'LA'Ritmo.com
Give me a little background on yourself?
SR I was born in 1968 in Barranquilla, Colombia. My father, Gunter Renz, is a well known german classical pianist living there; that's why my name doesn't sound spanish. My mother, Helga de Renz is a colombian music teacher and directs different choirs and an Orff orchestra. I'm very proud of them as you can see. I began playing piano at the age of 5. Later, I studied Piano and Music Theory at the Conservatorio de Música Pedro Biava (Universidad del Atlántico, Facultad de Bellas Artes) in Barranquilla. In Germany I absolved an 18 months course called Leitung und Beratung von Rock- und Popgruppen (guidance and advice of rock and pop groups) at the "Akademie Remscheid für musiche Bildung und Medienerziehung". Further I visited the SAE technollogie college (School of Audio Engineering) in Hamburg for 2 years until last summer.
'LA'Ritmo.com How did you get involved in salsa music? Why?
SR Well, as a musician who grew up in Colombia, you come automatically in contact with all the richness in genres existing there. I remember how the wind brought some salsa songs of the 70's to our door from "Verbenas", dancing parties that took place on the street near the place my parents live. Songs like "Gangán y Gangón" (Richie Ray & Bobbie Cruz), "El Preso" (Fruko), Buscándote (The Latin Brothers) and all the music of great orchestras like el Gran Combo, La Sonora Ponceña and all the others. In Barranquilla you're permanently listening to salsa, merengue, cumbia, and vallenato everywhere, sounding out of the radios in buses, stores, etc. (more info about Barranquilla at Barranquilla Online). However, I played heavy metal guitar too, in different bands in Colombia and Germany. Some people ask me how it is possible to be between both styles. For me the role of the guitar in heavy metal is similar to the role of the piano in salsa: not only a harmonic one, but also a percussive one with their syncopated aggressive rhythms.
'LA'Ritmo.com Who are your musical influences?
SR My most important musical influences are the big orchestras of the 70's, like the ones I've already mentioned. Some musician friends say that they can hear out of my style that I played heavy metal, maybe... I also try to analyze and study the styles of all salsa piano players I listen to, without concrete preferences. It just must be aggressive. Colombian salsa, salsa dura, timba, and aggressive salsa romántica like many songs of Raulín Rosendo, Tito Gómez, Tito Rojas, Victor Manuelle with Sergio George, and many others.
'LA'Ritmo.com How did Salsa y Azucar come into being? When did it start?
SR
I founded the band 6 years ago with the concrete aim to make an orchestra of it. Full rhythm section, and at least 2 trombones and 2 trumpets. Today, the group consists of 12 musicians and sometimes up to 16 with 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 3 lead vocalists, 2 female background singers, full rhythm section (Congas, timbales & Bongó), keys and bass.
'LA'Ritmo.com Are you based in Germany now? Any other countries?
SR We're based in Hamburg, but we played overall in Germany and Denmark. I am also planing to play in Cali and Barranquilla (Colombia), but I don't want to tell more details on it `till it gets concrete.
'LA'Ritmo.com Why Germany? Is Latin music big there?
SR There is a big salsa scene out here but the big agencies here do not have experience with it and don't know it, don't want to believe it, or are just not interested. So we, I mean all the people that are working to propagate this culture, have to work very hard to keep it going.
'LA'Ritmo.com Tell me about the Latin music scene in Germany?
SR Although there aren't as many hispanics here like in Miami, New York or L.A., there is a big community of people who are interested and love Latin America and the contents of its culture like salsa. You can visit the following websites to see what's going on here: Der Salsaholic by Klaus Reiter , Salsalemania by Ulrich Wode, Salsa.de by Martin Keller, Latin Dance by Peter Baumann, Latino Munich Homepage.
'LA'Ritmo.com How do people receive your music?
SR I am sure that people love what we do and are thankful for what we and other people do to maintain the salsa scene, alive and growing. We are very thankful to all the people who visit our concerts and party all night long with us, too.
'LA'Ritmo.com I see that the members of Salsa y Azucar come from various Latin American countries. What does this bring to your music?
SR I think than just a musical influence, each one brings the spirit and humor of his country to the band. This is what I perceive and what I think all the others perceive when we're playing.
'LA'Ritmo.com Describe the style(s) of salsa music that you play?
SR
Salsa dura (something like "Heavy salsa"), aggressive salsa romántica, and our own style of playing cumbia and vallenato with salsa instrumentation.
'LA'Ritmo.com
How do you differentiate yourself from other salsa bands?
SR
Hmmmm... I don't know. I can tell you what I think that characterizes us. We get along well with each other, and the fun the people perceive that we have when we are playing sticks with them, but this is a property of many if not most of the salsa bands.
'LA'Ritmo.com What do you see as the future of salsa music and Latin music in general?
SR Like Dizzie Gillespie thought (may he rest in peace): "It is the music of the next century".
'LA'Ritmo.com How do you get your music úout thereú? What sort promotions/marketing do you use?
SR All self made. Mailing, fax and press lists, and a website to keep the people informed of our movements. Salsa Y AZUCAR Orquesta: http://members.aol.com/salsazucar. It will be soon available at the domain "salsayazucar.com", too. We work of course sometimes with music agencies, but I think I will have to look for a manager to represent us, because this work is taking too much time away, but I haven't found the right one yet.
'LA'Ritmo.com
Are there some places that youúve played at that are better than others?
SR The best concerts we gave were at places where the organizers were more than ok and transmitted a positive energy to the whole event.
'LA'Ritmo.com Do you have a CD out yet?
SR We are planing a new CD release with our own material for March. The music is influenced by 70's salsa, plena, timba, cumbia and vallenato. We will inform on this regard at our homepage among other.
'LA'Ritmo.com Tell me about some of the difficulties that you and or your band have had in the music biz?
SR Difficulties trying to convince the press and some agencies that there exists a salsa scene here and to teach them that salsa is more than holidays between palms at the beach or moving your ass in the Latino Disco. Excuse my language, but thus you can see how I feel on this matter.
'LA'Ritmo.com Finally, what are your plans with respect to the band? How do see yourself succeeding (depending on what your definition of success is, of course)?
SR I think I will have a salsa band or play in one forever and I'm happy that I'm doing what I love to do.
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