Latino country artist Stokoff premiered the video for “Para Siempre Es De Los Dos” exclusively on Digital Journal.
As a flagship country artist for the Spanish-speaking community, you released a project featuring translations and originals titled “Country Music Hits En Español y Mas”. What inspired you to create this project?
I wondered how these big country radio hits would sound in Spanish and how different they could be from the original versions in English. Also, I had to see how these versions would blend with my original songs. The best way was to place all these songs in a new album, let the Latino and American audience and the world hear this mix of country music.
Together, they create a picture of what country music in Spanish could be. The feedback was exciting. I got very positive reactions from the Latino country fans in the US, but there is also a Latino audience that doesn’t follow country music. For them, this was something completely new, a new route to explore music that could open the spectrum to expand the future of country music in the US and Central and South America.
How does an artist born in Germany but reared in Colombia find his way to country music?
Well, that’s a long story, but I’ll try to make it short. My mother is from Germany. She’s a big fan of country music and rock ‘n’ roll. My father, from Colombia, is a fan of South American popular music.
So, at home, I could listen to Johnny Cash, The Judds, Elvis Presley, Joan Baez, etc., and South American music genres like tango from gardel, bolero, etc. So, when I began to write songs, it was a mix of feelings and sounds. Storytelling was at the base of the music that I loved. Those storylines about friendship, family, a first love, and cheerful content are what brought me to country music.
You are premiering a new release here, a translation of Luke Combs “Forever After All”, titled “Para Siempre Es De Los Dos”. What steps go into transferring a country hit in English into Spanish?
First of all, you have to love the genre and the song. You have to get the song under your skin. Once you make the song yours, you can begin to rewrite the song in Spanish.
I consider it a rendition, not a translation, because I want the Latino audience to connect with the original feeling of the songs. In Spanish, we have to craft the right words to create a picture of the music in your soul.
You have opened for global Grammy, Latin Grammy, and MTV Video Music Award winners like Ricardo Arjona and Franco de Vita. What did you learn from those applauded acts?
These two artists have something in common. They both have this vast power to connect with people through their songs and stories. They are true storytellers. I noticed with them that it wasn’t about writing hit songs. It was more about writing songs that stand the test of time.
I recognized that my biggest challenge was going to be writing songs and performing them so that people can make the songs theirs and have them connect with different generations.
You represented Colombia at the Viña del Mar Song Festival in Chile, a festival where the Backstreet Boys appeared as representatives for the U.S. Tell me about that experience.
Oh, that’s a crazy story. It was in a moment of my life where the music industry was hitting me hard. A friend of mine told me about Viña and asked me to send a song. I wasn’t sure.
Still, I decided to give it a try. I finished a song that I began writing a few years before. It was a very personal song. I sent the demo to Viña Del Mar, and the rest is history. Before this festival, I was singing in small bars in Bogota/Colombia.
Suddenly, I was going to Viña Del Mar to perform in front of 25,000 people, with the Backstreet Boys, Eros Ramazzotti, Chayanne, Juan Gabriel, etc. It was a challenge! Viña Del Mar is a tough venue. Everybody in the Latin music business knows that. It was a life-changing experience.
It showed me that you have to believe in your dreams and always chase for the brightest star. It changed the perspective of my life and music.
What can the country music industry do to better serve the Spanish-speaking audience?
You have to honor the Spanish language; the songs must be in Spanish if you want the Latino audience to fall in love with country music en Español and take it seriously. I am not a fan of the “Spanglish thing”, maybe as a remix or something, but if you are telling a story, you can’t change the language back and forward in a song.
That may sound cool, but you lose the audience’s interest. I know how it works because I can do it both ways, but you are not connecting with your audience if you want to target the Latin market.
If you could cut a duet with any artist, who would you choose and why?
Of course, it would be great to do this song with Luke Combs. I think he represents the spirit of country music these days. Also, it would be great to duet with Carrie Underwood. I love her songs and her powerful voice.
To learn more about Stokoff, check out his Facebook page and follow him on Instagram.
