We were lucky to catch up with Kenya Autie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kenya, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned to be a Producer by doing and also by reading and researching. The role of the Producer is an ongoing learning experience, and I still learn from every project. The first project I produced was for a band called Lucid Rays. They came to the recording studio without a producer to record three demo songs. I was in the studio because I like their songs, and I wanted to enjoy the recording process. Every once in a while they came to the control room and asked the engineer and me what we thought. I gave them my honest opinions, and they liked them. On the second song, they pulled me aside to the next room and said something like “We want you to be our producer and help us with our music.” I was honored and at the same time a little scared to do it, but I liked their music so much that I said “yes.” This was over 10 years ago: The beginning of a beautiful, professional and ongoing relationship. Ever since, I have worked on every song and every album they have created. Lucid Rays was just the stepping stone to a new career where the sky was the limit. I started getting hired first by friends, and then by artists I didn’t know, then by other (and bigger) record labels. Every project added new tools to my toolbox in terms of knowledge and resources. I also did a lot of research before starting to work on projects where the genre was practically new for me. For example, when I worked on “Sueños sublimes: Música desde al alma” a classical album by Claudia Montero and with co-producer Mercedes Montero, I had to learn a lot about orchestra instrumentation, microphony, how to isolate the instruments in the studio, etc. This project was not only challenging from the music production perspective, but also from the logistic perspective because we had to find a way to record an entire orchestra in a studio during COVID. We had to follow COVID guidelines and get creative regarding the positioning of musicians. I never went to school to learn production, but I have enough of a music background to be able to understand and provide direction. As a producer, it’s very important to have a vision of what needs to be achieved and align the project to that vision. The role of the producer could be very vast, but every producer has a different approach. There are producers who only make electronic beats, and there are other producers like me, who make creative decisions (co-writing, editing, sound design, and working directly with the arranger, musicians and engineers in the recording, mixing and mastering stages), and logistic decisions (financial, personnel, credits, album design, release deliverables, etc). Neither type of production is right or wrong. Every project requires a different type of involvement from the producer based on the type of project, the size of the project, the amount of musicians involved, the genre, etc. I think to be a producer, it’s important to be able to work well with others, to be organized, to be creative, and to have integrity, but most importantly to have fun doing what you love.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Music Producer and have produced and co-produced over 45 albums. I studied guitar at the Conservatory Guillermo Tomas in Havana, Cuba and started working as a producer in my own studio and record label “El Cerrito Records” since 2009. My husband and I work together. He is the Engineer and does recording, mix and mastering, while I work on the music production and general production. My clients see me as a visionary because I approach music production from many different angles but in a holistic manner. I am a multi-GRAMMY® Award Winning Producer, and I treat my clients with the love and respect they deserve. I am enthusiastic and very passionate about my work as a Producer. You can find more information about our projects and work at www.elcerritorecords.com and IG: @elcerritorecords

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Music is my life, but I come from a non-musical family where music wasn’t much appreciated. In fact, I was often discouraged by my family to continue my music career. There was only one person in my family (my late first cousin, Omar Blanco Martinez), who encouraged me to continue playing guitar and making music. In addition, being a Latin woman in the music business has always been difficult. I feel that as a woman I have to prove myself more than a man who has the exact same job. This is changing, but we still have a lot of work to do to recognize women in producing and engineering roles. Despite all the roadblocks and issues, I continue to pursue my career in music because my work as a producer is very rewarding emotionally, and I hope I can inspire other women who might be having similar experiences.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Being an artist or a music professional takes years and lots of study and practice, but most of the times independent musicians don’t get compensated or rewarded properly for their work. Some minorities are even more affected due to bias and lack of resources. Many artists I know can’t support themselves through their creative jobs, and they need to have additional, non-music related jobs. We need help from the government to pass legislation that will positively impact creative individuals (better wages, increase royalty payments, provide a good system for health benefits, etc.). We should continue to educate people about the importance of supporting creative minds in our society. Attending live shows, buying merchandise, listening to music, supporting artists in social media, are some of the ways to help artists and their music career. We also need the continued support of professional organizations highlighting the importance of inclusiveness and support for the arts.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elcerritorecords.com
• Instagram: @elcerritorecords
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kenya.autie
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenyaautie/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElCerrRecords