During a recent benefit gig, I had the opportunity to chat with Santino for LatinoLA. His music is an ecliptic mix of Latin, Pop, Rock, Flamenco, with a strong influence of his Peruvian roots. And he’s about to blow up.

Santino has been performing and refining his style since he was a kid. He’s come a long way since beginnings in Peru, having now collaborated with artists like Concrete Blonde, and opening three nights for Maná at the Universal Amphitheatre in 2002 as the vocalist of the band Likido.
He said, “I share many things with different kinds of artists, not only in music…I only share my music with people that understand my vibe and really want to be part of it.”

Since coming to Los Angeles six years ago he has been a jack of many trades and has learned many lessons by doing everything from washing dishes, being a delivery guy, to eventually writing and producing a court show for a local Spanish channel, all this just waiting in the wings for just the right moment and time.

Apparently for Santino the time is now. He shared that although working as producer was very cool, he feels he was in it only for the comfort, he said “My heart was bleeding for art. One day I woke up and looked in the mirror and I started to laugh. I said to myself this is it. I have no more energy for other things [only my music]. I have learned what people want, and what people think, and how wonderful it is to have a gift. So I decided to follow my career, but I know it is going to be done my way. This is my vision and so, here I am [living my dream].”

Santino shared that his inspiration comes from life in general, meaning human behavior, society, injustice, love, passion, loneliness and happiness. He said “Basically [I find it] in every feeling that I know.”
“But I think, that inspiration comes with motivation and stimulation” and jokingly he added “All right, it’s the WOMEN, it’s always the WOMEN.”
When asked what he tries to get across in his music, he answered, “I want people to understand the meaning of life, the meaning of friendship, and the meaning of love! That is why I put musicians from different parts of the world in my act.”
In order to answer the question “¿Quien Es Santino?” he himself puts it best. “El que con su voz, su ritmo y sus canciones, ve la vida positivamente. Un buscador, un cantante, el musico ambulante. Geminiano, Peruano, vive en Los Angeles, CA. Visualiza, materializa, comparte, ama, acepta, cree, aprende, rie, llora, comunica, trabaja, lucha, y existe!”

Well, for those interested in enjoying genuine un-hyped local talent please join Santino for his next performance on Tuesday, December 16 at 10pm, at the Club Lingerie

Pocos o casi ninguno de nuestros cantantes de otra disciplina, aparte de la criolla, han excursionado en la exigente industria musical de los Estados nidos. Santino de la Tore, de nacionalidad peruana, es uno de ellos y tiene futuro halagador, de acuerdo a los comentarios y críticos de Hollywood, después de su presentación el mes pasado en el «Blues House».

Es bastante grato cuando un joven como Santino en una presentación exclusiva puede captar el interés de varios cientos de personas.

Nuestra valores nacionales en el género musical, como Santino, tratan de ubicarse en el dificil y exigente mundo del espectáculo en Hollywood. Santino es uno de ellos y ha comenzado con destacadas actuaciones. No nos cause sorpresa si mañana es noticia de primera pagina. Tiene talento y carisma. 

José Cabada.  

Santino came out and woke up the crowd. It kind of reminded me of a live bull fight in Spain. Lots of emotion and drive from the entire band, but I had no clue what they were singing about. Thirty minutes of great sounding music though. Johnette Napolitano (lead singer for headliner Concrete Blonde) came out and did the introduction, which gave him a leg up in my estimation.

Copyright © 2003 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.