Just minutes before boarding her flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where she will reunite on stage with reggae icon Alborosie, Marthina Díaz takes a moment to chat with Últimas NoticiasAmidst the hustle and bustle of suitcases and schedules, the singer-songwriterVenezuelan producer and all-around musician, she maintains the positive energy of someone who is living a dream achieved by putting in the effort and believing in herself.
A graduate of the Carabobo Conservatory of Music, where she trained in viola, oboe and classical music from the age of six, Marthina took a fascinating turn in her career towards reggae, a genre with deep ancestral roots that, although underground, finds a new exponent in her voice today.
—You are a well-rounded musician, a graduate of a conservatory. How did you get into reggae?
—Yes, I studied at the Carabobo Conservatory of Music from the age of six; there I studied viola and oboe, and I was in the Children's Choir and the Youth Orchestra as second oboe. My deeper connection to reggae was two years ago, when I was exploring various musical genres, and on a trip to Valencia (my hometown, although I currently live in Caracas) we made 'Reggaeflow' in collaboration with Yoswill Roldan and Dari-Ow. That's when I started to delve into the genre and realized that reggae had always been present in my life, whether listening to my parents' music, like La Mosca, or on the radio, which always played songs by Los Cafres and Papashanty Sound System; and internationally, when I lived in Germany, I also listened to a lot of music by dancehall artists—a genre that is related to reggae—like Shaggy, Mr. Vegas, Sean Paul, and Gyptian.
—How does the academic aspect influence your musical proposal?
—Since the beginning of my career, I've been interested in learning to produce my own music, something I've been doing in pursuit of authenticity. Of course, my academic training has been a strong influence, as it has given me greater precision in creating melodies and staying on track while composing. Creating melodic and rhythmic dictations and other creative exercises were normal tasks during my studies at the conservatory, so I believe I have a fairly trained and fluid ear for generating new melodies and rhythms.
—You are considered one of the leading female voices driving reggae in Venezuela. How do you see the genre in the country?
—Although I'm still making my way within the genre, today I have the privilege of promoting and consolidating reggae in Venezuela from a renewed perspective. Thanks to the support and collaboration with the Italian-Jamaican artist Alborosie, I'm gaining valuable experience on the international scene, with the firm conviction of always keeping Venezuela's name at the top.
I see a great future for Venezuelan reggae; in the last two years I have noticed the influence on several national artists who have decided to delve into or return to the genre, and I think it can continue to gain more strength.
—What challenges have you faced in making your way independently?
—Being independent, the biggest challenges are economic, mainly because music is not "low cost", but requires large investments of time and, therefore, money; but that has never stopped me, because I understand that opportunities also exist and one must always look for them or create them for oneself.
There are also many ways for new artists to gain exposure, including social media. If you learn how to use it effectively, you have great opportunities to grow without a lot of money.
Another way, of course, is by building good relationships within the music industry. I've received great support from people like Yoswill Roldan, who has been my producer and musical partner since I started two years ago; he has fully trusted me and my project, and has contributed something as fundamental as music production, since music without a backing track doesn't sound right.
—You've joined Alborosie on stage several times as a guest artist on his European tour, performing 'Soporta el beta' together. How did this connection with one of the world's leading reggae artists come about, and what did you learn from sharing the stage with him?
—The connection with Alborosie came about organically as a result of the impact of 'Reggaeflow,' which entered Spotify's Top 50 Viral chart in Venezuela for 16 consecutive days, reaching number nine. That exposure brought the song to the attention of several artists, including Farruko and Alborosie himself. He contacted me through social media to congratulate me and ask if I was a reggae artist. I replied that I was, but that I also explored other genres. That's how a great friendship began, and we started working on the collaboration 'Soporta el beta.'
Coinciding with my trip to Europe in July and his tour of the continent, he invited me to sing in Padua, Italy. There we met in person and went on stage to perform the song without even having rehearsed. Sharing the stage with him has been an incredible learning experience: I've learned everything from stage presence to tour logistics. What impressed me most was singing without in-ear monitors or autotune, guided only by the rhythm of the drums. He taught me that reggae is about feeling it and giving it soul. Although adapting my ear to that dynamic required years of training condensed into just two shows, I managed to apply that learning in the following dates in Zurich, Germany, Brussels, Warsaw, London, and soon, in Amsterdam.
—You performed at the Pol'and'Rock Festival in front of a crowd of over 700.000 people. What does it feel like to stand in front of so many people bringing the Venezuelan Caribbean sound?
“Standing before a crowd of 700.000 people, with only two years of experience, was incredibly exciting. In fact, initially, amidst all the logistics, I didn't realize how big this festival was until the day before the event, when I started to study the audience I was going to be addressing more thoroughly. That's when it dawned on me that it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and the most important thing is to experience it, enjoy it, and celebrate it. Furthermore, I felt a strong connection to the festival's motto, which is peace, love, and friendship, so knowing this, I knew God had placed me in the right place, and if this opportunity was meant for me, there was nothing to be afraid of.”
