Ray Guell

A Shy Guy With Broadway Dreams: Ray Guell

What songs did he release?
He started with “Just Another Lover” in 1989. Then there was “You Took My Heart” in 1992. In 1996, he released “Inspiration,” followed by “Love Will Come” 2 years later. In 2008, he released “In Your Eyes,” a return to his Miami dance roots.

Where is he from?
He was born and raised in Miami, Florida, but has also lived in Los Angeles and New York City. He embraces his Cuban ancestry.

How did he get started in music?
His was a delayed process. As a boy, he lacked confidence in his singing ability, especially since kids around him made cruel jokes about his voice. So, instead of singing, he studied acting and dancing in college and at UCLA. He still wishes to perform in a Broadway show.

So how did he start singing?
In college, a friend asked him to audition a duet with her, “With You I’m Born Again”. Ironically, Ray got the part, while she did not. He started vocal training, but all of the voice teachers wanted to make him sound like an opera singer, while Ray was more of a musical theater type of singer. His earlier lyrics are full of heartbreak and sorrow, and that is mostly due to a disastrous breakup of a relationship.

How sad!
Well, he took those emotions and worked them into a successful music career. He assembled a new-wave band called Opportunity Knocks. A record label signed him, but not the band. The label hooked him up with Tolga Katas. Ray went to Tolga’s house and they felt each other’s vibe instantly in tolga’s home studio. Tolga recorded and programmed some instrumental tracks while Ray wrote the lyrics to “You Took My Heart”.

Wait a minute. I thought “Just Another Lover” was his first single.
Indeed, it was, but “You Took My Heart” was supposed to be his first single. When he and Tolga got together again to lay down the background vocals, Ray had an idea for another single and the duo started messing around with it. That song became “Just Another Lover”. The lyrics came to Ray as he was listening to Tolga’s instrumental track while driving home. The lyrics came easily to him as they were pretty much autobiographical.

What types of music inspired him?
As a kid, he played and played the old Motown and R & B records. A teenaged Ray Guell discovered Disco and his favorite diva, Donna Summer. Disco is still a favorite of his. Disco was his entree into dance music. Today, he also admires Madonna, Celia Cruz, Beyonce, Sade, Shante Moore, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Morcheeba, Andrea Boceli, Barry White, and Calle 13, among others.

What is his most memorable experience?
That would be hearing his song on the radio for the first time. He was driving to a party and his song was being played on a mix show on Miami’s Power 96. It made him cry like a baby; a surreal experience he says he only shared with God.

What does Freestyle mean to Ray Guell?
It is a fusion of many dance music styles, but all stemming from disco. He loves Freestyle’s infectious bass and kick. Ray had a great time as a Freestyle artist, working with a long list of different producers, including Chris Barbosa, Giuseppe D, Luis Martine, Georgie Porgie, and Tolga. Each producer has created a different experience.

What was his biggest disappointment of his career?
Personally, he loved his Inspiration album, due especially to its ballads and its diversity. However, problems in its release made resulted in fewer sales than Ray had hoped for. Ray Guell originally planned on releasing the Inspiration album on his own label, Groovy Tunes, but some shady characters in the record company did some dishonest things and Ray ended up having to pull that album from the market. He loves that album so much, he gives away free copies at his performances, so his fans can experience what he wanted to share with them.

Does he still make Freestyle music?
He has shifted to “electronica,” which he says has a Freestyle influence. He likes to experiment and try other styles. In 2007, he worked with Pablo Rainer, creating a “luxury house” or “light electronica” sound. His new single, “In your Eyes” came from those productions. Ray sang vocal accappellas and Jorge Ojeda remixed the tracks.

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