Elysé Blanco

Interview Photography by @jzwooden

It seems I have been under the influence of music since the beginning of my story. At the time of my entrance into the world we were living in Rancho San Sebastian with renowned German Artist, Helmuth Naumer, his “wild” pet turkey, an Arabian Stallion named Lady, and the loudest neighbor I had ever had the pleasure of living across the dirt road from. This gentleman would quite literally make our adobe casita rock with his soulful lead licks and rich baritone voice. It was none other than co-founder and guitarist of The Eagles, Glenn Frey! Perhaps The Eagles most iconic hit “Hotel California,” was written on that property. I suppose you could say music was floating around me in the ether somewhere.

My career in music was inspired by a few different ingredients. My Dad wanted me to be exposed to an eclectic mix of art and culture at a very early age. We would sit down and listen to vinyl records from beginning to end, read the liner notes, and talk about the album’s influence. We listened to everything from Miriam Makeba (world beat) to John Lee Hooker, Chopin, Led Zeppelin, The Stones, Neil Young, J.J. Cale, Bob Dylan, The Band, Clapton and Cream, the list continues. We had moved out of Rancho San Sebastian by 88’ and into the city limits of Santa Fe. A small open space behind our house was all that separated us from the outdoor Paolo Soleri Amphitheater. The first concert I ever attended was on my front porch listening in amazement to Stevie Ray Vaughan just two months before he was killed in a plane crash in Alpine Valley. THAT was the moment I knew I wanted to be a guitarist and a musician. For years to come until they tore the amphitheater down, I listened to many a concert from my front porch, King Sunny Ade, B.B. King, Santana, Leonard Cohen, and Crosby Stills and Nash to name a few.

The music that I create typically reflects the current state of affairs in the world. I write with much of the same sentiment as (Bob) Dylan. My writing style is very philosophical in nature. My message is to love one another, stand up for our rights as people of the world, help those less fortunate than us, and provoke the listener to form their own opinion. It is of no consequence to me if the listener likes my opinion, as long as it evokes a response and encourages another to think for themselves.

I attended a Liberal Art’s Elementary School. Our music teacher was a jazz cat from Chicago who played the trumpet. He exposed us to greats like Cab Calloway, Miles Davis, and Wynton Marsalis. He encouraged us to toss the recorder and pick up the wood wind instruments. I took to the flute, clarinet, French horn, and tuba. In middle school I picked up the guitar and learned how to play the blues from my Godfather who once played guitar for James Brown. My vibrato style on the guitar translated to a unique way to play the violin and my Orchestral Teacher was hip enough to encourage me to keep my signature stamp. Before I knew it I was playing Baroque and Chamber Music as a first chair violinist in a symphony orchestra. By High school I was in an Opera based choral group. All of those influences; jazz, blues, classical combined with the world beat and the rock and roll I grew up listening to on my front porch all fused together as one musical entity.

I have shared so many wonderful experiences with other artists, but one of the most rewarding experiences was in the beginning of my career when I had branched out into Fashion Design. We had a benefit for the musical organization “Playing for Change.” One of their first publicized videos was a cover of “Stand by Me.” For those that are not familiar with their organization, they are a global nonprofit organ- ization offering creative opportunities for marginalizedand at-risk youth. They find musicians from all over the world and have them play a song virtually together. As a proud New Mexican, when the song pans to the Twin Eagle Drum Group from Zuni Pueblo, we had our own Native American drummers and flutists play virtually on stage for the organization. The concept that for one moment, the one thing that unites us all as human beings regardless of our division is music, and we were making art together as people of the world no one race, creed, or religion. Very Powerful.

Passion is what fuels my desire to be a part of this difficult industry. My own need of self-expression, the crowd reaction; their tears, their personal connection, their story is what drives me to perform and is the fuel to overcome and contend with the challenges.

I think today’s industry is filled with artists that seem to have lost their own identity to being another cog in the giant music machine. I think what makes me stand apart in an industry overflowing with new talent is my devotion to staying true to my message. It has been a journey and has taken me many years, but I have come to the place of acceptance and gratitude for who am I as another unique human being on this earth with my own story to tell and perform.

My business started from a dream... literally. I have always been a believer in what you think about (good or bad) eventually manifests. For me, I used to paint in my studio and constantly daydream about what it must have been like for the Old Master’s with their lavish, sacred spaces to create. In the daydream I had always envisioned a studio like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera’s big blue house in Mexico.

One day, I am going about life as usual and meet someone who dramatically changed my life path, and eventually became my husband.

As we became acquainted we talked about what we wanted the next phase of our lives to look like. He told me life for him in the future was going to be art and music, he wanted to be surrounded with like minded artists who shared the same goal as most artists do, to give mankind something of depth to think about and to propel our society forward through artistic innovation. He shared he wanted his home to be on the Studio Art Tour his village put on every year... but he wasn’t a painter, a phenomenal musician, but not a painter. I laughed... “I am a painter!” I said with enthusiasm. “An art collector, appreciator like you!” I shared with him I had always dreamed of having a Big Blue Studio like Frida Kahlo. He laughed... “I live in a Big Blue House!”

Fast forward several trips around the sun, we renovated our Big Blue Home and Studio together with the sentiment we both share. With the encouragement of family and friends and so much love and gratitude, we are now La Casa Azul Fine Art and Interiors.

La Casa Azul Fine Art and Interiors Building, renovating, and designing the concept of home for the Albuquerque and surrounding areas. If you can think it, if you can dream it, you can do it.