Sebastian Sidi: Living a Musician's Dream

          I first met Sebastian several years ago.  He had already put out a couple of CD's.  As soon as I met him I was immediately drawn in by his friendly sincerity and upbeat positive attitude.  He has never ceased to surprise me by what he can do.  I recall the first big concert he put together in the Civic Theater in Downey , California.  When he started describing to me what he was planning I was expecting a totally amateurish fiasco.  He had enlisted a local dancing school to choreograph some numbers to some of his music. I really thought it was going to be on the level of a dance school recital. But Sebastian went into the project with a clear and creative vision that he made work.  The entire concert came across flawlessly and  was as good as  anything that I had seen anywhere. The capacity crowd  loved it and it was one of the best concert productions that I have ever seen.  I had just begun to see the amazing talent and vision of Sebastian Sidi.  

  

                                                          Sebastian Sidi was born in Uruguay and came to the United States as a child.  Now he is a full-time musician and  composer, specializing in piano and keyboards, whose sound can be described as classical, new age rock with a touch of Latin flavor. Sidi’s music features an energetic and passionate new sound that has broken the molds of traditional musical genres. Self-taught and unable to read a single note of music, Sidi learned to play the drums as a teen, beating out heavy metal tunes on a friend’s tattered drum kit. His musical career was launched when he began incorporating keyboards and composing songs for a number of small rock bands.

            Throughout his career, Sidi drew inspiration from the sounds of the Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Van Halen and Raul Di Blassio. His composition gradually became increasingly intricate and his knowledge of numerous instruments advanced. The addition of bass guitar to his repertoire solidified the unique Sebastian Sidi sound that has been featured on four albums, including 1999's raw, uplifting “Prelude;” 2000's intricate “Electrified;” 2002's relaxed “Passion;” and 2005’s “Desperate Journey.” Collectively, Sidi’s albums have sold about a quarter of a million copies.

            Fluent in both English and Spanish, Sidi attracts a diverse fan base, for which he produces and presents distinctive and theatrical concert events. These “celebrations of music” bring together fans from different places, of all ages and races – from 10-year-old children to 80-year-old seniors.  Outgoing and always upbeat, Sebastian establishes a real rapport with his audiences and never fails to make himself available after performances to give autographs and meet and greet his ardent fans.

           When not in the recording studio, Sidi can be seen performing live on stages throughout Southern California including Downtown Disney, Universal City Walk, The OC Pavilion and Downey Theatre, among many other well-respected venues. In 2008 Sebastian was chosen as the Celebrity Honorary Marshal at the Downey Christmas Parade. He has been the opening act for bands such as Berlin, The Motels, Ambrosia and many others.

         Recently, Sidi  launched his first public television special concert event, which premiered in June of 2008 on KOCE-TV in Los Angeles and has been shown on PBS stations throughout the United States. In the special he worked side-by-side with 12-time Emmy Award-winning producer, George Veras, who also produced “Yanni Live at the Acropolis.” In March of 2008, Sidi appeared on “AZTE PA’CA.”, a TV talk show hosted by Latin Radio Icon, Renan Almendarez Coello (“El Cucuy”) , as well as an appearance on the NBC TELEMUNDO morning show, “BUENOS DIAS”.

        Sebastian's story has been featured in major media outlets throughout Southern California.  He has been lauded for the distinctive new genre he is single-handedly credited with creating. Sebastian Sidi is a resident of Downey, CA.  In addition to his own musical projects and performances he also sometimes sits in with other bands and has produced recording for a number of artist.

        Recently I sat down with Sebastian Sidi and asked him to share some of his reflections on his career as a successful musician.

Why music?

 More like, WHY ME? I feel as if Music chose me as a tool to share good vibes with others. I did not wake up one day and decide that I was going to pursue music as one does with accounting or law. It just kind of landed on my lap sort of so to speak and I followed the road it to see where it would go. And here I am, a successful musician.

How have your musical tastes changed over the years?

Well the bands that influence my music have pretty much stayed the same. Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Dio, Van Halen etc. But I also listen to the wave, salsa, pop, fusion, etc. But mostly 80's ROCK/METAL.... mainly because that's what I listened to when I first arrived to the USA

What have been your biggest musical influences?

 SCORPIONS, IRON MAIDEN, DIO, VAN HALEN

Who are you listening to lately?

 The same!

Do musicians really get all the girls?

Nope, but because girls think so, that makes it easy to get girls! ha ha ha But in my genre of music, it's not so much like that. My music is more classy than metal, so the audience are not groupie like. But I have had my moments. =)

Can you see yourself married with kids?

YES! Can't wait

What has been your biggest thrill so far as a musician?

The faces and reactions on people while I perform on stage. Priceless. And meeting fans after a show.

What would be your biggest musician dream come true?

Too many to list, but lets start off by touring the Country.

If you weren’t playing music for a living, what would you be doing?

 Psychologist, or Graphic Designer

You work pretty hard at your musical career. What’s your idea of a vacation?

Peace and Quiet. A quiet beach maybe, with a margarita. Something mellow. I love to visit my family in Uruguay.

What’s in your musical plans for the future?

 I am constantly setting new goals which means I'm constantly completing new goals. Next is a NEW CD hopefully by March 2010

What can we expect from the upcoming CD?

You can expect a very high energy and also very passionate CD. And this will be the best produced CD yet.

             I want to thank Sebastian for taking the time to do this interview.  For more information about Sebastian and his music and also to see and hear samples of his music and musical performances be sure to go to his website http://sebastiansidi.com/ .  At his website you can order CD's and DVD's.  Also you can visit his site on YouTube to hear his his newest release The Ride and see the promotional video for his upcoming album to be availble in 2010, which should be his biggest yet.  In fact when you check out the YouTube video you will see several other links to click on to see and hear other performances by Sebastian.

             If you are new to this blog site and like what you see, please click on the follower button on the right hand side of the page. There will be many other interviews and features in the weeks to come that you may find of interest.  And if you would like to leave a comment about today's feature please click on "comment" at the end of this article and leave your message.  Hey, fans of Sebastian Sidi let us know how you feel about Sebastian and his music!