Meet Marcel Camargo

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marcel Camargo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marcel, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
This is such an interesting question. We all have to “keep going,” on some level, at all times. I think even if we try to give up we end up “keeping going,” just in another way or on another path.

The question behind the question here, from my perspective, is how do we know where to go? And having a clear idea of what we want our way of living to be is what can make us really “go” in a clear direction. Not just in business but in all areas of life. That is the core question we all should try to answer, and our answer can change over time…mine did! So it’s important to check in on our vision for the future and make adjustments as our idea of what we want changes.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a musician first. I started out wanting to be a guitar player and, to my own surprise, that’s actually how I made my living for the larger part of my life – playing guitar for people! It was not easy for many reasons but especially because Jazz guitar was truly my first love and making a living playing Jazz guitar is tough. It’s possible, but extremely competitive because we’re creating an offering for which there is a very niche demand.

As a sideman I was lucky to have had the opportunity to tour with Michael Bublé for ten years, to be featured on records with Sérgio Mendes, Herb Alpert, Tom Harrell, to be nominated for a Grammy for Gretchen Parlato’s record “Flor” which I co-produced and played on, to be featured on TV shows like Dexter and films like Rio 2.

At one point I started writing for orchestral instruments and that became a big part of what I do – I orchestrate, arrange and compose for those instruments as a job along with guitar playing.

What I’m most excited about now is to go from sideman to frontman. I am releasing of my first solo guitar EP on November 21st, the first single, Consolação by Baden Powell, is out now, the next single, Gymnopedie N0. 1 by Erik Satie, comes out November 14th.

I’m also excited to be working as a massage therapist and fusing music, breath work and wellness into what is a new offering I can present to the world.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This town has so much to offer, I would:

*Go see a show at Disney Hall and do a downtown day – hit up Grand Central Market, Olvera street, Union Station (occasionally they have shows there too), the museums. There’s a spot called Kippered that serves tin fish, I’d go there, or the Wolf (?) for cocktails
*Go hike/explore Griffith park, I also like that hike near JPL. Griffith would be a good spot to picnic
*Go to the beach – maybe near Topanga and explore that town, or RAT beach for something a little closer to town
*Ride bikes in town. I like to ride around South Pasadena, maybe go all the way up to Altadena, La Cañada is also a great spot to bike. Or eat in Alhambra and hit up the Norton Simon in Pasadena
*As soon as the Blue Whale reopens, go see shows there
*Go dancing at Zebulon on a weekend night, hit up Little Ripper or Justine’s for a glass of wine beforehand
*Go to Bob Baker’s marionette show and eat/drink somewhere in Highland Park

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I think one of the most hidden gems in this town and someone who has had a huge impact on my musical and personal growth is Singer and Educator Jessica Vautor.

Website: https://marcelcamargo.cm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcelcamargomusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcelCamargoMusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marcelcamargomusic

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@marcelcamargo11

https://www.patreon.com/c/MarcelMusic

Image Credits
Eric Wilson, Craig Cochrane, Farah Sosa, Theo Jemison