Since I can remember my Dad always took me to Don’s grill for cheeseburgers. I have yet to find a cheeseburger that tops Don’s grill! In my recent trip to Chicago I made sure I took my son’s Diego and Zion for cheeseburgers…Even though they preferred pancakes It was a memorable moment for me to be able to sit at the same counter where me and my Dad once sat for cheeseburgers. It was a pretty rad Father moment for me…

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Is there a place with many great memories for you?

Within a year in Miami we brought on a long time friend living in West Palm to be our guitarist and found a bassist deep in the Florida Keys. The band pieced itself together again. By 2009 we went into a studio in Atlanta to record our first record.  After careful thought and consideration, we decided to give away our music for a whole year. We partnered with an Organization with humanitarian efforts in Cambodia. It was called the relocation project… So for every $1,000 that the band sold in CD sales that year, the Government of Cambodia would build a house and relocate a family living in poverty into a brand new home. We were very fortunate to have flown to Asia to see this project take place, right before our eyes. It was an amazing cause to be part of. So much that we have continued to worked on creating a non Profit organization to aid Cambodia through music and art.

After some touring in 2009 my brother Alejandro decided to return to Chicago…And again, we were separated by many miles…During that separation I began writing songs to what would one day be a Solo EP. Alejandro began writing songs for a solo project as well, while in Chicago.  We figured we’d given The Saturn Project and Fair shot and were ready to move on to other creative adventures on our own. In December of 2010 my wife and I decided to leave Miami and relocate to Nashville TN. Considering this is music city, I figured I would try to dive into the local scene and try to become a better singer/songwriter for myself. The thoughts of having a band again  pretty much deminished… But In the Summer of 2010 My brother Alejandro came to Nashville to visit and ironically never returned to Chicago… So here we are in the came city again…We figured we’d do what we’ve always done. Write music again. With the band members being in different cities and states, my bro and I were strangely reunited again. Ever have that gut feeling you were meant to do something? Well, I kind of have that gut feeling my brother and I are destined to make music together. At what capacity? I don’t think either of us know. So we’ve decided to write a new project(in the making) and hit the studio very soon to begin it’s process. We’ve had what seems to be a super long journey of ups and downs, triumphs and failures, fights and celebrations. We’re kind of like the Oasis brothers…That’s probably not the greatest comparison.  We feel it’s just the beginning again. That’s the cool thing about being in a band with your little brother. We’re always going at it and somehow able to write cool tunes together. Well, at least we think so. I look back and think to myself, not bad for 2 latino kids who were born and raised in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The music is a representation who we are and where we come from. We were never good at being anyone else… Let’s see what happens next. Stay tuned.

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Special thanks to those who have been with us since day 1. Abrazos!

Sometimes I get so caught up in my life and in the pursuit of my dreams that I forget where I come from. I get all wrapped up in creating music, writing songs, acting, performing and all the other creative chaos I am involved in and become part of a whole different world… But then I take the journey back home to Chicago where my brothers bust my chops and make sarcastic remarks of every single move I make…The more I am away from my siblings the nicer it is… WHAT? WHY? Because I miss them more and more. It creates that space and room for everyone to grow and appreciate who we are and who we are working on becoming… This new year in Chicago was Epic…We had a blast together.  My kids loved it, my wife loved it… And it never fails there is always some type of argument and misunderstanding that usually gets resolved at the end of our trip… It’s the beauty in family, in its greatest form possible.  Until next time…

(Here are a few snapshots of some (there are tons more) of my family and Jon Allison..(our white adopted brother)

Keeping it real

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First and foremost let me just say that I am so humbled that our home church would embrace us the way they have since our arrival in Nashville. Finding a community of faith was on our #1 list when we moved here.  We totally connected with Crosspoint, Reina loved it, our kids loved it and I loved it. What’s hilarious about the whole thing is that I’ve been reading Pete Wilson’s blogs for a few yrs now and  followed the church via the internet. Never did I imagine being part of the church, serving and being connected with this community. So here we are, 1 yr later… The things that I love about my church is how passionate they are about the city, it’s people and engaging it’s culture…So having said that,

As of today, 01.01.11 I have accepted the role as campus coordinator for the new Crosspoint Downtown campus launching on 01.16.11 at Rocketown in Nashville TN. Reina and I are so excited about me taking on this role and it’s challenges. The Campus will target College students and we feel deep inside our hearts the campus will do well.  Our hearts beat super fast for young adults and artists with a passion to do something great with their lives. I will admit, I am a bit nervous, but we’re taking it in one breath at a time. I am so freakn excited to be part of an amazing leadership team at Crosspoint.

In 2006 Reina and I founded “the living room sessions“in Chicago, A community of artists with a heart for the city. Since then it has been in our hearts to continue to grow that community we were part of. So Reina, myself and a few artists friends will be putting together our first annual “Living room sessions” conference in Chicago, this fall. This is going to be an amazing opportunity for Chicago artists to network and engage in full conversations with other artists pursuing their passions and living out the life they were created to live…It’s going to be an amazing time.  If you want to learn more about what we are doing please contact us!!! We want you all to join us! More info coming soon.

The Saturn Project is working on a new Record as we speak. We will be hitting the studio in the next few months to begin tracking what will be an EP or our follow up album to “anthems for a broken world” released in 2009… Which will finally be available on itunes with some new art work as well.  The band will also be heading to Chicago to shoot a video for our track “Chicago”. Be on the look out for that and more on live performances and a new site.

Fuser EP. I will continue to write away for what will be my first ever Solo EP. I am really excited and nervous about it. The project is coming together in ways I could have never imagined. Lots of music being made! I’ll be sharing soon!!!

Misfortunes make Giants…I have been journaling for many years now. I am constantly sharing stories and memories with friends and family.  And everyday I feel is another story in the making. From Chicago to Miami and now in Nashville…So much has gone down and up. Good, bad and ugly…I have been trying to record these stories into a video blog series and possibly a book format, but it has been a mission to get it started. Reina reminds me everyday to get started, my family encourages me to start it… I MUST start it. It’s a project I have been trying to get off the ground for about 4yrs now…So this new year I will attempt to get the engines going and get it done.

So much more is in the making behind the scenes, but for now Please keep us in your thoughts, prayers and support as we take on this new year with all we’ve got. Reina and I will also begin training for a half marathon…she believes we can do the full marathon…we’ll see. Time to get to work!!! If you are interested in teaming up with us on any of this projects please, please don’t hesitate to contact me! It’s amazing how God orchestrates life around us… I wish you all an amazing 2011!

Hasta la victoria, siempre

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Who’s with me?

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I am proud to say that I am a Latino, born and raised in Chicago. I realize that times have changed and the Latino voice is being heard and listened to more closely then ever. Though we are becoming a majority in this amazing country, I realize many  still refer to us as minorities. I realize I may still have to work harder then anyone else to prove myself. I realize that I come from parents that were not natives in this land, but are from Mexico. I know almost all the stereotypes attached to being a Latino.  I still eat rice and beans and tortillas. No matter how  long I’ve spoken the English language, I still have a noticeable accent. My birth name is Jesus Santoyo, my nickname “fuser.” The part that out weighs any difference is that I, like every other human being on this earth,  am a child of God. Designed and wired for a specific purpose while here on earth.

I am working on becoming the best husband, father, son and friend. I am working on becoming the best Latino song writer and performing artist I can be. I am working on becoming the best well crafted Latino actor and screenwriter I can be. I am working on becoming the first Latino author in my family. I am working on making a difference in this world through all my creative endeavors. I am working on giving all the glory, honor and praise to God, the one who made me as I am. I am a proud Latino with a dream, a dream my father probably could not see for himself , yet still  had enough faith and a  courage to pursue  for me…

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Me, Reina and Alex are featured on the main page of the BNA talent group representing Latinos in TV and Film here in Nashvillle!

My dad retired as a landscaper. He never owned his own company, but rather worked for someone else his whole life. He reminds me of his journey and of all the missed opportunities he had. Maybe because he felt he couldn’t do it? or maybe because he felt he didn’t deserve it? Maybe it was his challenge as a Latino in search of his American dream?  When he finally retired I asked him why he left all those great jobs? His response has always been the same,

“Me senti  feliz y libre trabajando en el campo”… ” I felt happy and free working out in the fields”.

Let me tell you something people, I worked with my dad for a few days and I felt no joy nor freedom out in them fields. It was tough work. I couldn’t handle it, that after a few days I quit. But it showed me how dedicated my Dad was. It reminded me how much he loved us. Maybe my Dad knew his limits or maybe he didn’t tap into his greatest potential. Never the less, the fact that he did what he loved was enough to inspire me. Enough to inspire me to dream beyond what the city block in Pilsen had to offer. This was all a lesson in the making for his children. It  didn’t make sense then, but it sure does today. It’s awesome to hear my dads voice reminding me I can do anything I put my mind to, telling me that one day I am gonna make it. Maybe Dads American dream was for us to dream beyond what he foresaw. A dream for us to succeed regardless of our social status our ethnicity. Regardless of our upbringing. Regardless of the opposition and rejection…

Today I am a young Latino husband, father and artist, pursuing a dream fueled by passion and God. There are still challenges, obstacles and hurdles as a Latino, but I am heading to place where I will feel happiness and freedom. Many of my ancestors left the land of their birth to make way for greater dreams. One day I hope to retrace their steps and travels and try to imagine what they felt as they traveled across the country into a whole new world… Today I am eternally grateful for their courage and sacrifice.  Because of my grandfather and Dad, my journey began in Chicago, the city I was born in. It took me to South Florida and it has brought me here to Nashville TN…

to be continued...

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We grew up in the traditional Mexican home. Had the traditional meals and customs. We spoke only Spanish at home. My parents wanted us to learn our native language, because we would eventually learn English in School.  Because I was a latino I always felt that we had to work harder to get good jobs. We had to work harder to be recognized. We had to go above and beyond to succeed in the United States. This was just the way it was. We were different.  I grew up with the mentality that it was all about having a good paying job, owning a house, a car, having a wife and many kids in order to be viewed as a successful Latino in America. Had I shared the dreams I am pursuing now, I am not sure of the response my parents would have given me.

I grew up in a part of town where having big dreams just wasn’t possible. We had to dig for inspiration. It wasn’t something we were surrounded by or could find in the streets or even in our homes at times. If I landed a job at a factory then I was a man, because I could now hold my own. I started working when I was about 13yrs old. I had a job of passing out flyers for a Chinese restaurant in town. We would walk from block to block passing them out. After about 5 hrs we’d make about $25.00.  My sophomore year in high school I landed a job working as a bank teller. It was quite the experience.  I would be in school till about 3pm then work at the bank till about 730. I got made fun of alot by my friends because I wore ties to school. I wore them not because I was trying to be stylish but because I was ready for work. Everything was about having a job. It carried some kind of credential of respect, especially at that age. I loved music and I loved film and acting, but I couldn’t tell my family it was my dream…I was a Latino from Pilsen and the odds were already against me.

to be continued...

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We all have one. Some of us are proud of it, some of us have tried to erase it. Some of us remember it as our better days, others as the experience of hell on earth. Some of us have pictures on our walls to remind us of it, while others have torn any remaining images of it. Some of us have sweet dreams of it, others wake up in horror of  it.

A HISTORY. We all have one.

This is what I have been thinking and learning….There are many things in my past I am not proud of and others I brag about. There are many things in my past that I really didn’t have control over. As if it was handed to me without a choice. So I lived with it and made the best of it. Many things in my past shaped the way I talk, walk, react and feel. It shaped the way I thought of others. It shaped the way I viewed love, sex, music women, drugs, violence, education, God, Church, Careers and many other things. Some of the things of my past I carried with me for many years cause I felt I needed them…Wasn’t it normal? I can play the game blame but in the end everything was a result of the decisions I made with my life. Some lead to great paths while others took me to destructive ones.

Today I am grateful to be standing, I am grateful to have an amazing wife still with me, I am grateful to be a super dad with the courage to tell my sons I love them, I am grateful that God was merciful and loved me more then anything…Because of that I can be grateful for the beautiful people and things around me.

This is what I have been thinking and learning. Despite of our past history and all the things we are not proud of, we don’t have to carry those things to our next destination. Though many things in our past have dictated our every move, it doesn’t have to be that. Though we may have been shaped by this history it doesn’t mean you can not re write your history. Today can be the beginning to the rest of your life, if you choose to…

"We are all shaped by a past we can no longer control, but we can 

choose a future by which to be defined forever"

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What are your thoughts?

There are many things I remember from my childhood, my teen years, college and other random memories. I try and journal as many of them as possible and others are encrypted in my brain in full detail, which I never forget. As this journey continues we live on and more memories are made. Not all my memories are great ones. Some of them are full of pain, loss, and what may seem as misfortunes. But I have learned from every moment, and every road that seemed abandoned lead me to an amazing season in my life.  So….once upon a time my sister randomly said, “You should write a book,” which I thought was crazy.  As time went on, and years down the road my wife Reina said, ” babe! you should write all these memories down and write a book”. Ok, maybe I should listen?

This is my issue. I am not the greatest writer. I don’t enjoy typing as much as maybe I should. Being a writer wasn’t part of my plan but I wouldn’t mind sharing these stories and memories that I have. I think many people may relate to them and hopefully be inspired by moments that once seemed to be misfortunes but became redemptive seasons in my life. I felt I couldn’t write a book without there being a grand finale or conclusion…but the more I think about it…It’s a journey that will continue and needs to be told as we stroll along. Wouldn’t you say so? So it would basically be…

Stories about  growing up in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhoods, raised in a latino family, spending all my School yrs in the Catholic education system, almost losing my Dad at a young age, surviving to tell the tales of the gang infested streets, College life, marriage, almost divorcing, losing my hearing, having kids, travels to Cambodia, Argentina and the world, working for a church by day, rocking with my band at night, seeing first hand how God connects all the dots and pieces in my messy life, and so much more…I just wanna tell you guys everything now!

So I know it’s gonna continue to be a work in progress and I need tons of help, guidance, advice, suggestions, professional editing and constructive criticism and you can only imagine how much more… So bear with me, have patience and I will get it done!

So what do you recommend I do first?

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