ve always told myself was, ‘Make today better than yesterday,’ and make every day a better performance. Put everything out there,” Vargas said. “I’ve definitely been taught to do things differently from Carlos and the Santana band than what I’ve seen other bands do. We’re not a cookie-cutter band; it doesn’t become monotonous. We definitely go out there and throw down.”
Vargas will bring his solo act to Nipomo for a Dec. 2 concert at the Gold Rush Cantina at Rancho Nipomo BBQ. He will perform his original songs and some covers, of course.
But Vargas will also bring his signature style with him, which he dubs “souleros.” Santana blew minds by combining rock ’n’ roll with Latin music in the 1960s, and Vargas is doing his own blending, mashing up the Mexican boleros style of ballad singing with the R&B and soul music genre.
“I was raised with my dad doing mariachi rehearsals all the time, which was the first music I was raised singing … it’s definitely the music I connect to the most,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to be able to mix mariachi music with my influences of today, like R&B and hip-hop. Coming into a time where I wanted to release my own music, I really searched deep as to what and who Andy Vargas was, and this is where souleros came from.”
The souleros sound definitely rings with the brass and electric guitar of R&B, soul, and funk, but there are more flavors brimming in the spicy soup that Vargas has cooked up. Ripping guitar lines reminiscent of Santana are there of course, but so are melodies and harmonies familiar to anyone who has spent time listening to mariachi.
The messages behind Vargas’ lyrics are interesting too, in that they are very geared toward positivity, overcoming obstacles, and celebrating culture and creativity. The message follows through in the Andy Vargas Foundation, a nonprofit that works to mentor at-risk youth with musical instruction and music business education.
“We all feel frustrated sometimes with the world and the stuff that’s going on, but I’ve always been an artist who wanted to bring the good and the light out of things and show people, ‘Hey, have a good time and enjoy your life,’” he said. “Music has always been the way to make that happen and that’s what I like
to share.”
Vargas will also share the stage with another talented musician and solo artist, Alex Nester, a keyboardist and singer who collaborates regularly with Carlos Santana’s son, Salvador Santana, and his band.
Vargas said that he admires Nester for her musical talents as well as her own philanthropic work in support of cancer charities. Nester is also a skilled collaborator not just in performance but songwriting, Vargas said, and he’s glad to have her along in Nipomo.
“She’s an amazing vocalist, I’m super excited to sing with her and her band,” he said. “I really want to try and spread the word and get as many people out there as possible and kick off the holiday season with us. There are some rumors of some of my other bandmates coming to join, so it’s going to be a full-on jam with amazing musicians and lots of energy.”
Arts Editor Joe Payne enjoys genre smashing as much as the next guy. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 24 – Dec 1, 2016.
