Carlito Olivero is an LA-based singer, songwriter, and actor. He began singing in English and Spanish at the age of 5, and today his urban-based, rhythmic pop sound sets him apart from the current pop/R&B landscape.
In 2007, Carlito starred on the MTV reality show, “Making Menudo,” where he earned a spot on the band and signed with Sony records. Carlito left the band and moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to star in the Mario Van Peebles directed, teen-based film entitled “We The Party” (released in 2012).
He went on to compete on the hit TV show “X Factor” on Fox. Ending the competition as a top 3 finalist and becoming one of the first latino contestants to ever participate on the show. With two major films hitting theaters in 2015, Carlito is continuing to grow his acting and songwriting skills while collaborating with numerous industry pros across the country.
Table of Contents
8:25 – If you had to describe yourself as a band, song, or genre, what would it be?
10:34 – How did you get started in the music business?
15:38 – Looking back at your career, what stands out to you as your proudest moment?
18:00 – What’s been one of your biggest failures, and what lessons did you learn from that moving forward?
23:13 – Three things artists should be doing today to grow their fan-base and move their careers forward
If you had to describe yourself as a band, song, or genre, what would it be?
I’m a time-frame. The 1960’s. That’s when music was really on the rise. There were so many amazing artists in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones. They changed the face of music indefinitely. I want to be that name that hasn’t been mentioned yet. There hasn’t been one Latino artist that has been able to capture the American market, the Latino market, and the whole world on their own.
How did you get started in the music business?
I’ve been in choir my whole life. In Chicago, there is a high school called Lincoln Park High School. It’s a music high school, a high school that majors in musical arts. It is one of the best high schools in the state of Illinois. They compete all around the world with their music program. I was in choir all 4 years and I was in 5 different choirs. Early on, I was constantly competing.
Looking back at your career, what stands out to you as your proudest moment?
I was born and raised in Chicago. Before Menudo and before X-Factor and before all this stuff, I remember performing in Chicago for a crowd of 10 people. I was so happy for those 10 people that came through. I was like: “OMG, there are 10 people!” It was the best thing in the world.
After X-Factor, which helped get me to where I needed to be. I had the talent, the music, the work, the dedication. I had everything that I needed, but X-Factor got me to a place where I could be seen. And the rest would have to do with the talent and material that I put out.
What’s been one of your biggest failures, and what lessons did you learn from that moving forward?
I can’t really name a biggest failure, but I can pull out a couple of details about me, and things that I tend to fail at. First would be doubt. It’s something that I’ve really learned to overcome and master after X-Factor. There was always doubt in my head. Even as far as the shows: “Oh man, is anyone gonna come? Is my voice okay? Is this song good? Are they gonna like this?”
I was like that so much before the show until I saw how many people were supporting me. I’ve been doing this for so many years, why be nervous? I’m trained, I know exactly what I’m doing, I’ve been doing this all alone since I was a kid, and now that I’m at the point where I always wanted to be in my life, why have doubt? You are prepared!
Three things artists should be doing today to grow their fan-base and move their careers forward:
- Engage your fans through social media. Times are different, it is not longer just the music business. It’s the social media business. You can no longer just record music and put it out like back in the day. Nowadays, everyone has free music. It’s not like you’re being different when you say, “Hey, download my music for free.” They can get millions and millions of songs for free. Artists need to be on their social media and engage their fans. Even if you have three fans. Do not let your ego get ahead of you. You’ve got three loyal fans. It’s better than having zero fans. Talk to them!
- Make high-quality, consistent music releases. Don’t just release a song because you recorded yesterday and you’re in a rush to release it. You want to make sure that it is quality. You want to make sure that it is mixed right. You want to make sure that it’s mastered right. What you are writing has to make sense. You don’t want to be just another artist that has 50 views on a video that only gets another 50 views over the course of a year. The quality of material has to be amazing, along with the quantity. People forget, they have short-term memories. They may love your song, your song may be the best thing in the world, but they are going to forget it in a month.
- Make as many contacts in the industry as you can. Make friends. Don’t think that you have to do everything by yourself. I have a lot of great friends who have become a part of my team. For example, all of my music videos have been done by one of my best friends, Denzel Whitaker. He’s an amazing video director, and we’ve been shooting two music videos a month. I’m trying to help him out, and he’s trying to help me out. So try to make as many contacts as you can in the industry.
The best ways to reach Carlito:
On the web:
http://CarlitoOfficial.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/CarlitoOfficialMusic
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/CarlitosWay89
Instagram:
Carlitosway89
Outro Music:
Find Your Way Back
Carlito
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