INTERVIEW: Alberto De La Rocha finds ‘Magic of Life’ on new recording
Alberto De La Rocha, a native of Toledo, Spain, captures several genres of music on his new album, The Magic of Life. Cinematic in scope and orchestral in presentation, the recording is a showcase offering from a composer at home in many musical styles.
“The Magic of Life began as an idea,” Rocha said recently through a translator. “[I’ve] been playing the piano since I was a kid, and I never got away from music. I always worked with music, and that’s my one purpose right now. I always play the piano, and I kept going with music until today.”
On the new album, De La Rocha collaborates with several prominent singers and musicians, including Kelly Levesque, Nikki Leonti and Teresa James. The album was recorded at East West Studios, AfterHours Studios and the Warner Eastwood Scoring Stage.
When looking for collaborators, De La Rocha scoped the industry for musicians with a cinematic sensibility and those who wanted to produce a joy-filled album. “I wanted them to have a special touch, a nice message to put out that would bring joy, that would bring happiness and that could make the songs shine … especially the romantic ones, the ballads,” he said.
Growing up in Toledo, De La Rocha took a liking to many genres of music, most of which are present on The Magic of Life. He eventually gravitated to orchestral works, Brazilian jazz, symphonic rock and American cinematic music. This last one — American cinematic music — is especially prominent on The Magic of Life. “[My] family always enjoyed music,” he said. “And some of my family used to play instruments.”
His first album was called Fantasy, and The Magic of Life serves as his second effort. He sees both recordings as sharing a few important features. The songs on both albums help the listener imagine different settings and actions, but he believes this latest album is more mainstream and accessible to numerous listeners. “Life can be wonderful even though you’re facing problems,” he said. “When they listen to [the album], they get that feeling.”
In the future, De La Rocha, who splits his time between Madrid and Los Angeles, hope to tour the new music around the world. “It’s very easy to listen to, easy to understand and to connect with the songs for the album,” he said. “People [will] have this connection with the album.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Magic of Life from Alberto De La Rocha is available now. Click here for more information.
