His father, Joaquín Garay, a source of inspiration.
Ricky Garay had a dazzling mentor by his side. His father, Joaquín Garay, was one of the most important and influencial singers in Latino culture.
“It wasn’t easy; he was an impressive figure, a shadow that was hard for me to bear. But… my mom was also a greate role model. I learned from both of them and became who I am because of them,” says Ricky, an artist, musician, actor, and… a dedicated and loving father to his four-year-old daughter.
She opened his eyes to a world of new possibilities. Since the age of three, he has been in the entertainment industry, with his parents taking him to auditions. Ricky wanted to sit around and watch cartoons on TV, but instead found himself in rooms full of kids vying for roles in commercials and films.
“It was traumatic and stressful, but at the same time, it made me who I am. Throughout my life, I’ve always cared about helping the Latino artistic community. When my daughter was born, I asked myself, ‘What about me, my daughter, my family, my wife?’ Now I focus more on them,” he says.
Ricky Garay composed music with Los Tigres del Acordeón for the film El Paisa. For him, participating in Daniel Eduvijes Carrera’s project was a reconnection with his life growing up in Boyle Heights.
“I knew the streets, the people, the smell. There’s a building in the movie that gave me mixed feelings; I remember that place well. It used to be an empty lot, now it’s a building with apartments that our Latino community can’t afford. That hurts me. What politicians have done in Los Angeles, they’ve done without thinking, without considering our community. This impacted me, and I know I can’t change Los Angeles, but through my work, I can create spaces that help. We all need to move in the same direction,” he says.
“I knew the streets, the people, their smell. There’s a building in the movie that gave me mixed feelings; I remember that place well. It used to be an empty lot, now it’s a building with apartments that our Latino community can’t afford. That hurts me.
For years, he has hosted cumbia nights at the popular bar La Cita, where he also worked as a bartender.
“The opportunity opened up. La Cita remains one of the few places that haven’t change; they represent Los Angeles. The owners were looking for something different, Latino. We started experimenting and came up with Cumbia Fever,” he says.
In El Paisa, there’s a scene where the main actress tells her son, “You were the star, ‘quemando la chancla’.” I ask Ricky if he also ‘quema la chancla’ during Cumbia Fever nights.
“Of course! We’re a group of DJs, so we spend our time dancing. One of my memorable memories is seeing the image of my wife waiting for me on a seat at La Cita while I finished my work.
“Hey man, it’s fabulous, many great stories. I helped open opportunities for so many musical groups there. What I liked about El Paisa is its authenticity, the way it tells a Latino story. I’ve seen many movies in my life, and in this movie, the narrative stays consistent; it never falters. Dani is a very talented director, one of the best I’ve seen, and the team around him is incredible,” he says.
Ricky didn’t sing like his father did.
“I remember him saying, ‘Never say no.’ If they ask if you can do it, always say yes. So I started doing it and composing music. The happiest moment for me is when I’m driving with my daughter and I ask, ‘What music do you want to listen to?’ Thinking she’d say Barney or others. And she says, ‘Daddy’s music.’ It fills me with satisfaction,” he adds.
For Ricky, what’s most important is education, mental health, and creating safe spaces for the community.
“We need to let go of the American culture’s attitude where everyone pulls in their own direction. As Latinos, we need to move in the same direction. It hurts me to see that my daughter will face this world we’re living in. I thought we had already overcome it with our struggles, but now it’s worse,” he says.
The construction of those safe spaces starts with the family, and he is doing his part.
“It hasn’t been easy, but those skills I learned since I was three have helped me. I have my own projects, but with people like Dani, El Paisa, and Fiat Lux 5000, where I was the Art Director, I will always be committed to them,” he concludes.
ABOUT RICKY
Ricky Garay has been a professional actor and singer since he was three years old.
Over the last fifteen years, Ricky has been incredibly successful as a premiere Latino
nightclub producer, creating safe spaces for Latin Indie musicians and DJs through his
company Mucho Music. Several of the artists he helped develop have gone on to
become Grammy award winners and tour the globe. His eye for style, culture and talent
are legendary.
For the past seven years through his project Cumbia Fever, Ricky has been at the
epicenter of Latino nightlife in the heart of Los Angeles at one of the trendiest clubs in
downtown, “La Cita” where he presents Cumbia Fever every Thursday. Recognized as
the leading cultural Cumbia hot spot, people of all backgrounds intersect at his events.
Cumbia Fever has been a centralized gathering spot for Latinos from all over the region.
Ricky has been producing his own music for the past several years, and most recently,
for the short film “El Paisa” by film maker Daniel Carrera, where he makes his singing
debut on three new original songs co-produced with celebrated producer, Silas Hite.
Additionally, Ricky has just started work on his second annual Los Angeles Cumbia
Festival which debuted this past summer to thousands of Cumbia fans in attendance.
Follow up @elpaisafilm on Instagram
EL PAISA, Full Promotional Information
Title: EL PAISA (17 min.) English/Spanish. Digital. Color
Writer/Director: Daniel Eduvijes Carrera
Producer: Miguel Angel Caballero
Executive Producer for LPB: Sandie Viquez Pedlow
Supervising Producers for LPB: Luis Ortiz & Michael Mendoza
Executive Producers: Luis Enrique Marquez and Veronica Terán
Director of Photography: Smokey Nelson
Starring: Cristian Urbina, David Ty Reza, Rocío López, Eric Flores
Editor: Agusta Einarsdottir
Co-Producer: Enrique Cruz Torres
Production Design and Costumes: David Leonardo Padilla
Original Music: Silas Hite & Ricky Garay (Los Tigres del Acordeón for Cumbia Fever)
Trailer: https://youtu.be/RRFY3HEFsXY?si=LccVOEwnOvALM5-w
Instagram: @elpaisafilm
Facebook: @danitodebalazo
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