Beto Vazquez Infinity

For some time, the bass player and Argentinean songwriter Beto Vázquez (leader and founder of the extinct band Nepal), continued enlarging his musical horizons, always accumulating new ideas, and with the hope of finally making a group of musicians that could fulfill and understand what he really wanted to transmit. This new creative stage in Beto's careeer uses very varied compositions in what refers to styles, leaving behind the songwriting parameters that he surrendered in the last years next to his former band (Nepal). In September of 1999, he finished to compose what would be a demo, which was listened by the record label Nems Enterprises, who immediately offered him a record deal. Vázquez would have the hard task now of finding musicians that were adjusted to the high standards that the project demanded. The company also suggested him that the album could be sang in English by voices of international fame, making it easy for the album to be released worldwide. Without a doubt, a great challenge for an Argentinean musician; difficult but not impossible... The drums should be recorded by some well known and respected musician, and Beto agreed with the producer that he should be Jörg Michael from Stratovarius. The surprising thing was that when the drummer listened the material, he accepted inmediately saying that he had also liked most of the arrangements of the demo. The election of the different voices was also a hard task, since diverse candidates were shuffled, being finally chosen Fabio Lione (Rhapsody, Vision Divine, Athena), Candice Night (Blackmore's Night), Tarja Turunen (Nightwish) and Sabine Edelsbacher (Edenbridge). Nevertheless, another problem for Beto was adapting the album project to the local live scene. As it was already mentioned before, he had to find appropriate musicians to perform his music. On drums, he needed somebody that could understand him almost perfectly, and viceversa. Luckily enough, Beto found that person before beginning the searching: Marcelo Ponce (Nepal), was the chosen one. The guitars were in charge of three excellent musicians whose styles can be appreciated in each participation, putting the fair touch to the given topic. The invited players were Pablo Soler (Humanimal), and Javier Bagalá (Nepal); meanwhile Gonzalo Iglesias became the stable guitarist of BVI. Without a doubt, they offered their best performance as it was required. The flute parts were executed by Lilah Bertolini, through the medieval flute and tin whistle. In the other hand, it was difficult to find the person that could interpret the arrangements and melodies in such sounds as violins, strings, chelos and effects, but Beto had already the perfect musicianfor the task: Danilo Moschen, an excellent keyboard player that he knew a while ago. When he commented him of the project, Danilo was surprised a lot but didn't doubt. They began to work every day without resting, until dawn, overturning the ideas onto the demo. Regarding the search for the appropiate vocalist (not an easy decision to make), Beto discovered the vocal work of Max Ditamo (Shangri La), contacting then the vocalist and explaining him what was the project about. Max immediately accepted, and began to work following the ideas already thought by Vázquez, and starting the songwriting of melodies and lyrics, and sharing them with Vázquez until arriving together to the final result. All the songs (except the cover versions), were created by Beto Vázquez and performed by the band. This way, in charge of the songwriting, the musical direction, the arrangements; and playing four & five strings bass, acoustic and electric, Vázquez was able to expand his potential as a musician and give shape to a new project based on his personal music favorites (Pink Floyd, Rhapsody, Helloween, Skyclad, Moonspell, Blackmore's Night, In Flames, etc). By middle year of 2000, the band played live for the first time as opening act for Nightwish, in Buenos Aires, achieving the public's massive acceptance (a crowd also surprised with the interpretation of the Pink Floyd cover "High hopes"). In November, BVI played together with Labyrinth and Vision Divine in the Progressive Power Nems Festival. Again, the band received the public's support, not only for their music but for the excellent performance of the musicians on stage, plus the great cover version of Rhapsody's "Land of immortals". In January of 2001, Max returned to his original band and Beto decided that it was time to incorporate more vocals to the project, applying choruses and looking for complementary vocal works. After many tests, the chosen ones were David Lazar, Diego Leone and Ailin Álybel, becoming stable members in charge of lead vocals and choruses. These new members, next to Marcelo Ponce, Lilah Bertolini, Gonzalo Iglesias, Danilo Moschen and Beto Vázquez himself, are doing their best for this band band, and they are already working in the next musical adventure... In August, 2001 the MCD "Battle of Valmourt" was released only for Argentina, including a version of the song "Promises under the rain", an instrumental song with the addition of backing vocals sang by Tarja Turunen, and "Battle of Valmourt" sang by Max Ditamo and the well-known Fabio Lione on backing vocals, along with a mutimedia track with further information and comments of worldwide known musicians on the Project. By the end of that year, ´Beto Vazquez Infinity - "Beto Vazquez Infinity"´, the first full CD of the band, was released, and from then on, the Project started to become known not only in Argentina, but also throughout the rest of the world. Nowadays, the album has been released in Europe, Korea, Russia, Japan, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina and recently in France (2003). Also during the year 2001, Vero Áiudi became stable member of the band on lead and backing vocals. The composing of the new material began in January, 2002, and during the same year Cyntia Correa took part in the Project as guest singer. In April, 2002 the tour productor José Luis Botto made Beto a proposal to take the band on tour and play in Spain, in a fest where bands such as Barón Rojo, Shaman, Ángeles del Infierno and Dark Moor among others would take part. Therefore, the band travelled to Spain and gave their first international show there. The audience showed great approval, and the musicians claim to have really enjoyed that experience. In November, Damián Aguilera on keyboards and Pablo Soler on guitars became stable members of the band. Pablo had already worked with Beto in the song "Infinity Space", from the first CD. In December,"Wizard" was released; this is an EP containing rareties from the first CD in different versions, such as "Until Dawn" sang by Max Ditamo (former BVI singer) with its original lyrics, and "Danjorland", track sang by the female singer Vero Áiudi belonging to the new material that will be included in the next CD. This EP includes 8 tracks together with the first videoclip based on the song "Wizard", being this also the name of same. In December "The Keepers of Jericho - Part II" was also released. In this second part of the Tribute to Helloween, Beto Vazquez Infinity took part with a cover version of the song "A Tale That Wasn´t Right", in which Elisa Martin (Dark Moor) made her guest appearance on lead vocals. In January 2003, Eugenia Rivadeneira and Víctor Rivarola, both on lead and backing vocals, became stable members. Marcelo Ponce (Drums), Pablo Soler (Guitars), Lilah Bertolini (Flutes), Damián Aguilera (Keyboards), Vero Áiudi, Eugenia Rivadeneira & Víctor Rivarola (Lead & Backing Vocals) and Beto Vazquez (Bass Guitar) are nowadays working on both the material for the next CD and the future live shows. Beto Vazquez Infinity is a serious Project, with respect to the people, the musicians and music in general.

Source: http://www.bvinfinity.com.ar