He made a song worthy of Hollywood, won an international contest, but wants to continue in Peru: “There is much to do”

What sound does Lima have? The Peruvian musician Gabriel Iwasaki (29), hesitates to answer. “Chaotic,” he finally says. But at least during this interview in his Surquillo apartment, the concert of horns and engines on Aviación Avenue, just a few blocks away, does not arrive. But in this bustling city, in the country that cries out for solutions, art breathes.

Gabriel, a former member of the Flor de Loto band and a teacher at the Tempo music school, won the International Film Music Contest 2022 (GMC) award, specializing in music for film and TV, for a work different from what is done here. Listening to “The Sound of Adventure” refers to Hollywood movies with gunshots, chases and fights over a volcano. Formulaic films, but that have marked the mind of the public hungry for emotions.

“That’s kind of the idea, to take advantage of the aesthetic that many people associate with the cinematic, adventurous vibe,” says Iwasaki. “Precisely, the fact that it is not linked to something particularly visual triggers the imagination a bit. I think it’s nice that when people tell me what they think when they hear this, very interesting things are formed,” adds the musician, who comes from a family of artists (his uncle is the writer Fernando Iwasaki; his cousin, the rapper Jaze). .

Originally composed in 2019 for another competition (where it was a finalist), “The Sound of Adventure” is based on a fragment of the symphony “From the New World”, by the Czech A. Dvořák. But instead of throwing dirt on the subject, Iwasaki continued to give it life and, in one of those, sent it to the FMC. The award? A diploma that is already on the way, but what is more important: links with gigabytes and gigabytes of software and sound resources to continue creating music, valued at thousands of euros. “Music cannot tell you anything directly or concretely, but it can suggest it to you. And in that suggestion there is a lot of richness”holds.

—To be able to work music for film and TV, which is your specialty, what is needed?

At a minimum, a computer equipped with appropriate software, probably a keyboard that you can connect to it. From there, if you want, add other equipment such as headphones, speakers, programs, which can be optional. And really know a lot of music, to be able to have references to work on. Normally, both in film and television, you work a lot with guidelines. They tell you “this is a dramatic scene, this is funnier”. How does that music sound? You must have listened, studied, analyzed music. Because sometimes you have to combine the dramatic part with the funny part. And, of course, you gain the ability to be open to receive ideas that are not your own.

—Maybe making music is a bit like storytelling?

It’s like saying something without words. (People) have visual cues, they shake their heads when someone is going to leave, or to say they don’t agree. The same thing happens with music, but in a sonorous way. You have to incorporate a language, learn about other music. The idea is that the person who listens to it receives that message and decodes it as you wanted.

—I suppose that making music for movies and series in a country with so many audiovisual challenges is very complicated. You don’t have much field.

It is true. I wasn’t doing so much music for multimedia lately, for different reasons in life, partly also because it’s a bit complicated. Except for some specific cases, such as the films scored by Karin Zielinski, who makes great music for Peruvian cinema. [es la compositora de “Willaq Pirqa”], most music for film and TV tends to be more tropical, like chongo; things that do not move me much to work. It discourages in a certain way, but that can change as more productions are made.

—In Peru, apart from the movies, there is the short soap opera or the mixture of soap opera with series, like “Al fondo hay sitio”, whose musical use is well marked. How much could you innovate here in music?

Everything is possible. However, most of the entertainment format focuses on what the person wants to hear. If you get out of the scheme, they will not finance it or you will have problems for that. It can limit a bit. In a certain way it is to enter the game or not to enter. That comes with all the parameters, they always tell you from “above” how your music should sound. As for whether that can be opened or not, I think it will open little by little, but it will be a little slow.

—Working in cultural industries in Peru is always challenging. People end up leaving. Have you thought about it or is it a problem for you?

I get asked that a lot. You wouldn’t think I wanted to leave, that’s one thing I’ve always said. I am very happy here, I have family, friends, I have my son. Nothing else would come out like that. But not because I’m tied up, but because, really, it motivates me to know that we have many things to do. There are things that have to be done and if I leave, I know that those things that I could contribute, I will not contribute here.

—And there is the lack of resources, something is always missing here. I imagine that this forces the musician to be more creative.

Completely. Limitations foster creativity, against all odds. Having limitations is an enhancer of creativity. That is why it is always said that when the Peruvian is in need, or hungry, he gets creative. And we can see that through multiple cases. I have recorded during the pandemic, in ways that never would have occurred to me.