13 Questions with Katharsis de la Soul
13 Questions with Katharsis de la Soul
Interviewer Juan Hinestroza interviews emerging artist Katharsis de la Soul about artistic beginnings, creative messages, and his connection to Tupac.
Interviewer Juan Hinestroza interviews emerging artist Katharsis de la Soul about artistic beginnings, creative messages, and his connection to Tupac.
Interview by Juan Hinestroza
Photographs by @angieet_ph and @trell.dot
Katharsis de la soul is an emerging artist with great potential in music. From the age of 6 he began to realized that he had a love for performing, so he decided to being rapping and develop his artistic practice. A year and a half ago, he started releasing music in the hip hop - rap genre. His self-written songs are inspired largely by his personal experiences, and he is also a producer and filmaker, that crafts his own beats. In this interview, BlueBook Magazine talks to the young musician about artistic beginnings, creative messages, and his connection to Tupac.
“ I believe that I have a lot to release, and it would be like a liberation of the soul. That’s the meaning of my name.”
-Katharsis de la Soul
BB MAG: How did you start making music?
Katharis de la Soul (born as Santiago Quinto) is a talented rapper and producer characterized by his clever lyrics and strong delivery.
Katharsis: I was small, like around six or five years old, and that’s when I started to get interested in all of it. I began trying to beatbox, or something like that, and then later on, around ten or eleven years old, I wanted to produce, I wanted to learn how to make beats, I was already rapping. That’s how it started for me.
BB MAG: Who are some of your creative influences?
Katharsis: Well, from here in Colombia, we have Granuja Casas, Doble Porción, and there’s a long list because many rappers have inspired me.
BB MAG: What is the meaning of your stage name?
Katharsis: Well, the meaning of the name isn’t very complex. It’s actually simple. In this case, my name is in two parts. Starting with "Katharsis," which is the definition of liberating oneself through the art of acting or music. It’s like getting rid of things one has. So I believe that I have a lot to release, and it would be like a liberation of the soul. That’s the meaning of my name.
BB MAG: How would you describe your sound?
Katharsis: Yeah, I hadn’t thought about it. I would describe it as… different. Because I’m like all those little parts of all of my influences, all in one person.
BB MAG: What is your artistic process?
Katharsis' recent singles include "Maranata","Donde Carajos", and "Lapiz y Papel".
Katharsis: Well, at times it’s been frustrating because sometimes you get stuck. I’m the kind of person who likes to keep evolving, and when I reach a point where I’m stuck, that’s good because I take a break from art for a while, but when I come back, I return better. So, during the period when I was working on my project, I would get tangled up making beats or hit a creative block, or I’d try to write and it wouldn’t come out the way I wanted. So, I’d take a break, and when I came back, it was like I was a totally different person.
BB MAG: Which artist or song has had the biggest impact on you?
Katharsis: Well, I’d say an artist who has had a big impact on me is Tupac. Because I used to analyze a lot how he rapped when I was a kid, how he moved, how he worked. And how he lived his life. So I feel like there are a lot of things there.
BB MAG: Your favorite Tupac song?
Katharsis: Tupac’s diss track against Biggy (Hit ‘Em Up).
BB MAG: What has been your biggest achievement so far?
Katharsis: Well, at this point, getting to know many of the artists I admired, meeting them in person, and now having the possibility to work with them. That, I would say, is an achievement, and that my songs have reached wide audiences.
BB MAG: Why do you create art?
Katharsis: First, because music saved me. And second, for the love of it.
BB MAG:Where do you see your career going from here?
Katharsis: Well, at this moment, I see that my career is going well. I don’t feel it’s at its peak yet because I always want to reach higher.
BB MAG: What advice do you have for artists who are just starting out?
Katharsis: To study the mistakes of the artists who didn’t make it. Because we always focus on admiring those who succeeded. But why not look at those who also had talent but didn’t make it? What were their mistakes so we don’t repeat them?
BB MAG: What sets you apart from other artists?
Katharsis: I feel that it’s showing who I am because artists today just want to sell their songs, but they don’t want to show who they really are. So, I think that’s what sets me apart.
BB MAG: What’s your message as an artist?
Inspired by acts such as Granuja and Tupac, Katharsis de la Soul is dedicating to pushing his art forward.
Katharsis: That people can feel what I’m feeling too and realize that they’re not the only ones going through it, and that despite everything, you can keep going.
I am Juan Hinestroza. I was born in Antioquia, Apartado. But I grew up with Chocoanas customs, the department where I would finish my education.
I am a writer and lawyer. I am passionate about music, books, good views, wine and coffee.
