The Great Beyond

The music of Miami-born Cubanito CHRIS RODRIGUEZ reaches listeners around the world

I pulled up to the unsightly façade of C-Rod Studios where I was scheduled to meet with one of Miami's few native songwriters and producers, Chris Rodriguez. I walked in and immediately the expression "Don't judge a book by its cover" came to mind. The studio has a New York loft style décor and feel but abounds in much more square footage and a certain coolness that immediately makes you think "wow…this place is amazing!" I was then given the "five cent tour" as Chris likes to put it, and a few minutes later we were comfortably sitting in his control room talking and listening to his latest work. Now, I admit I'd known about Chris for quite some time and had heard many of the songs he's produced and written. I knew him as another Latin songwriter and producer, since the greater part of his success comes from working with luminaries in the Latin music world like Paulina Rubio, Chayanne, Thalia, Ricky Martin, and Celia Cruz among others. What I didn't know was that his work goes far beyond the Latin market and that he is constantly working his magic all over the world. His songs have topped the international and national charts for weeks and his reach goes as far as Australia where not long ago he had a #1 hit. He's also constantly doing remixes for huge artists worldwide. There's just a certain modern edge to this writer's composition and production style that makes his sound unique and outside the box.

As I heard the first songs he played me, I realized not only that his songwriting was extremely colorful and elegant, but that he is what I like to call a chameleon. He loves being a Miami-born Cubanito, and these flavorful roots come across in his musical expression, but speak to him in Spanish and you quickly realize his comfort zone is in English, and this applies to his music as well. His catalog of songs is comprised of fascinating melodies and lyrics, which in most cases are accompanied by aweinspiring arrangements that even Nelson Riddle would tip his hat to.

While many writers have spent the past several years pitching songs to different artists, Rodriguez has slowly been pulling together all the necessary ingredients needed to create his own independent record label, a home to the various artists he has been developing during this time. C-Rod Music Studios, his production hub, is the headquarters to The Rosemine Group, a company that understands today's music industry. Its team works the independent route with as many hours as the day allows, and while Chris continues to work with big name artists in his humble way, the wheels are always in motion with his indie artists. One of these artists recently upgraded to a deal with Epic Records and Sony/ATV, and all the others have such a strong niche that publishing companies are jumping to sign them just based on their upcoming indie releases.

In a nutshell, what transpires through Chris Rodriguez's music is a breath of fresh air.

—Karl Avanzini