Requiem for an artist
Dominican artist making industry inroads while proudly carrying his country.
Being the first to do anything guarantees you a spot in the annals of history. Amelia Earhart. Roger Bannister. Sir Edmund Hillary.
And now, Mozart La Para. La Para, born Erickson Fernández, hasn’t run a sub-four-minute mile or achieved transatlantic flight, but of consequence is the fact that La Para was the first artist signed to Roc Nation Latin in October 2016.
“I was very excited to find out that I was chosen for Roc Nation Latin,” La Para says, referring to Jay Z’s Roc Nation record label. “I am hoping to learn and develop my music and talent to a global level. I hope to put out hit after hit all while honoring the Dominican flag to all its glory.”
La Para was born in Las Minas, Dominican Republic and quickly developed an affinity for music. His artistic name was bestowed upon him from writing songs early in his career for other artists.
“I started at 12 years old, the same age that (Wolfgang) Amadeus Mozart started,” he says. While in his native Dominican Republic, he honed his talents by engaging in various freestyle competitions. No longer being a secret kept
“I have always known that one day my moment would come,” La Para says. “You just have to work hard, be patient and have hope.”
His hard work and patience have been rewarded with the history-making signing with Roc Nation Latin as well as with collaborative efforts with the likes of Daddy Yankee and Sean Paul. While freestyling and collaborating are fundamentally different ventures, La Para says he enjoys them both.
And those two accomplishments will vary greatly from a debut album. La Para has been traveling between the Dominican Republic, Miami, Puerto Rico and New York City recording his new album, El Orden. One of the tracks is titled “Al Capone,” dropping on Jan. 19.
About the track, sharing the name with the infamous Chicagoan gangster from the Prohibition era, La Para says, “I was simply really into the instrumentals. I was inspired at that moment by other tracks similar to Al Capone.” He admits the track’s name came after it was finished.
Amid the whirlwind of activity accompanying an album release, there will be no rest for the weary as the soon-to-be 30 year old has trips planned to Miami, Texas, Colombia and Canada.
Aside from Mozart La Para, one thing common in all those destinations is gentlemen’s clubs. With one part of the equation being “Al Capone” and the other being an adult club, the result could be a new smash gentlemen’s club hit.
“Trap music is hot right now and I think this beat would be infectious in gentlemen’s clubs,” he says. “Hope to hear it next time I’m in the U.S.”
