Pasión Vega

Pasión Vega

In full production mode with a new CD in the works, Pasión Vega made time in her diary to tell us that she feels very “Andaluz”, with a special soft spot for her hometown of Malaga. She would love to sing a duet with Manolo Garcia and tells us that she loves to be free to express herself with her voice through a wide variety of different styles.

AC- Your real name is Ana María Alias Vega. When did you take on the name Pasión Vega?

PV- When it became a necessity, when I decided to record my first disk. 

AC- And why did you choose the name Pasión?

PV-  It occurred to Pedro Pérez Flores, an Andalusian songwriter from Seville, and I  liked it because it was so beautiful. It is a very powerful name, very pretty and it holds a lot of meaning. However, back then I was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and felt the name was a few sizes too big for me. 

AC-   You were born in Madrid, brought up in Malaga and now live in Cádiz.  Which of these cities do you feel you belong to the most?

PV- Málaga. I feel I’m a native of Malaga.  Malaga is my home, where I have lived since the age of three and for the whole of my childhood.  Madrid on the other hand feels more distant to me, I have family there, but I myself, don’t feel “Castellana”.  And Cadiz has brought me a lot of peace and happiness.  I am in love with Cadiz.  But, in general, I stick with Andalucia and I feel “Andaluza”.

Pasión Vega

AC- What do you like most about Malaga?

PV- Everything – the people, the atmosphere, the climate, the quality of life, Larios Street… It is a great city that has no reason to envy other European cities. It offers so many different things from so many different points of view.  It’s a very well rounded city, very alive and competitive.
 
AC- And what do you like best about Cadiz?

PV- It’s a little corner of the world where I have always been treated very well.   It’s giving me the opportunity to share many experiences. It’s a place where there’s a lot of art and where people have made me laugh.  And of the light in Cadiz, it’s not something people are making up; it is real; it’s free and it floods you with a good mood.   I’m also attracted to its history, culture, happiness, the way the locals speak…

AC- If you had to recommend a bar, a restaurant and a nightclub from Malaga, which ones would you choose?

PV- There are many good places to eat and drink in Málaga, many that would I recommend.  “El Pimpi” has a lot of spirit; it's a place that I like to go with friends to enjoy good conversation with a nice glass of wine.  And as for the restaurants; “Antonio Martin” is special to me because I have celebrated many of my successes there.  Another restaurant, which I also like a lot which also belongs to a friend, is “Frankamente”.  It is in the Plaza de la Marina. It's more modern, serves good food and organizes expositions.  For nightclubs, well it’s been a long time now since I went out at night in Malaga.

AC- And in Cadiz?

Pasión Vega

PV- In Cadiz there are also a lot of good places to eat out and for “tapas”, but “El Show De Tapas” on San Francisco street is very good. They serve traditional food, but presented in ways that are very original, very attractive and very pretty. And for a meal, there are some restaurants in the Plaza Pinto, where you can get a very good plate of mackerel. And then there’s “El Balandro”, which is a restaurant very close to my house.  And for drinks, I’ve just discovered the “Arsenio Manila” on the promenade with an Ibiza style. It’s very attractive with great ambience.

AC- Returning to your career as a music artist. Could we say that your professional career as a singer began in 1992 when you entered a contest on  Cadena SER radio in Malaga?  

PV- Well, that’s when I decided to start my career. Up until then I had sung in the choir of my parish, at my friend’s parties, at family celebrations...  But to win the third prize in this contest encouraged me a lot and I began to become more curious about learning new things.

AC- So you won third prize. And after that you won other prizes of greater importance. Among them, an award from the music academy for the Best Spanish Music Album for 2002, the Friend Prize in 2003 as the best female soloist singer, and the 2004 Music Award, for the best Spanish album and for the best sound technician thanks to José Luis Crisp. Of all of these prizes, which one do you love the most? And which would you keep if you could only choose one?

PV- The one that I most remember and with the most affection, is the Gold Disc (Disco de Oro) that I received from Serrat in Barcelona in the company of Pedro Ruiz. I was touched with what Joan Manuel said.  I also have special feelings for the award I received from  Pedro Ruiz on his television programme for my CD “Pasíon Vega”.

AC-   Your beginnings as a singer are connected with the traditional Spanish folk songs, but over the years, you started to change styles experimenting with ballads, boleros, light song, operetta, opera.   What took you down this path? Was it a desire to experiment or because you wanted to avoid being stereotyped? 

Pasión Vega

PV- It was because I wanted to feel free and to be able to express myself through my voice, but also through different styles.  Why be limited to a single style?  There are feelings that are expressed better in one style than in another and I try to choose the best one in order to express myself best.  When it comes to music there are no iron bars; it’s is something wide open.  But of course I am limited by the limitations of my own voice.  But you can always find the way to adapt to any style.

AC- You’ve sung duets with many other major artists:  Serrat, Sabina, Arturo Pareja Obregón, Carreras… Who would you like to sing with in the future?

PV-  I would love to sing a duet with Spaniard Manolo García; I enjoy how he works, and how he sings. But, for now there aren’t any projects and we haven’t talked about anything together.

AC-   We have understood that you are in full production mode your new CD. Do you already have a title?  And what can you tell us about the style?

PV-  I’ve had the title in mind for a long time now, which isn’t like me. But, I can’t give it away yet. As far as style goes, it’s a very classic, a style everyone is used to, but with a very Pasión Vega touch. It’s classic, but eclectic at the same time.

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