NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN | MARCH 23-29, 2011 | BOHEMIAN.COM
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Alma Shaw
Romance Best Serenade of LaptopPowered Love
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n the side of Alberto Martinez’ big white van is a full-color photograph of himself, microphone in hand, cowboy hat on his head, eyes closed in concentration—singing a love song, quite obviously, with all his heart. “I love to sing,” says Martinez, of Healdsburg, leading the way past his van and into his garage. “When I sing,” he says, firing up his computer, “all of my troubles go away. That’s what happens to the people listening, too.” Martinez—known as “El Cantante”—and his karaoke program have become prominent fixtures at weddings, parties, restaurants and quinceañeras. The sheer charm of his full-throttle performances aren’t lessened by the fact that his “band” is a machine. “To me, sure, it would be easier
singing with a real band than singing karaoke,” admits Martinez. “I used to be with a band, but we didn’t agree on everything, so we . . . kaboom! But we were very good! Now I just use my karaoke machine, and people like that a lot.” Most of the songs he sings he has memorized—no small feat. “I don’t have that many songs yet,” he says humbly. “Only about 275 songs.” A year ago, Martinez suffered a serious injury while working his day job at a local winery, resulting in a broken knee and tibia. He now has 18 screws and three pieces of metal in his leg, and is often still in pain. “Sometimes,” he says, “it makes me so sad when I think about my accident. Since that time, I’m not the same guy as before. I used to be really—what’s the word?—I used to go zoom-zoom, all
around, all over town. Now I’m more at home all the time, because I am in so much pain sometimes. But when I sing, all the pain goes away. I feel like a new guy.” Martinez tests his microphone, hits a few keys on his laptop and music fills the garage. Though his audience this afternoon is only a reporter and a photographer, Martinez gives a wonderfully energetic performance. “People really love it when I sing,” Martinez says. “They tell me, ‘Hey Alberto, someday you are going to go far.’ I hope so. “So,” he says, a big smile on his face as he taps again at his karaoke screen, “you want to hear another?” Alberto Martinez, 707.228.4849.—D.T.
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