IN CONVERSATION WITH LEO RIZZI

interview by MAREK BARTEK

Leo Rizzi builds musical castles with foundations of solid sensations in his fresh, authentic and sensitive proposal. Deeply influenced by his cultural diversity and his Degree in Fine Arts, he embellished the Hispanic music scene with exquisite taste, from productions such as ‘Bailando alrededor del río’ to ‘Amapolas’ and his most recent work ‘Ojos Papel’, with which the Ibizan conquers with his dreamlike voice and intimate sound.

You have a degree in Fine Arts, which makes me wonder if you have always wanted to be a singer?
When I was 12 years old I already knew that I wanted to be a musician, but I also had a lot of fears about it. My parents always wanted the best for me and they didn’t recommend me to pursue my music dream. That’s why I always tried to study bachelor’s degrees that could help me reach a music career in other places. I first studied business and management because I thought making a label by myself was the best way to be an artist, and then I realised that firstly I had to become an artist. That’s why I chose Fine Arts. I love audiovisuals, fashion, design, and many other art disciplines. Nowadays I am so grateful when I think about everything I’ve learned because of this career. 

What made you fall in love with music in the first place? 
Certainly singing, the things I felt when I sang melodies. The first song that made me fall in love with music was Lithium by Evanescence, a song that my sister sang with her rock band in Uruguay. I was 8 years old, and I was with my mum in an indoor pool when I started to sing, and the natural reverb made my mind blow. 

How does your understanding of visual aspect of art influence your approach to music? 
I think the understanding of the visual aspect is a good way of opening creativeness. The more references you have, the more complex and rich will your art piece be. A painting, a movie, or a picture are different ways of seeing reality, another point of view can be an inspirational trigger. 
For example, some visual artists I consider inspiring are: Edward Hopper and his dreamy scenes, Matisse and his colourful compositions, Gaspar Noe and his abstract camera moves, and Louise Bourgeoise and her textures.

Talking about influences, despite being born in Ibiza, you’ve spent your childhood between Valencia and Uruguay. Would you say experiences from each of these places reflect in your music? 
Yes, living in different cultures makes you understand things differently and absorb different ways of expressing things. From the slang to the typical music of the place, every single thing can model yourself.

Can you tell some more about your one of your latest project ‘Ojos Papel’ created in collaboration with Reik? How would you describe it to someone who hasn’t had a chance to listen to it yet? 
Ojos Papel is a very soft and peaceful song. It is included in Reik’s latest album called Panorama. It was such a pleasure to write with their team. We wrote it in Mexico City a couple of months ago. The song was created between Pambo, Mshnrz, Carlos Colosio, Julio Ramirez, and me and I can say it’s one of my favourite works of mine till today. 

Another famous project of yours is ‘Amapolas’, which has currently over 75 million views on YouTube alone. How did you come around this piece and did you expect such a reaction to it?
Amapolas is a song that I never expected to reach those numbers, I wrote it in my room months after lockdown and I produced it with Go&Jo. It was the 7th song that I ever released and at that moment I was beginning to share my music on social media, and with that song, everything shifted. 

You have just teased your upcoming work named ‘PÁJARO AZUL’. What can you already share with us and your fans regarding it?
PÁJARO AZUL, translated as BLUE BIRD, is my debut album. I’m so excited to share this work with everybody. 5 songs have already been released: REVOLUCIÓN AZUL, rompo esquemas, MALVAS, ALGO ESPECIAL and 2mil horas. Also, the art cover is revealed on my social media along with the video clips of those songs. 
This album is inspired by El pájaro azul of Ruben Darío and the story of Garcín, whose head is occupied by a blue bird that cannot liberate him from his thoughts. A very deep-felt story that I recommend a lot to read. 
I spent my last 2 years producing it, and I think it has a lot of sense and power for the shows. I can’t wait to start the tour. 

You aren’t only a musician, but also a social media personality, fostering over 2 million followers across different platforms. What role does social media play in your career, and how do you like to mix music and social media?Social media is the way of sharing your work nowadays, if you’re not there, you can be rarely seen. I’ve always tried to share my music in original ways. Now I think is another part of the creative process. I must think about it every day.  

Except for music, you post also quite a lot of fashion content. How do you relate to fashion as a medium for self-expression? 
As I said before, I’m a huge fan of fashion, so I like to share my interests, some fit checks, red carpet looks, and references. I feel like it helps me to live in harmony with my essence. 

Except for ‘PÁJARO AZUL’, are there any exciting projects you are currently working on we can be looking forward to? 
I’m very focused on my album release, preparing the tour from scratch, and the promo plans. I want to share this work and let the world listen to it. Also, I’m working with my sister producing his very first EP. You must check her for sure, her name is Sita Rizzi. 

talent LEO RIZZI
photographer FRANCES ROU
stylist VANESSA LÓPEZ
creative direction GERARD ANGULO
grooming ROCIO SOLLOA
production STEP ON FASHION
editor TIMI LETONJA