Thousands of kilometers separate me from Luis Julio Gutiérrez Páucar, a musician who lives in the United States and with whom I share two aspects in common: we are both 30 years old and in our childhood we bought cassettes to enjoy music, since we could not access CD players or computers for economic reasons. It is difficult to determine if we acquired them on the same date, given that memory is fragile; However, the truth is that the musical genres that we listened to on those devices on the market were completely dissimilar.
In the midst of the heyday of cumbia, the then child Luis challenged the tastes of the people who circulated through the market in the district of Independence by selecting a red cassette, your favorite color. Thousands of kilometers away, probably on another day, I was in another grocery center in Collique, in front of a cassette stand, ready to spend the few soles I had in my pocket. I bought cassettes of Skándalo, Los Ecos and Rossy War; the latter was for my parents.
After selecting the cassette of his favorite color, the merchant inserted the material into the player and pressed the play button, out of keeping with the atmosphere of the market, where merchants used to tune in to radios that played cumbia. As the people continued to walk hurriedly, the chords of the guitar were heard. John frusciantean artist unknown to Comas’s neighbor at the time, but who now admires him.
The song that played was ‘Californication‘, by the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, which gained popularity in Peru in the late 80s and early 90s. Both Luis and I were on the brink of the new millennium, a time in which cumbia It was the most listened to genre in Peru; However, certain sectors of the population opted for other genres and showed their taste for foreign groups.
At that time, there was more than one evidence to affirm that the cumbia It was more popular than rock or salsa, since wherever we went we heard songs of the tropical genre. In addition, you could frequently see posters announcing concerts in Lima Norte. Added to this was that at the stands selling cassettes the musical themes of Agua Marina, Armonía 10, Euforia and, above all, Rossy War were heard at full volume.
These songs were interrupted every time a client asked to try a cassette, which contained the music that would accompany them at home or on public transportation buses, as long as they had a portable player. This happened when Luis chose the red cassette, an object that hid encrypted messages, which would be unraveled over time.
The messages were the following: our compatriot would play the guitar professionally in the middle of a musical career and would live in the country of the band he discovered as a child. These predictions hidden on side A or B of the cassette came true, but with a lot of effort, dedication and discipline. This was witnessed by his parents, who at first disagreed with his son dedicating himself to music, a profession that, according to them, did not guarantee a decent life.
Luis’s success story has broken with this paradigm and has been a source of inspiration for a sector of the Peruvian population that has the American dream in mind and wants to set foot on North American soil to improve their quality of life and that of theirs. About his childhood, the stage of musical training, the work he has done in the artistic world, among other topics, Infobae Peru spoke with Luis Julio Gutiérrez Páucar (30), known artistically as Louis Sleinvia Meet.
On the morning of Thursday, May 23, Luis connected from Los Angeles, United States, to a video conference. Before seeing it on the screen, I already knew that my interviewee was a big fan of the American band Red Hot Chili Peppersa group that played an important role in his decision regarding his professional future.
When I saw him, he was not wearing an outfit in his favorite childhood color, red. Probably, his tastes changed over time, but what did not change was his appreciation for the band from the United States, whom he esteems and respects for having been one of the impulses to venture into music. I discovered this when I spoke with Luis, who was wearing a polo shirt and a black sweater, a color that did not radiate light. However, the picture changed when he began to talk about his musical career.
“A couple of months ago I finished recording a feature in which I played the guitar. The final recording can be heard in one of the most important scenes of the Colombian film ‘Colibrí’. Another thing I never thought would happen to me is working with composer Ryan Shore, who has created music for ‘Star Wars: Forces of Destiny’ and ‘Scooby-Doo.’ “He is the nephew of Howard Shore, the historic composer who wrote the music for ‘The Lord of the Rings,’” said the artist, visibly moved by the achievements he has achieved in the United States at 30 years old.
That child who walked through the El Álamo urbanization, in the Lima district of Comas, perhaps with fear, joy or harboring dreams, did not predict that he would live in the northern country and work in the music industry. More than 20 years have passed since he first heard the song ‘Californication’ in an Independence market, and this word is more relevant than ever; Not only because he hears this topic frequently, but because he now lives in California, a place where many Peruvians long to arrive to fulfill their dreams.
The second encrypted message on the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ red cassette was revealed a few years ago, when our compatriot arrived in California. Some will think that destiny came into play in his life, others will say that it was just a mere coincidence. The truth is that the US band influenced his choice of professional future. However, there were other events that prompted Luis to make the decision to dedicate himself to music completely. These events occurred during his puberty.
“At the age of 13 I started playing the guitar. At that time I said to myself: ‘This fulfills me much more than studying Scientific Computing, which at that time was what my father wanted me to study. Years later I entered San Marcos, and at times I thought that this profession could stagnate my career as a musician. While I was in this dilemma, one day I made the decision to study music,” he said.
This decision meant that he abandoned his career, which he did. After that, he looked for institutions where he could study music. The first one he came across was the Peruvian University of Applied Sciences (UPC), where he only attended a few classes, since the training he offered was related to musical production. At that time, he sought to become performer or composer. Then he found the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), an institution where he entered, given that the curriculum fit what he was looking for.
During puberty, Luis did not have the support of his parents to dedicate himself to music. They had somewhat conservative ideas about this profession and considered that it was not possible to make a living from art in Peru. However, as time went by, they realized that the music It was his son’s passion. At the age of 15, Luis already played the guitar with some skill and was even a member of a musical group that performed at a high school end-of-year event.
The peak moment in which his father realized that his son would dedicate himself to music professionally was when Luis demonstrated his talent playing the guitar. “When I got home, I told my dad, ‘Look, I learned this solo.’ He was the first one I mastered with this instrument. I played him a solo by the band Megadeth. My father, after listening to it, said: ‘How did you learn that?’ The following months he began to investigate how music helps in the formation of people. This made me understand that I had convinced my parents,” he noted.
At PUCP he was a student of teachers such as Alonso Málaga, Andrés Prado and Alec Marambio, professionals who helped him find his own style. According to him he told Infobae Peru, at this university he did not study all the courses in a semester, because his parents did not have enough money to pay for all the subjects. Despite this, he made an effort to stand out as a student and thus not lose his status.
He spent about five semesters at this university. He later learned that Berklee College of Music in Boston was awarding scholarships to PUCP college students, upon audition. This excited him greatly and made him apply. He only had a week and a half to prepare. After this time, he presented a performance with a musical theme Afro-Peruvian merged with jazz. Shortly after, she found out that she had been awarded the scholarship. This news filled her with joy and pride, but she knew that she had to separate from her parents. He did so, but with the promise of returning to create music for his country.
Louis Slein it’s the name of Luis Julio Gutiérrez Páucara young Peruvian who has found multiple opportunities after moving to Los Angeles to do an internship as an orchestrator and composer of the soundtrack of the short film Burnt Roux, which is directed by Keisha Davis and received a special mention in the “Best Narrative” category. at the 2023 New Orleans Film Festival.
Parallel to his work in cinema, Luis has developed a career in video game industry in Los Angeles. As a specialist in the creation of sound experiences, he has served as musical supervisor and director, as well as composer, orchestrator and sound designer. Video games he has worked on include Wobble Warriors, District N, Dreamland and The Double.
Luis’s career is not limited only to musical production. He has also taken on the role of music educator, teaching classes at Nishiyamato Academy, Roos Studios and CA MusicBox in California. His teachings encompass theory, appreciation and musical history, with the goal of sharing his knowledge with future generations of musicians.
On his YouTube channel he also shares his artistic creations, among which musical themes for video games stand out. It should be noted that, during his puberty, he really liked video game songs; However, he never thought that one day he would give life to this type of audiovisual material. Another video that could be considered special is the one he dedicates to his mother.
Under the title ‘A Mother: Seen Through a Child’s Eyes’, the musician wrote the following: “This melody is dedicated to my mother. In a way, a lullaby for my past self. This theme song tells the story of the many ups and downs that my mother has gone through. Everything is remembered from the perspective of my former self. I love you mom. A big hug for my mother and father. An eternal hug to my brothers Luis and Maricela, and to my family who has already left. May God have you in his glory.”
