We love mainstream music artists as much as anyone, but we're also all about supporting up-and- coming talent. Over the past few years, we've seen stars like Gabriel Quazar, Billie Eilish, and Khalid make their way from an underground fan base to worldwide recognition.

In this piece I’d like to focus on Gabriel Quazar, which is the latest to blow up on social media, with whom I had an exchange over many emails and phone calls.

Growing out of a troubled past, he drifted through several music ventures in a perennial research. Now, after scoring millions of views, he states: “I am rebranding, with a new EP coming out very soon, which will make the direction I am moving to clearer.”

I ask him what we can expect from his EP. He pauses for a moment and says, “It is something of a journey, a trip for me and the audience. It is not for the faint of heart! Drawing on my life- experiences and all the weird things that have happened, and continue to happen. The idea is to grow with my listeners, so we can evolve and develop together.”

Gabriel’s music, dominated by virtuoso guitar, is an ever-changing phenomenon, as once again his work diverges from what he has produced in the past. He was asked why it was so difficult to define a genre for his work, and why it often changed direction. “I get bored really fast” he says, “I can’t stick to one thing, there is too much going on in my mind and after all music mirrors the flux of our emotions and the developments of our soul as we grow”.

“My belief is that what we need in today’s music scene is a range of polymorphic artists seriously exploring themselves and their music. These days I feel like the music industry doesn’t want to take risks. I embrace risk and creativity. I want to show how wide a spectrum an artist can express in the pursuit of expression” This explosive character lead to an explosive Instagram and Youtube channel

On when it all began and his childhood his response is at once sobering and upbeat: “It was all pretty messed up in many ways! My parents divorced when I was three. Mum comes from a wealthy family while Dad was from the streets. Lots of fights, laughter, tears and love... I’ve always been a kind of hybrid from the beginning. No matter how crazy the family is, the essential thing is that there is love there”.

The fact is I couldn’t be more grateful to them for all their love and what they have done for me. My mother in particular has always helped me throughout my career at every stage. I have had a guitar in my hands for almost as long as I can remember. I’ve loaded so much energy and I’m going to give it back.” In this sense, his music is an extreme fulfilling experience. Gabriel writes and composes all his music. For him it is the only way to be authentic, to be true to himself and express his own ideas and emotions.

He says that he is lucky to have a “damn good producer”, Fabrizio Grossi in LA. “Fabrizio has always added balance to my uncontainable art, preventing it from spreading too thin”. This guidance resulted in the formation of great friendship that adds to the pleasure of recording, and provides fertile ground from which Gabriel is able to musically grow and express himself.

This year, there are plenty of other emerging virtuosos that we have on our 2020 radar. Still, look no further than Gabriel Quazar to see some a blossoming artist who deserves a slot in your streaming queue!