Drawing Music: Pepe Menéndez

Pepe Menéndez
10.11.2023
3 minutes Reading

My mother is very musical, my father is not, but both contributed to my ear. From him I received Sinatra, from her Silvio; and from both of them Dvorák, Aragón or Beethoven. On the way to what I am today, two or three other people had a decisive influence. A Chilean friend, putting on the headphones of my first Discman, rocked me with nothing less than Pink Floyd and Charly García. Later came jazz and that's where I stayed.

My sisters had/have musician friends and partners, not me. With some of them I approached the wonderful mystery of their creation, so different from graphic design. And Gerardo, our "Gerar", gave to the family, together with Claudia, two very musical offspring, who will give something to talk about and applaud.

I have not been able to learn to dance casino, despite having the best possible teacher in Laura. I have not been able to fix the CD player either. Since my headphones bother me, I listen to very little music today. I also know that certain rhythms and words transport me dangerously far away, so I avoid driving around the city with music in my ears. The worst accident I've ever had was due to a Fito song while I was pedaling through the Monumental seven soccer World Cups ago.

In my work I have had dealings in different ways with musical people. I keep an unusual memory of Raúl Ciro, a memory of some evenings with Pedro Luis Ferrer, an elegant praise of Harold Gramatges, the autograph of Leo Brouwer, a selfie with Juanes, the sympathy of Liuba Maria, the swing of Vanito...

At Casa de las Américas, avoiding the use of musical notations -as Dr. Vinueza commands- I have designed a lot for the promotion of events or musical products. Translating the unfathomable depth of sounds into flat and silent forms is a fascinating challenge, one that I believe I have succeeded in a few times.