Leo Jurado (La Voz/The Voice)

Leo Jurado is a young Argentine musician, outstanding as a folk singer, songwriter and composer. Recently, this proud Native South American presented “Rikch’ariy“, a title in the indigenous Quechua language that means “Awakening”, as a prelude to all that is to come with his art.

Born as Leonardo Ezequiel Jurado in the city of San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina, the singer was raised in a land that once belonged to the Inca civilization:

“I was born in the capital of Jujuy. My father is a native of La Quiaca and my mother was born in the capital. My childhood was quite nice. I had my brother with Down syndrome and until a certain age I didn’t understand that he was different, but for me he was the same. Our parents were together until we were teenagers, so my childhood was happy. Luckily, we never lacked anything, and I thank them for that,” says Jurado.

“My brother is the most important person for me. He is very special because he taught me many things about values and simple things in life, and my parents worked hard for him to be independent. I value what my grandparents and my parents gave me, especially the virtues my brother passed on to me. My family has always been a fundamental pillar for me, they helped me when I needed it most, even though they couldn’t always do it financially.”

Leo Jurado has always been art related:

“I was linked to art since my childhood. My mother likes music very much and I used to listen to a lot of records with her; my father played the guitar and before going to sleep he played us children’s songs, rock songs, we always had that influence… I also have uncles who are home singers, home guitar players. I went to a piano conservatory and was in the choir of my elementary school, ‘Nuestra Señora del Huerto‘, which was where I started to feel that I liked to sing. Later I was a soloist, thanks to the choir director Elena Mattos who chose me, and then my parents began to see that there was art hidden in me.”

About his adolescence, he says:

“As a teenager, we got together with a friend to play, always from learning through the internet. He learned to play the guitar. I was getting into singing and the idea of forming a band came up. With Facundo, who was the one with whom we started everything, we would go to the carnival, and he’d play the guitar and I’d play wind instruments, at that time the quena (one of the oldest instruments in America and the most representative of Inca music), but I didn’t sing. Then we wanted to take advantage and play in bars. We looked for Juan Manuel, who sang, and we formed the band ‘Aires Jujeños‘. One day he couldn’t sing, and we realized that I could help on vocals. With Facundo we continued together, we were a duo, and we put together another band. There I was already singing. That band was called ‘Mixtura‘ and it gave us experience on bigger stages, in recording, in composing… I was always quite shy, except on stage. That’s when I lost my shyness, because I let myself be carried away by the show, by what we were doing. We had a lot of fun on stage.”

Regarding his university studies, he mentions:

“In 2013 I came to Córdoba (the second largest city in Argentina) because of my father who also studied there. I didn’t feel like it because I was very scared, I had no friends and it was a challenge to study a career. I didn’t know if I was going to be ready because I wanted to make music. Since I liked numbers, I signed up to be an accountant, but after a few years I switched to Economics, so I studied that, and I was left with the thesis. In 2019 I finished studying and then the pandemic came, and everything became very difficult. Then I started to study Physics, because I found it very interesting, all this as a hobby.”

Like many in Argentina, Jurado had to leave his hometown in the interior of the country to pursue his dreams:

“Leaving my city was very difficult, because I’m very emotionally attached to my family and I have a great connection with my brother… The first days were torture, I left a lot of things behind. I always liked adventures, but I never knew how much I could miss it. I don’t know if there is a fact of ‘overcoming’ something, but there is a fact of ‘resisting’, resisting for dreams, because sometimes things can’t work out, but you have to know how to wait for the moment and keep insisting. In that sense, patience and endurance have been two fundamental factors to move forward.”

“I had many difficulties, but financially my parents were always able to help me. Then I started to make some music. With that I raised money which allowed me to follow my dreams without my parents having to help me. So, I managed to keep making music, keep recording, keep proposing things and get back into the field.”

On his music studies:

“It went hand in hand with Economics. That’s when I started to find myself in a more demanding environment. Luckily, life found me with professionals who ended up being close friends who helped me. I studied singing with opera professor Luis Paltrinieiri for several years and began to understand other aspects of singing; I continued studying with Simone da Cunha, one of the best teachers I’ve ever had, and I ended up attending seminars with Mariano Pattin, who was the coordinator of the Teatro Colón (Columbus Theatre: historic opera house in Buenos Aires). I was very eager to learn. In that sense I was very curious, I wanted to see what the limits were, what I could do with my voice.”

Regarding his preparation and discipline:

“I received education from teachers, and I also learned from experience, from so many years of work, from going out to play, from singing in different conditions. That teaches you how to face certain situations. The rest of the learning was very intuitive, very individual, that thing of sitting down and listening to records, singers, understanding the tools that the teachers give you… A work of hours, months, years… Regarding the work on the songs, I am very disciplined, I have an order of how to do it, I listened to myself many times to see how to improve mistakes. Before recording, I write and work on my songs, I make corrections, and I try to make it as interpretative as possible.”

And this is what he would say to those who want to devote themselves to singing:

“The advice I would give is to study. I know that now music is rare and that today’s singers are more driven by what they feel, and I don’t criticize their ways, but my advice is they should study. Taking classes with elite professionals is usually a trigger to learn more. Regardless of the conditions, there are virtuous people and hard-working people, no matter which side you are on, and work is always indispensable.”

But that’s not all. Leo Jurado, as a Physics student, has a scientific education:

“Physics has a lot of mathematics, a lot of logic and understanding of how everything around us, the world, the universe, works. When we want to put together a production, I compare it to a mathematical or physical problem. When we want to solve or discover something, we need tools, we need to see. In the case of music, when we want to look for something different, we need many tools, because our brain starts to make synapses, starts to make things work with what it’s learning, and starts to form ideas.”

About the official start of his career as a professional musician:

“I decided to dedicate myself completely to music in 2019. I was working in a company as an assistant in economy for almost a year. That’s when I started to understand what I wanted, to ask myself if I really wanted to be there all my life. Then I reversed everything and took the plunge. It was difficult.”

“I started with my music and, although I did a bit of folklore and fused it with pop, it was part of a process. That’s when I said: ‘I want to make my music, whether two, three or just a thousand people listen to it, it doesn’t matter, but I want to do this and find a way to make it my life.’ I already had ten years of experience and I could face my ideas and music as a profession.”

On his musical productions in bands and as a soloist:

“In the beginning I formed several groups, all of them of traditional folk music, in Jujuy. With those groups we did a lot of productions and there were no home studios like today. It was complicated to record; everything had to be live. We even recorded two covers. In ‘Mixtura‘ I was encouraged to sing my own songs and we were encouraged to record a song I composed for the high school students. When I came to Córdoba, my solo career began approximately in 2013. I started to write and to trust more in my compositions, and I made the album ‘Soledad’ with songs of mine and covers; I released the album on compact disc, although it was not so profitable. Then I made more EP productions, singles; it was complicated to make an album because of the production, and it was not easy. That’s when ‘Cómo puedo extrañarte‘ came out, in 2019, and ‘Más allá‘, in 2021. Then ‘Tarot‘, (cover of Ricardo Arjona’s song) that came out in 2022, and finally ‘Rikch’ariy‘, the last (original) single I released with a video clip in 2023.”

Now, if there was a transcendental moment in the career of Leo Jurado, a turning point and a leap to fame, it can be linked to his participation in 2022 on the hit TV show “The Voice”: in its Argentine version, he won the blind audition with his magical interpretation of “Tarot” and was called to join the teams of Ricardo Montaner, acclaimed singer of Latin music, and Soledad Pastorutti, one of the great references of Argentine folklore. Finally, Jurado chose Montaner, who coached him and made him the winner of all the stages, up to the final phases of live shows that depended on the public’s vote. Some of his most applauded performances were when he sang “Tu enemigo“, by Pablo López, and “Lucía“, by Joan Manuel Serrat.

“The 2022 process was quite strong and when ‘La Voz Argentina’ (The Voice) came, it revolutionized me a lot, although I was always accompanied by my psychologist, who helped me make decisions. So, I always thought about how it would affect me or my family, not letting myself be influenced by the exposure, because I understand how invasive that kind of program can be,” Jurado explains.

“Being with Montaner was something very big. I learned how the industry is managed, where we were, how to work at a professional level, the level of demand, what it is to be him as a world-renowned artist. Also, the experience of being there, beyond the fact that it’s a contest, of how to work, of having a lot of personality when it comes to choosing what you want to do and not being afraid of making mistakes. The more you make mistakes, the more you learn. It’s an experience, that’s the message. There are many opportunities in life. Don’t be afraid.”

Commenting on the emotions in this line of work:

“Fears and insecurities, those are things you are always going to have. The pillar is loved ones, family, friends. I remember having performed in theaters, shows where only my family went, and that pulls you back a little bit, or releasing songs that don’t get the reception you want. But once you make the evaluation, you must consider many aspects. You have to see where your song is going. I never felt like giving up, because I never thought of doing something far from music.”

“I would advise people who are just starting out to be patient, to find a place where they feel good and from there to work hard, to be constant with that. I’m a very insecure person, but having a clear idea of where you want to go gives you a lot of strength. You are going to fall, you are going to have a lot of defeats. This is a race of endurance, not of who gets there faster, that has been emphasized to me by many musicians who have good careers. That’s the most efficient formula: don’t give up and build one step at a time.”

Demonstrating his humility, this exceptional singer tells us:

“Every person is unique as an artist. But from my position I try to make my songs that resonate, in that I want people to value what is not valued today, and that for me is a job: the fact of taking a song and making it more personal, or if I make my own songs, to deliver much more than just singing well.”

As a “Folk” singer, a term to refer to modern folk music, with traditional elements and a marked ethnic background, Jurado’s concept could also be encompassed by the generic name of “World Music”, which involves expressions from different cultures of the world that arouse interest outside their places of origin.

“My music is a more a stylized, lyrical, poetic folklore, not that ‘festival’ type we have here, and I feel proud because it’s what I like to do and what my audience likes to listen to,” Jurado says.

“Argentina is a country that likes to party a lot and maybe these interpretations are not so massive, but I pursue other audiences. I don’t close myself off so that I can only be a musician here. I can reach other countries that understand what I transmit. Otherwise, we would all be trap-rappers and the world is too big to limit myself to that. The quickest way out is to follow those hits, but then it’s very difficult to build with that, so I look for a more select audience, in different places, performing in small theaters where people go to listen to something different.”

With his contemporary folk music, which could even be related to alternative and indie music, Jurado shows off his skills. He plays instruments such as piano and guitar and, as he says, he builds choral harmonies with his voice, as he demonstrated in “Tarot“. Thus, his entire career has earned him, in addition to performing his own presentations, the participation as a special guest in numerous cultural events, such as the Cosquín Folklore Festival 2023, one of the most important in his country.

“I always prepare myself weeks before, rehearsing, vocalizing. I write, harmonize and work with a musical director. I look for help when necessary. I’m very attentive to the details in the videos, in directing and in writing the script. As for shows, I’m not much of a festival person. Today in Argentina it’s quite difficult to enter festivals because of the places they give you. I prefer to work in small theaters; it takes more work, but I like it. And I‘m always invited by musical groups, such as ‘Los Tekis’, and people from the government of Jujuy who are always looking out for me,” Jurado shares.

If there is something that identifies Latin American art, it is the synergy between the local and the Iberian heritage that’s been developed since the conquest. Likewise, globalization has played a fundamental role in recent years. Therefore, it is not surprising that Jurado cites David Bisbal and other Spanish singers such as Pablo Alborán as influences, while also praising Latin figures such as Luis Miguel and Drexler, and Argentine folk legends like Abel Pintos, Luciano Pereyra, Los Huayra, Los Nocheros and Jorge Rojas.

“I have always liked and learned from those singers. I always look for ways to pay homage to them. And I’m not a flamenco singer, but I also like it a lot,” Jurado says.

Of course, his regional influence is not surprising.

The Inca Empire (Tahuantisuyo), the largest of the pre-Colombian era, occupied a vast territory in South America. It comprised parts of the territories of the Republics of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and northwestern Argentina, and this one part of the division called Collasuyo, in which the current province of Jujuy was located, and which would have expanded its boundaries to Mendoza, in the south, and Santiago del Estero as the eastern border.

“Jujuy is a very noble place,” Jurado says.

“On my father’s side, we were always more connected to the north, which is where there are more natives; I always absorbed the culture of Jujuy, of the Kollas (Qulla indigenous people), of all that part of the Altiplano (Andean Plateau region). It was beautiful because of the culture of the Pachamama (Inca’s Earth Mother), of respecting the animals, the land. And there was also the part of the Spaniards, like my maternal grandparents who were religious. Being with those two sides was never a conflict. It was always very natural, I never felt very different. That influenced my art. The fact of having sung for so many years folklore, chacareras, zambas, tinkus, huaynos, bailecitos, carnavalitos, that influenced a lot in my way of singing, that’s why there are things that I like to keep, like pronunciations, that come out unconsciously.”

And when it comes to preserving the native blood and the millenary Andean cultures, his land is synonymous with it. In the picturesque region of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, for example, there are still Quechua descendants of the ancient inhabitants who keep ancestral traditions, which is why it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

“In these communities we have a very great respect for the land and what it can give us, the coexistence with nature. I think that’s fascinating. I always try to preserve traditions, to be grateful for what the earth gives us, the universe, the rain, everything that nature brings. In that sense, our festivities are very beautiful and genuine. People are very supportive, beloved, very kind, and that is transmitted among all,” Jurado details.

In fact, Jujuy is one of the Argentine provinces with the highest percentage of self-recognized indigenous population in the country, being the denomination “kolla,” or the one that defines the syncretic group of Andean native peoples of the place. Them, married with Spaniards, also mixed with African slaves that gave rise to Afro-mestizo castes in the past, all of which is reflected in the phenotypes of the current inhabitants.

“I think there are still a lot of barriers to be broken, a lot of structured ideas. Racism is still not over. There is still a lot of discrimination against native peoples. And I defend them to death. Sometimes people from the north suffer when they go to other provinces, as they are discriminated against because of their appearance, their color, their habits. There is a lot of indirect discrimination as well. I still see it to this day. Recognizing there is discrimination is important, but it is an issue that should be talked about more in Argentina. In the big cities you see that a lot, more than anything in the sensitive age range that is from adolescence onwards,” Jurado outlines.

“Rikch’ariy” attests to his vision. If there is one more thing that sets Leo Jurado apart from most artists of his generation, it is that, recently, he has released a song whose title comes from the Quechua (runa simi), the native language family that was the official one of the Inca State.

“At first, the song was just called ‘Despertar‘ (Awakening). But, when it was almost ready, I felt that it lacked some humanity, a more genuine sound, less contaminated. I wanted to look for that essence… I had seen ‘Harriet’ (movie of the eponymous heroine who fought against the enslavement of Africans in America), in which they sang ‘Stand up’, and I wanted to replicate something like that, but in our native language. So, from there came the idea of recording choruses in a different language, which is left behind, as an echo, a whisper of dreams that says ‘wake up’ from our ancestors, because the song is about going with the flow and not realizing the things you do without thinking, following stereotypes, the lack of introspection of someone,” explains Jurado.

“I wrote the song in the middle of so much noise, when I was on ‘The Voice’ and I felt that everything was very plastic and nothing was real, that ideas and opinions were constructed and not very genuine, which made me feel out of place. Many were chasing this ‘success’ that never caught my attention. That’s when I started to move away from that idea and to understand how people transform into a kind of robot.”

As an anecdote of the final touch that gave life to his song, he says:

“Once in Buenos Aires, a waste-picker kid had everything fall out of his cart in the middle of a rainstorm and couldn’t pick it up. Nobody came near him, but when we went to help him with a friend, everyone looked at us as if we were doing something wrong. That brought up what I was thinking at the time, and I said: ‘We have to do choirs with children’. And so I went to the children’s choir of the ‘Cantoría de la Merced‘, in a church in Córdoba. The children began to sing ‘Rikch’ariy‘ (which means ‘Awakening’ in Quechua), and we recorded the whole sequence. It was very nice; it was what the song was missing: the human aspect. You must know how to accept if you are from another place. I found this attractive in the song, to give people a break, we run a race with time and sometimes it is nice to see that, around, you can find humanity in small gestures, like helping someone cross the street or giving a little food to someone who needs it.”

Today with professionals working alongside and for him, Jurado says:

“I work with the production company ‘Fila10‘ and their team that gives us everything every time we do a show. It’s a great team and we have a great time. Each person has a role so that everything goes perfectly and each one concentrates on what they have to do.”

For the moment concentrated on his show “Despertar“, he specifies:

“‘Despertar‘ is part of going back to singing songs that awaken you to new things. I like those songs that tell you something else and I like to add my interpretative part to them. I also fuse songs by other singers with my own. That’s what it’s all about, to awaken other perspectives that today are not consumed. And working in a theater is sensational for me. I always try to make sure there is also a staging, to put myself in an acting role, that the light is in a position and the objects that are there mean something.”

As for any personal evolution Jurado has experienced, he says the following:

“My biggest revolution has been learning to believe in my ideas and that I can make songs the way I want to. And, with reference to new artists, I’m very open to helping them. They must try what they think they are. They have to think that the more we learn, the more we know ourselves and know what we want. Being influenced by many things gives you many tools when it comes to approaching a project. The options are endless, so I strongly emphasize not to be afraid to do something different. We must keep trying, and, at some point, it will happen.”

On the reception of his folkloric renovation as opposed to the conservative:

“The response has been good, the initiative to do something different is supported. It is a genuine public. I respect the traditional because it’s part of the history, of the culture, but I think the artists of this generation are the collision of what was the opening to globalization. I grew up listening on the one hand to traditional folklore and on the other hand to songs from the United States, France and Spain, so I have many influences. I bet a lot on renewed folklore.”

As for his aspirations, he confesses:

“I don’t think much about the future. I love uncertainty. With my art, I hope that there are people who understand it, who can appreciate the simple, because there is a lot of work there, and that the poetic comes back, the revaluation of hard work, that cultures are recognized, that there are fusions of generations. My wish is not to be a singer who fills stadiums, but one who can transform some aspects of society and future generations.”

Leo Jurado reaped well-deserved distinctions, such as the one granted by the Deliberating Council of San Salvador de Jujuy in recognition of his cultural contribution and for his participation in The Voice Argentina 2022, which was declared “Municipal Interest”. He was also deemed “Outstanding Person from Jujuy 2022” by the House of Jujuy in Córdoba, not only for his artistic side, but also for his exemplary life as a student of two university degree courses (Physics and Economics).

“I’m very grateful for the accolades, the awards, and hopefully it will help other generations to continue fighting to show our culture,” Jurado says.

The truth is that Jurado is already doing what he loves, even after so much sacrifice and effort.

“The biggest dream I’ve fulfilled was giving satisfaction to my parents and being able to have had such a great experience on ‘The Voice’. Today I live from music, with a lot of work as a composer, producer, arranger even in collaborations, singing somewhere… You can do it; I’ve been doing it for years. One builds a base and that bears fruits,” Jurado stresses.

Finally, as a preview of what is to come, he comments:

“Now we are working to finish a live album and we’ll be releasing songs on most major platforms. We have plans to continue performing in theaters and other locations as well. There are many ideas going around, like doing collaborations with other artists.”

“I have many dreams. Right now, I’m in a co-production. I’ve always been interested in collaborating, but beyond organizing the artistic part of a product I’ve always been interested in covering many aspects of my art and the art of other artists. In the short term, I want to continue singing and presenting ‘Despertar‘ in theaters, present the album live, combine other languages, genres, and travel to other places to present my music. I have a lot of desires and initiatives still in the works.” QS

**

Today’s post is sponsored by realtor Caleb Carlson!

If you’re a Twin Cities homeowner or property owner who is looking to buy/sell, I personally endorse Caleb Carlson. 

A staple of the Twin Cities real estate market, Caleb has helped countless homeowners buy and sell properties. 

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or this is your fourth time moving, Caleb’s expertise spans all corners of the real estate market. 

To get in touch with Caleb, call or text the number 701-520-8569 to speak with him directly!