Backstage at the Egyptian with Jon Secada

Interview with Jon Secada

Conducted by Michaela Alcantar

Michaela: Who were the people that influenced you to go into a music career?

Jon: My first inclination to want to be a musician started with my high school music teacher. She inspired me at the time to want to study music at a University level.

Michaela: What was your first major concert like?

Jon: My first major concert experience was working with Gloria Estefan as a background vocalist, where I had the opportunity to also be featured as a soloist.

Michaela: What gave you the idea to fuse together pop, soul, and Latin percussion?

Jon: My fusion influences came from being raised in South Florida. The diverse ethnic and pop culture nature of Miami was the platform of my music.

Michaela: How was it working with so many talented performers throughout your career?

Jon: One of the highlights throughout my career has been the opportunity to collaborate with so many Artist. The great things have been that each experience has been unique in and of itself.

Michaela: What got you into your humanitarian work with children, education, AIDS research, other causes, and finally creating your very own “Jon Secada Charities”?

Jon: I always felt that being a successful public figure carried an inherited responsibility to give back and try to be an example, especially for a younger generation.

Michaela: Is there a project, performance, or collaboration that, still to this day, stands out to you personally?

Jon: I think that of all the collaborations I’ve been a part of, singing in a live concert performance with Pavarotti in his home town in Italy will always stay in the forefront of my mind.

Michaela: What kind of performance should the audience be looking forward to?

Jon: My concerts at this stage of my career are a journey of just about everything that’s been a featured part of what I’ve done. My song writing experience, my recording career, collaborations and theatrical shows. The audience should walk away with a pretty good sense of almost 30 years of my musical history.