“Detachment” It is one of the songs on the album The incredible coolthe new creative game from Mike Amigorena, with which this month begins his first national tour through Rosario, Mendoza, Córdoba, La Plata and Buenos Aires. He himself clarifies that It is easy for him to detach himself because of his restless nature. But at the same time, when something comes naturally to him, he supports it and makes it grow almost without realizing it. An example of that is the path he built as a musician.
He has been attracted to music since he was eight years old. When he was a child, he liked to hunt for sounds, imitate voices, let yourself be carried away by the labyrinths of the songs of the eighties. He later formed bands such as Ambulance, Mox and He gave life to three albums as a soloist. And in between, he premiered works, recorded series with leading roles (such as The mind of powera creation of TNT and Flow that will premiere soon), developed gastronomic experiences such as Mik3poccard and even designed a line of tableware with his seal. Today, in addition, continues with projects like Jubilandia, a band with which he gives shows in nursing homes, and has its section at the end of Blessed.
His melodies invite us to travel along uncertain and surreal paths; they are catchy and light, like the state he feels in his life today. One Friday afternoon he turned on the zoom camera, and from his kitchen, a place he loves to frequent, he told more about his new musical work.
–We spoke for a note in 2020. From then until now, what has changed? What is going better?
–Everything is better, because in 2020 Honey came into my life. A child has a vital component: that Never be bad again, because you are willing to learn 24/7 and that makes you another person. It intervenes in any discipline you do. It is not easy at all, but it is bearable, it shapes you as an individual. The son in my case was like a thesis, I’m 52 years old and I’ve always liked being an older father. In these last four years there has been a lot of life going on, which wasn’t the case before. This album is much more mature than the previous one, and as an actor I feel that way too.
–Is there any similarity between “The Incredible Cool” and The Incredible Hulk? Or is it just a coincidence?
–I wanted to play with the name, There is a similarity with the comic strip, But it’s not that there’s something wrong with my strength, or that I’m a monster or a beast, but this is like a superhero. It was an ornament that had to do with me, because of this transformation that occurred in my life. And the word “cool” comes from light, from fresh.
–Going to the cover art, how did Alejandro Ros arrive at that synthesis between your head and a high-heeled shoe?
–I had an image of myself wearing a stiletto in my head. But it required a photo shoot, creating an angle, having a good shoe like that; so Ale suggested I design a kind of logo. At first I was shocked, but at the same time I said: “How practical!” because my body is not visible, I am not playing with my features, it is simply a profile photo. The photo said so much that I liked it.
–What would you like people to imagine when they see it?
-I think There is a duality of elegance, femininity, fashion, trend, and it is also a young, friendly, fresh album that accompanies you on a journey, ideal to listen to while cooking, cleaning your house, or at a pre-dance, or an after party. This album is a super partner, my intention is for people to put it on their playlist and may it accompany you all in your challenges, your journeys, your walks; may it make you want to dance it, to sing it.
–There is a song that says: “All the night, that’s what it is, lemon pie.” What is the reason for that association?
–“All the night” comes from the Gigolo’s catchphrase (N. of the R.: Javier Bazterrica). That phrase stuck with me; I made a parallel between Gigolo, Lemon Pie and Gualeguay. A dichotomy, a paradox, like throwing daisies before pigs. It is a bit self-referential: I was an altar boy and an Indian at the same time; I was thrown out of all the schools. I was an altar boy out of curiosity, because my mother was very devout and I took it as a program, a prank, I stole the hosts and ate them in the square. And a way to be lenient, or for them to be lenient with me. By doing that, I was protected: “My mom is not going to tell me anything.”
–Like you were sanctified.
–Yes, that impunity thing.
–Nowadays, what could you say you truly believe in?
–I only trust in the consequence or the repercussion of your actions. I am not a big believer. I am Catholic, I was born into a Catholic family in Mendoza, but I never professed religion, it never fulfilled me.
–There are several Mikes in Mike, do the actor and the singer feed off the same thing or do they function as different worlds inside you?
–It’s all the same. It’s a body, an instrument that I use for different disciplines, but I was always much more receptive to music than to acting, It seems more natural to me. I’m more intrigued by singers, I have more experience in music than in film or theatre. But it’s the same thing, it’s changing discipline to make room for creative play.
–What did you listen to this week? What was on your playlist?
–Still Woozy, Álex Anwandter. I’m very random, I like to put something on and have that same playlist take me who knows where. Electropop is very important in Argentina today. Miranda!, for example, was great how it reinvented itself with the latest release; Alex Anwandter, Silvestre and The Orange. It’s an emerging sound that’s very accessible, I love it.
–You have already presented the album to different audiences, what did you take away from having played?
–The impact of the public is much broader and more consistent, because the sound is more adult, I am better positioned. This album was five years in the making, it was pre-pandemic, and it was influenced by my fatherhood, so it came about in a different way. When I play it I feel much more contained, because of the arrangements, the melodies, the lyrics.
The stage gives me the same thing that the altar boy gives me: there is power, impunity, a protective membrane. When I come down, I feel protected. Then I really enjoy what I do afterwards, whether it’s a drink, a meal, or a get-together with loved ones. There’s a huge relaxation that keeps me suspended. It’s like “I’ve completed that mission”; like a firefighter who puts out the fire and goes home.
–In the song “Chacarita,” you talk about a tour of the neighborhood. What is your favorite route?
–The circuit I follow is Newbery, Olleros, Corrientes, Álvarez Thomas, Lacroze. I walk around the neighborhood, I’m from there. I go to eat at Guchito, at Lutero, at Donnet, at Pollo Rico, which is a Peruvian restaurant I’ve been going to since 2010. I often go to Bar Guevar, which I live across the street from, and to Artlab when they invite me. That place is beautiful.
–Speaking of gastronomy, your homeland is Mendoza, do you go there often? What happens to you when you go?
–I go there often, I was there recently, I go to see my mother, sisters, nephews, to recharge my energy, to see friends. I go to the mountains, to Potrerillos. This trip was more internal, I spent a lot of time with my mother, that necessary dose.
–If you had to choose moments of great joy in your life, which would they be?
–Nothing compares to eating alone, watching people go by. Because there is no stress, it is just the enjoyment of having time. At this point in my life, that is the most beautiful thing for me, having time to spend on things I like: cooking, going out to eat.
–In your Mik3poccard experience you exploit that gastronomic side.
-Yeah, There we cooked with Carolina Poccard, and I sing along to the dishes. I love cooking. We recently made brioche bread, with grilled sausage like a hot dog, and humita, and I serve that dish singing “Babé,” a song from my second album.
–You have several projects related to music: with Jubilandia you will sing at nursing homes. What motivates you about that?
–We always go with classics, zambas, tangos, those that make the grandfather feel identified and can sing them. A symbiosis is generated, a gratitude on their part, and nourishment for us, which reinforces that membrane I was talking about, which I feel when I play.
–Is there any phrase from this latest album that you feel represents you right now?
–“Suddenly success and failure fit in a glass, always one step away from the abyss,” that is a passage from “Detachment.”
–What do you feel you had to let go of?
–Detaching myself is something that has been around for my whole life. You have to detach yourself from everything.
Photos: Cande Allende