Hispanic Magazine.com - March 2002 - Cultura - Interview

INTERVIEW

Patricia Manterola
Won’t Stop The Rhythm
By Lisette Roiz Diez-de-Oñate

Patricia Manterola’s first applauses came at the early age of 8, performing in front of family and friends. One day, she auditioned for the musical Annie that was touring through Mexico and, as luck would have it, she got the part—and a taste of the performing bug. Now living in the United States between Los Angeles and Miami, she is making her dreams come true.

Her new CD, titled Que el Ritmo No Pare (BMG), rings true for the artist, who can’t seem to stop trying to conquer the American market. The high-energy bilingual album, released March 5, may win Manterola a Latin Grammy nomination.
HISPANIC: What’s different about your new CD?
Manterola: Que El Ritmo No Pare is my first record album with my new record label BMG. The other albums were during my affiliation with Televisa, while I was acting in soap operas. Up to that point my singing career was focused on singing the ballads which could be used in the soaps. I love the ballads, but I wanted to try something different. When I came here four years ago, I felt so many new emotions, and my new record label agreed that I had something else to offer, so we tried something new. This album has a lot of energy and is a fusion of many different rhythms, including five tracks in English.

H: Who collaborated with you on this album?
M: I feel so lucky because I call the collaborators of my album the Dream Team. I have Estéfano, who has been very successful; Marco Flores, who is another top producer; Juan Vicente Zambrano, who created La Gota Fría for Carlos Vives, also collaborated with Ricky Martin with his first crossover album. There is Donato, Kike—so many creative people. They all brought different sounds to the studio and nailed it.

H: Is an all-English album in the works?
M: Why not, the market is already here, how many artist have already made a successful crossover? I love singing in Spanish, but why not open more doors?

H: Some fans might think you are abandoning them. How do you feel about that?
M: I don’t get that impression. I feel they are always there, supporting me, in every challenge in my life. I could see where fans might have felt that way before, but now they are used to it. The Hispanics in the U.S. mostly listen to music in English, so why not sing in English. Most of the time they listen to Spanish music when they are at family parties. So, no, I don’t think they feel I would be abandoning them. I live in this country and I would like to be successful in this country.

H: What obstacles have you experienced in crossing over into the American market?
M: My first obstacle was the language barrier. I knew English from school but it is not the same, so I moved to Los Angeles and enrolled at UCLA. While I was doing that, I was going to the castings and auditions. Another obstacle I face is they are still stereotyping Latinas in Hollywood and that is a big issue. But I think the time is perfect for us to cross over.

H: Tell me about your role in the HBO series Arliss. Were you scared of playing the role of a lesbian on an HBO series?
M: The role came to me as all other roles do. I went to the audition, the call back, etc. When I read the character description, I knew that this was going to be a scandalous role for a Latina, but I really wanted to do it. It was not the typical role given to a Hispanic woman; it was amazingly interesting. I was going to play the part of a successful tennis player, the No. 1 in the world, a diva. She was a very funny and arrogant girl. For me, it was another role. The fact that she was a lesbian was not the focus.

H: Talent vs. Beauty: Who wins?
M: If you want to have a solid, long-lasting career, beauty helps you open the doors. But you need to put 100 percent into your role; otherwise, you will always be considered just a pretty face with a great body. That is why I talk so much about the stereotyping of the Latina roles, always having to show your body, or you are cast to play maids or prostitutes, never the strong woman. I am doing my part to change that by putting my talent first and giving it all I have.