‘Jarochelo’ enjoying his new adventure, CXR Music Studio, which seeks to make musical groups sound ‘chingón’
One day in 2004, during a trip to Veracruz, César ‘Jarochelo’ Castro admired a homemade studio built by a musician. He marveled at how the composition and rhythm of the songs came to life on that small setup.
“What do I need to have one?” he asked.
“Just a computer,” was the response.
When he returned to Los Angeles, where he was playing with the famous group Quetzal, he used the money he earned to buy a computer, speakers, and a small microphone.
That’s how CXR Sound Studio was born. Now, 20 years later, it continues to thrive and is part of a series of musical and business ventures grouped under Jarochelo Inc., his trademark.
“I won’t leave music. I’m still composing, teaching, and doing some performances. My group Cambalache is on a small break, but I can’t stop. I’m an entrepreneur and I have to leave behind the traumas and shyness. This is serious; this is who I am—if I set my mind to something, I work to make it happen,” he says.
Jarochelo, as he is known in the music world, is one of the first promoters of music from his hometown of Veracruz. He has been an advocate for musica jarocha, the fandango, and has performed on countless musical stages.
Now, he embarks on a new adventure: transforming his homemade studio, called Tlacuache, into a world-class production facility.
Castro only tells his story, but the path he has taken over the years has been full of achievements, successes, doubts, challenges, and perseverance.
In addition to his commitments in Los Angeles, each year he travels to Veracruz to teach children and young people the art of fandango. Dozens of musicians have found new paths thanks to his talent and desire to share it. Now, he faces new challenges.
“Little by little, I built my small studio. I would buy a cable, a microphone, and then other parts. Always thinking about not upsetting the family budget. In 2007, my daughter was born, and I thought long and hard about it. I bought two speakers and… what if she got sick? My wife, Xochilt, was also skeptical, trying to balance the family expenses but tolerating my desire to build my space,” he recalls.
This year, he decided to consolidate his musical production and sound engineering services for various concerts and events.
“It was time. It’s difficult because people aren’t used to paying attention to everything outside the stage. Sound is crucial for a band to sound good; without it, the performance can fail,” he adds.
“Little by little, I built my small studio. I would buy a cable, a microphone, and then other parts.”
But this work was done in small steps.
“I couldn’t afford to spend whatever I wanted. Sometimes I’d trade things, like lessons for something I was missing, ‘jaranas’, and so on… but I want to make it clear: everything has a cost,” he says.
And he’s firm on this. Some people request his services without understanding the true value of what he does. They see him as a “chill guy” and assume it won’t be too expensive.
“That’s one of the problems. I want to teach people to learn to pay for their things. I want them to sound ‘chingón.’ It has cost me a lot, and I’m still paying. If they value their music, their compositions, they should value how they will sound. I guarantee they’ll sound ‘amazing,’” he adds.
César also evaluates who he can work with and is willing to make some concessions. His musical work is intertwined with philanthropy. Over the years, he’s performed at festivals, charity events, and schools, sometimes charging and other times accepting less than what he should earn.
That small corner of his home called Tlacuache has been his companion through different periods.
“During the pandemic, I composed many songs, and that helped me. In 2022, I wrote a song for my cousin who was murdered. His family recently contacted me to say they had all listened to the song together and were deeply grateful. That’s the beauty of these things,” he mentions.
For him, the world of music production is dominated by white men.
“Yes, men and white,” he says.
Many people, mostly women, have approached him over the years. For Jarochelo, sound engineering and music production should be taught in schools.
“There’s a lot of talent, and this could help them. For a musician, it’s vital to know this.”
He doesn’t consider his career as a musician over.
“I have to keep navigating. I can’t stop,” he concludes.
César Castro: The Sonero Who Has Transformed a Mexican Community
