Wacha: outstanding singer
POR PATRICIA MIRALBÉS
TRANSLATED BY EMMA PORTER
He’s not a morning person due to the frequent bouts of insomnia he often suffers from. His day starts late, and the first thing he does upon waking up is drink a cup of black coffee since, as he says, a good day is always accompanied by a good cup of coffee. Then, he sets his agenda for the day’s activities, which vary from creating content for his different social media platforms, preparing logistics for a concert, rehearsals, etc.
At 11 p.m., he does his exercise routine, and then, in the sleepless hours, a melody may emerge that brings a new song to life. This is a day in the life of Wacha, a 33-year-old singer-songwriter from Quetzaltenango who discovered his love for music from a young age. His nickname originated from a friend in his youth; “Wacha” comes from the Kaqchiquel term “Wachalal,” which means brother.
Alan André González, known in the artistic world as Wacha, is the youngest in his family, and, as they say, “the youngest ones tend to be the most artistic.” This theory isn’t proven, but in this case, it’s entirely true. Wacha was 8 years old when he wrote his first song dedicated to his mom, another to his dog, and one more for the rain. It was as a child, in a living room, watching his uncle play the organ, where he first noticed the joy that music brought to people.
Time passed, and at the age of 20, he entered university to study architecture in Guatemala City and saw the opportunity to perform for a young audience. He learned to play the guitar and started singing covers. He joined a cumbia group, singing at weddings, university events, bars, and any event where he was hired.
Finding a 9-to-5 job was no longer necessary for him because his music began to generate income. At the age of 27, he decided to shift away from covers and start singing his own songs. “Thinking that after seven years in the industry, people would want to pay for my songs was the worst mistake,” he comments. Taking this risk reduced the bookings, but the expenses remained. In the midst of these difficulties, he decided to record his first album, “Hecho en Casa” (“Made at Home,” in English), in his apartment in the capital city and give it away to people to give them the opportunity to listen to it. He said, “The result was good; people liked it a lot. A friend told me to upload the album to Spotify. I didn’t want to because the quality wasn’t good, but in the end, I did it, and people liked it.”
The decision to take risks for his own compositions was the right one. Today, he has managed to capture the public’s taste with several songs like “Al otro lado de la luna” (The Other Side of the Moon), “Besayunarte” (Kiss and Eat You for Breakfast), “Calma” (Calm), “Al lado del piano” (Next to the Piano), and “Si la vida es muy cruel” (Yes Life is Very Cruel), among other hits inspired by love and heartbreak.
The journey hasn’t been easy, especially in a country like Guatemala, where pursuing art isn’t straightforward. “The biggest challenge that a national artist faces is economic because art costs money. Creating a good show isn’t cheap, and sometimes, they don’t want to pay what’s fair. The biggest fear is investing, getting excited, creating, and having no one consume it,” he noted.
However, this hasn’t stopped him from continuing in the world of music, and perseverance has been key. Nowadays, Wacha considers himself fortunate to say that he lives entirely off music in his home country, but he doesn’t rule out trying his luck abroad one day.
Undoubtedly, music has brought him great satisfaction. One of the things he enjoys the most is “being part of people’s lives without them knowing me personally, being able to be the soundtrack of their lives.” Today, with a prolific career in the industry to back him up, Wacha encourages future generations who want to pursue music to be consistent. “They also have to learn to manage their career both artistically and administratively. Don’t stop creating, become professionals in your art, and do things as best as you can because music will always find its moment and its time,” he advises.
Patricia Miralbés; I am an actress and a journalism graduate. I collaborate with the ENTREMUNDOS Magazine writing cultural articles; it’s an opportunity to combine two of my great passions: art and communication. Continue reading the article at entremundos.
