“Because I believe in you”: the story of Marco Romero, the musician who had a dream and created the fan’s anthem with faith

The return of Peru to a World Cup in 2018 took us from a deep lethargy to a euphoria that seemed inexhaustible. The Peruvian fans were chosen as the best fans in the world by FIFA and the songs with a red-and-white hue took center stage, such as “Because I believe in you”, an enthusiastic and hopeful anthem that resounded in Peruvian and Russian streets. Your Creator, Marco Romero, is moved to tears when narrating details of what he experienced as a result of his most successful inspiration. Before him Playoff of Peru and Australiawhich could take us to the World Cup Qatar 2022the topic becomes more relevant than ever.

“In 20 years working in Creole music, pushing the car, I had achieved some musical successes, Cecilia Barraza had recorded a song of mine and sang it in her presentations; but she had never achieved something so massive, like what happened with ‘Because I believe in you’. I am grateful to everyone, to life, to God and to whom she put the phrase in my mind to be able to develop it into a song. José Escajadillo says that songs and phrases are in space and that we are only a receiving antenna. It is very true”, comments the singer-songwriter and TV presenter.

—How was “Because I believe in you” born?

It was born on a Wednesday, after a phone call telling me that I should accompany Óscar Avilés to La Videna and bring the new song from Peru. Then my ‘leg’, the one who called me, sends me a message explaining that he was referring to the song that I told a media outlet that I was going to do at some point. At that moment I was in the clinic because my son had hives and I had stayed with him. I remembered Óscar Avilés, of everything he had always persevered, that he put the country before spending time with his family. He believed in Peru. That’s where ‘believe in you’ was born, then it was changed to ‘because I believe in you’, then came the melody. I stayed with the choir and my son, who was next to me, three and a half years old, began to sing. So, I thought: ‘if someone who is ill, with serum and watching cartoons sings it, he must have a strong hook.’

—What does the theme represent in your career?

It is very important because it has given me the opportunity to contribute something to society, to add to people internally, because by stripping yourself of your ego and saying to the other: “I believe in you”, you empower him and give him value. The first time Markarián (Sergio) heard the song, in La Videna, in 2013, he told me that he had created a motto of faith, and it may be true because “Because I believe in you” is a cry of war, of enthusiasm. .

—What did you feel when you saw the National Police, the Armed Forces and large groups of schoolchildren cheering on the Peruvian team singing your song?

I’ve cried a lot of times, I’ve cried when I got to a meeting and my family, my grandmother, my aunts, received me singing the song. (Cries) I get excited again, what a crazy thing. I could not believe it.

—What came in your musical career after that great success?

After two years I released a new song “Legamos los Peruanos” and “Vivir feliz”. I made a song that has to do with the idiosyncrasy of Peruvians, it’s called “Choclo con queso”, interesting, fun, playful. For 2020 we will build an album with 10 songs of mine, but with new artists, with young singers, some with a long history and others with zero acquaintances.

—During his participation as a jury of “The 4 finalists”, Pedro Suárez Vértiz recommended a contestant to opt for a new musical genre, because if he continued to make Creole music he would only find a job in July. Do you share his opinion?

I think he got the terms a little wrong, but there is some truth to it. I am Creole and I have been in the market for 20 years and I cannot complain, I am on television, on the radio, and I continue to make music, as a result of my perseverance, my drive and desire to want to show.

—Do you think that in Creole music there is a marked route without opening to fusions?

There is a path made where Chabuca Granda, Óscar Avilés, Zambo Cavero, Mario Cavagnaro, Las Limeñitas, Los Morochucos, Los Chamas are…. And what we have to do is create a new path, next to it, and create our own possibility of making Creole music with tradition, fusion and contemporary wave. Óscar Avilés, for example, we currently see as a traditional artist, but 40 years ago he was a visionary of Creole music. And Mario Cavagnaro introduced ‘la replana’ in waltzes and polkas, and they almost destroyed him. That was told to me by the composer himself, who was my teacher. They told him “you are killing Creole music”. What did he get with what he did? He got hits, broke paradigms, opened panoramas and a wide range of opportunities.

obstacles

—Why did your parents oppose you being a musician?

I’ve always had music in my life, but it wasn’t in my parameters to develop it, it wasn’t in my structure. I studied law for four years and dropped out to study communications; but when I decided to dedicate myself to music as a profession, my dad got ‘chúcaro’, he told me: “you’re crazy”. I had lived a bit of the bohemia of criollismo and thought that I was going to do the same and, yes, at some point I did; but he realized that I was going further and ended up accepting. Now he is always in the front row watching me sing, my first block has become my first applause.

—What do you rescue from those rocky and bohemian nights?

He taught me to deal with that person at dawn who takes an extra drink and wants you to sing what he asks of you and demands of you because he has paid a ticket to see you. Over the years that’s what I’ve done, enrich my life with music and I haven’t had to get caught up in skirts or scandals to get things in life. I have been proposed many times, but I have never accepted.

“What have they proposed to you?”

I have been told: “What do you think if today you go out with such a vedette?”, and I said no, I have always been scared to death. Probably if I had been more experienced, I would have been with someone of the moment, and the perception that people would have of me would be different. What I did was continue along the correct straight line and I continue on that path.

The school “I believe in you”

—How far do you intend to go with Peruvian music?

If he managed to achieve with Peruvian music what Carlos Vives has done with Colombian music, it would be the best. And that later he comes out a generation of success, he would be more than satisfied. With “Believe in you”, the school that I am doing, I am doing my bit. It is a beautiful space, which is in Lince, it is a show where people can enjoy music, culture, entertainment and art, through various workshops. It is an open space, very cool.