Shalim

Chrissy: So, what's new?

Shalim: Well, right now I see myself coming back from Spain, which became, I would say my main market right now for my music, with "Nadie Como Tu," my 1st single. It's still on rotation on the radio, it's been on there for 3 months, which is a pretty long time for 1 single, and actually it was one of the longest promotional time that an artist stays in a foriegn country, it's not a common thing. And I was there for a good, almost, 2 months. I came back and obviously I did a little of a recap with my
record company, with meetings and all that, the technical side of it, "the nobody wants to know about it," side of it and then I got the opportunity for the "Cinco de Mayo" event, to go to the White House and sing the "National Anthem" for the President, and that was definately one of
the most amazing experiences of my life.

Chrissy: What brings you to LA this time?

Shalim: Well, yesterday was a very special day for me as well, because on May 14th, the album has hit stores once again with a new cover, new artwork, and a couple of bonus tracks. What does it represent? Well, more than just a picture and a cover, it represents a new stage in my life, like a re-birth, like a new part of me, and I want to
share it with the world, and that's why I chose, "Si
Estuvieras Junto A Mi," because it's a softer side of this production.

Chrissy: When can we expect your 2nd ablum to come out?

Shalim: That's a little bit of an unpredictable question, since it is a re-launch, anything can happen, "good" or "good." It could easily die young, in a good sense of the word meaning that "Si Estuvieras Junto A Mi," would be the last
shot at it and I'm definately going to start preproduction very soon for my 2nd ablum. I think I already have an idea of what part of it would be. It's looking for, I mean I don't want to lie to you, but you know the chances are that by Valentine's Day 2003, the new album will either be hitting stores or the new single will be out.

Chrissy: Will you release any songs in English?

Shalim: In English, well ya, I mean the album has a couple of songs in English. "Crossover," not yet to be seen. I definately want to work the "Latin Market," a lot more, wanna feel comfortable, then I will kick off the crossover, it's definately there, it's definately something I want to do. Another thing I would really want to do is to dedicate at
least a month, 2 months, on preparing myself here in LA and doing some auditions, and just hitting a little bit of the acting side of my career.

Chrissy: As a child growing up, who was your hero?

Shalim: My hero? Wow, good question. Now it's Spiderman for sure. Either Spiderman or Kirsten Dundst, their there. (laughing) My hero, let me see, my mom was one of the people I really looked up to. She's been a great influence in my life. If we talk about music, I grew up listening to
Franco Di Vita, Jon Secada, himself. I was very into the romantic side, as well, I had a little bit of a rock side, so I loved Soda Stero and La Ley, and all those groups as well. I don't know, I don't think that I have a specific hero other than my mother, of course, I tend to drag out all the good characteristics of people, basically anybody, you
can learn from anybody.

Chrissy: What does family mean to you?

Shalim: It's the nucleus of life. It's what makes you come back tosomething.

Chrissy: What keep you so down-to-earth?

Shalim: I would say, in my case, that I was born and raised in this business, so it's a business for me, it's not my reality. Anybody who tells you that they are the same on stage as they are on the streets is lying or they haven't realized that
you have to become more agressive, more passionate, part of you, no matter what music you play on stage, and once you're conscience of that, you have to make sure that once your're walking down those stairs of the stage, that you go back to the original, your original state. I think
that awareness is what keeps me down-to-earth.

Chrissy: Do you think success is addictive?

Shalim: Addicitive personally, or to anybody?

Chrissy: Well to yourself.

Shalim: To myself, yes of course. I mean success is nothing more than your personal goals being accomplished. That's what success is to me, not other people's goals.

Chrissy: Do you feel that you have accomplished many goals already?

Shalim: I have accomplished many, but I'm not half-way towards all my goals, I want to accomplish in my life. I'm not even half-way and that is a good thing.

Chrissy: If you weren't a performer where would you see yourself today?

Shalim: I'd be acting!

Chrissy: If you weren't an actor?

Shalim: I'd be modeling!

Chrissy: If you weren't a model?

Shalim: Honestly, I don't have an answer to that question. I stopped asking that question, the moment I decided to jump into this career. I just left everything behind, and I will die doing what I do.

Chrissy: I've seen you on some tv shows, so are you planning on being in some more?

Shalim: On TV shows, ya, definately! You mean acting?

Chrissy: Yes.

Shalim: Definately, the big screen is my dream! I really, will die when I go to the Chinese Theater and see my premiere, that will be amazing for me. Just as much as the moment I heard my album for the 1st time, which was another very intense moment in my life, for example, that's a great example of what success is to people as it is to me. To me
success was already recording it, to my record company success would be selling it.

Chrissy: If you had to choose between music and acting, which do you enjoy more?

Shalim: 50/50, totally, 50/50!

Chrissy: Which single person has most influenced your life?

Shalim: My mom!

Chrissy: Why is that?

Shalim: Why, because there is a lot of her in me. I inherited a lot of my mother, and every day that passes by, I realize one more thing and one more thing, and it's very good. Very good! I mean the phenomena that she is female and I am
male also helps me, you know, there's not that mother/daughter or father/son natural competition that exists. You know, that your scared to over-shadow them or something. Unfortunately, I don't want to sound sexist, but that's nature, it's reality, I mean the fact that I'm a man and she's a women made us very close together. We're like brother and sister.

Chrissy: I know you've told me what your tattoo signifies, but would you explain it to our readers?

Shalim: The heart is love, the flames are passion, the cross is a Roman cross, it's half cross, half sword, and it actually comes from Spain, "El Orden de Los Templarios." The flower means, each petal is tears that the Virgin cried for Jesus, which is the love from a mother to a child.

Chrissy: Where did you get the idea from to get that tattoo?

Shalim: I don't know, it just came to my head. It was a kind of thing I designed and then started researching through books and saw that each one, actually had a meaning. But it was a creation from my mind.

Chrissy: So you actually designed it?

Shalim: Ya, I did! I designed it, and I didn't know where it came from.

Chrissy: So, on your new album, whenever it comes out, is it going to have the same kind of Middle Eastern feel to the music?

Shalim: Um, Middle Eastern...

Chrissy: Or Moraccian?

Shalim: Ya, that's an element, just like the Flamenco influence, it all connects of course, the North of Spain, there's a lot of Spanish influence there, and obviously there is an American influence when we talk about the ballads and the concept of slow tempo music. I don't want to scarifice
what took me three years to discover. I mean, your
always going to find, obviously, my producers are gonna want to do something different, I will tone them down a little. There's a lot of me in there, I don't want to sacrifice that. But, definately, it's goig to be another sound, one thing I can definately promise for the second album, is
that it's going to be a lot more organic. And for those who don't know what organic means, it's that the acoustic side of the instruments will play a basic role in each song, and it will be less charged up with a lot of tracks, which each track is an instrument.

Chrissy: Do you have a message for your fans?

Shalim: A message?! I have many messages!

Chrissy: Ok, then one message!

Shalim: "Welcome," (holding up a peace sign), no! I want to say that, wow, I want to wish you lots of luck, now that you're going steps up everyday, that's great! I'm really, really proud of you because I've known you for a while. I think you should serve as an example to young people of just fighthing for your dreams and pursueing them. So that's
my message! You're my message!

Chrissy: Thanks! =)