Today we’d like to introduce you to Francisco Pino.
Francisco, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey as an artist started with a profound love for the feeling music gave me. Whether it was listening to oldies on Magic 102.7 or Cuban guaracha in my mom’s car, memorizing the verses for “Baby Got Back” or Wutang’s “Triumph” to impress my friends, or watching my older brothers choreograph dances in my cousins bedroom- music has been an essential character in some of the greatest moments of my life. Little by little, it began to make its way to the forefront.
I played basketball in high school. An integral element of bball culture was Hip hop. At that time, the mystique of street ball, NYC hip hop, and spoken word poetry galvanized our imagination. The music of Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Nas, and Jay Z was all we would listen to. So naturally, we would create rhyming cyphers and pretend like we were true hip hop heads. I’m pretty competitive, so as a way to stay a step ahead of my friends, I started writing my rhymes down. That led me to begin paying more attention to every song I listened to. I studied my favorite verses and committed them to memory. The more I wrote the more I read. I basically became obsessed.
I remember it was during a road trip for a bball tournament. I was in the back seat of the car with my CD player. I bought D’Angelo’s “Voodoo” for the trip ’cause I heard the Preemo track “Devil’s Pie” from the Belly soundtrack in my boy, Jose Arias’ white Honda Del Sol. When I slid that CD into the player and put my headphones on. My life as I knew it was over. When the bass line of “Playa Playa” kicked in- I was snake bitten. I knew right then that this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to make people feel the way I was feeling at that moment. Shortly after, bball slid into the background and music took over.
Then, working my first real job after high school at Banana Republic, I met a musician named Xavier aka Zay. We would talk about music during our lunch break and one day he suggested we start a band. So that’s how BredCrumbs started. Luckily for me, Xavier had a bunch of friends who were incredible musicians. Jesse Royer on the bass, Matt Davis on the drums, Zay on the keys and Danny “KZP” Zapata on the guitar- it was such a blessing to be surrounded by such great musicians. I’ve never had any formal training. I learned to play and write music through osmosis hanging out with those cats. I picked up the acoustic just so I can hang out with them and speak their language. Then I started writing my own songs, which birthed PinoGrillo.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The struggle is a blessing. Being a musician in Miami is a tough gig. But I believe it’s molded me into the artist and entertainer I am. When I first started making music with BredCrumbs we had venues in the city such as Transit Lounge, the Stage, Jazid, Van Dykes, and Tobacco Road which promoted local original music of all genres. We worked hard and had to write original songs to get in the door. As of late, those venues have disappeared and now local artists need to be able to play a slew of covers to stay afloat. I pray that I, along with the musicians I work with, can play a role in shifting the music culture in Miami to be more supportive of its artists.
Can you give our readers some background on your music?
PinoGrillo is an experience! I love to get on stage with the band and to BOOM BAPTIZE the room with the spirit of sicote. We channel Funk, R&B, Pop, Hip Hop, and Cuban Guaracha from “el campo” to create our own brand of International Soul music. Our music embodies the organic flavors of Miami’s sweltering cultural climate.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I really don’t think in those terms. I believe in God’s timing and I just do my best to stay in tune with that. However, I don’t think I will take this long with my next release. Recording “What the Water Game Me”, which will be out in the Spring, has been a painstaking process. I don’t think people understand what goes into recording an album. But knowing what I know now, my goal is to build my catalog of work- so I’ve got to pick up the pace.
Contact Info:
- Email: pinogrillo.music@gmail.com
- Instagram: PinoGrillo.Music
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PinoGrilloMusic/
Image Credit:
Cynthia Lorena photographer
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