Severo Y Grupo Fuego
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Severo Y Grupo Fuego

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | SELF

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | SELF
Band Latin Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"Songs from the Heart"

As a child, Severo Martinez would sing for family events, and he didn’t sing for cheap—he charged a dollar per song.

Martinez was raised in the quiet village of Chimayo east of Española. “I come from a family of school teachers,” he says. His mother worked for the Española School District and was the secretary at the high school. His Grandma, Euralia Vigil, worked as an elementary school teacher for thirty-two years in small towns around Northern New Mexico. His dad is a successful contractor, and he has one older brother who works for Los Alamos National Laboratories (LANL).

The first original song Martinez wrote and recorded is one that came from the heart, Amor de Familia (Love of Family), the title cut for his first CD released in 2005. “My whole family has always been there for me,” he says. His mother and grandmother, both retired, listen to the radio all day, he explains. “My mother has three radios going. Every day she gives me the report on how many of my songs played.”

His most requested song is Amor de Familia. “I don’t think I’ll ever top that one. It’s like I’m competing with myself. But that’s okay,” he says with a laugh.

Today Martinez, still in his twenties, sings with a nine-member band and has three CDs out. The songs he enjoys composing are rooted in Hispanic culture and tradition; many of them are written in traditional ranchera style. Inspiration came from his second grade schoolteacher, Alicia Vela, he says. “She had a lot of different records. She would let me listen to them during recess instead of going outside. When my second CD came out, she presented me with three of those records I listened to in her class.”

In high school, Martinez learned singing techniques in chorus and listened to New Mexico artists such as Perfeccion and the Blue Ventures. He received his teaching degree from the University of New Mexico while he worked for LANL. “All my pay went for college and to fund my first CD,” he says. Steve Chavez, a musician who ran a well-known recording studio in Española, did all the instrumentation for his first and second CDs.

In the middle of creating his third CD, Martinez became the vocalist for his own band, Grupo Fuego, and began working with a producer in Albuquerque. His CDs have won the Upcoming Artist of the Year Award, the Salsa Tropical Song of the Year, the Latino Pop Song of the Year, and two other awards through the New Mexico Hispano Music Association.

Grupo Fuego plays at casinos and private events. “We put on one heck of a show every time we hit the stage,” Martinez says. “We may not get rich, but we really love what we do.”

You can get a Grupo Fuego CD at your local retail music store, or call 505-927-3274 for more information
- Craig Springer


Discography

Amor De Familia 2005
Quiero Mas 2007
Todo De Mi 2010
All have been on radio stations around New Mexico and Colorado.

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Bio

Severo is a native New Mexican born in Chimayo, New Mexico. Since a young age, he has always been drawn to music and has shown a love for acting. Learning his first songs at the age of three and performing at events all over the state since elementary school, he has gained a persona on stage and puts on a great show. Severo released his debut album in 2005. The album was titled, “Amor de Familia.” The title cut off of this album was well received by audiences all over the state and Southwest Region of the United States. This CD won Severo his first award as a recording artist. He was named “Upcoming Artist of the Year,” and also received 3 other nominations with this album. In 2008, Severo released his sophomore album titled “Quiero Mas.” With this album, Severo won two awards including: Latino/Pop Song of the Year and Salsa/Tropical Song of the year. In November 2010, Severo released his newest album titled “Todo de Mi.” This album includes many different styles of music that are sure to be well received by the public. Along with his new album, Severo has also created a new band ready to hit the New Mexico Latin Music scene. The band includes 9 members including a horns and percussion section. The band is made up of musicians from all over the United States. Severo y Grupo Fuego made their debut for the release of the new album. Not only is Severo a musician, he is an entertainer that makes anyone and everyone want to get up dance.
In 2008, Severo began his career in the movie industry starring in a short documentary about his life and musical career. This film focused on how a small town boy, has been able to make many of his dreams come true at such a young age. “Far from Ascension,” is Severo’s first full feature independent film that he was cast in and is very proud of his accomplishments. Severo’s love for music and acting go together well and allow him to be the ultimate entertainer.