We moved to Nashville in December and  since then we’ve slowly grown to love this city. One of the top things on our list when we arrived to music city was to find a good, authentic, Mexican restaurant. At least to our taste buds, we never found that place. We searched, we researched and nothing caught our eye as the answer to our evening and weekend crave for Mexican food.

My wife and I were born and raised in Chicago which I consider the Mecca of all food. Name the country you feel like dining at and you can find a restaurant that will take you there.  Mexican food is Reina’s favorite food and even though she is Puerto Rican she gives my Momma a run for her cooking in the kitchen. So as you can expect, we went to Mexican restaurants in Chicago all the time. Let me rephrase that. We went to  Mexican joints in Chi town, ALL THE TIME. The best of the best are mom and pop joints with nothing fancy about their place, just amazing home cooked dishes.

Tonight everything has changed for us here in Nashville TN. Tonight we can finally say, OH MY GOODNESS…Amazing freakn tacos, 3 minutes from where we live. I was skeptical at first since we struck out so many times, but hidden in a East Nashville neighborhood was an amazing Mexican taco stop shop!  When I drove up to their parking lot there was no fancy sign, no valet parking, no flapping banners, just a hand written sign saying “MAS TACOS”. It felt like I was driving up to a roadside taqueria in Mexico, in the middle of nowhere.

Until a month ago, MAS TACOS was simply a 1974 Winnebago that drove thru town making tacos for all walks of life in Nashville. The only way to find out where they would be was to follow them on twitter.  Seems like word is getting around like wild fire, as it should be. They are  pretty rad.  So not only do they travel Retro style, they now have an open pit stop HERE! Since then I’ve been following them, waiting for the right moment where my soul longed for a taco and I would make my way to that exclusive part of town that night, to test the waters…That day came this evening. Instead of regular water, I had a fresh watermelon water. I ordered a chicken taco with the works and a pulled pork taco with the works. The sauce on these tacos blew up in your mouth with flavors of Mommas kitchen spices and the kick of spicy heat! Diego enjoyed a corn on the cob that I believe is grilled and slightly toasted. It had a distinct flavor, like nothing I’ve ever had.  It was incredible. My description of the tacos, the food and fresh drinks  do not give them justice. The menu is insanely awesome.

When you walk into Mas Tacos there is nothing glamorous about it, but a totally rustic and trendy place that was creatively restored.  They did a great job of recreating a road side taco stop in Mexico for sure. From the random art work on the walls, old faded wood, a vintage fan, to the un-matching chairs and tables.  If you peek into the kitchen you get a front row view of the chaos going on, with wooden crates full of Coca Colas from Mexico, fresh veggies all around, pots cooking, cooks sweating, your order being written on the paper plate it will be served in. One of the cooks looked like he played basketball for a 1970 team… A  young lady colored in beautiful art happened to sit at the table with my wife and boys to talk about MAS TACOS and how it started. She turned out to be the founder and owner. I never would’ve guessed it. She was super cool.  She is a Tennessee native, a chef who traveled through Latin America, worked in NY kitchens, only to return back home and do what she loves best. Glad you came back!!!

Not only do they make amazing tacos, but what an awesome story. You better believe we are going to be regulars at MAS TACOS. This place is a must!! Follow MAS TACOS and bring your friends. You are gonna dig this joint, I guarantee it.  You’re gonna wish you lived in East Nashville! Tonight’s menu was going to feature Cactus(nopales) with Chorizo. Soon they will be open for authentic breakfasts, including  Chilaquiles! Haven’t had that in a while.  There are a few things I would love to see on that menu and on the path MAS TACOS is going, I know I will see them being served very soon! What else can I say? We found what we’ve been looking for. I am already thinking of what I will have next time we dine in…“MAS TACOS POR FAVOR!!!”

Tell them “fuser’s blog” sent you!

-fuser+

This album cover visualy describes what goes on in my head...

It gets crazy inside my head sometimes. So much I wanna do, so much I love to do, so much I wanna keep doing, and so much I have to say no to. I am just not sure it’s all possible or not. I hate saying no, and maybe that’s a start for me. I am a story teller by nature, it’s in my Santoyo blood.  I love writing stories and memories from my childhood…. I love films. I have a few film ideas that I create per week. Some I write down, others drift off into the sunset on my drive back home. I love writing music, creating melodies and hooks. Sometimes I hear a full orchestra in my head with syncopated percussion and ambient sounds in the background. I love being on stage performing with my band!!! It’s a rush!!! As far as I can remember I always enjoyed the thought of being an actor.  I enjoy the challenge of  becoming a character and bring him to life for the camera.  It’s awesome!I love being in a production environment. There is this urgency in the air to create a masterpiece through shooting, editing and designing…

I am passionate about people. We love being in community, organizing community, leading community anything having to do with passionate people.  I love to talk and talk and talk and talk. I enjoy listening to people talk about their dreams and in return I enjoy encouraging them to share about how those dreams can become a reality. I love talking about Jesus…It’s a deep passion of mine. I am fascinated by his words, his life, his friends, his conversations and his parties. I love to entertain people through food. We’re always inviting strangers over for dinner…It’s just something we love to do…

A piece of my heart is in Cambodia. I’ve been quietly working on a huge arts movement that would impact 3rd world countries… Now do you see my dilemma? Yes I know…Focus on one thing. Focus on one thing. Focus on one thing…It’s easier said then done my friends… Can all this vital parts work together for something I am not seeing?

I was fortunate enough to sit with this totally rad dude who lives in Franklin TN… He’s a cultural architect, an artist, an entrepreneur, a painter, an author, a chef…this dude  rocks!  It was truly  an honor that he would take time to sit down for coffee  and talk with me… I was in desperate need of some creative advice and I sure got it! There has to be a core to my creative chaos and madness. It is all stemming from somewhere. The question is, what is that eye of the storm in my creative passion? How do I narrow it down and corner it! I need order…Big time!!! It’s something I am working on…

What are your thoughts and Insight? Anyone else suffering from Creativechaosthatneedsorder?

-fuser+

Sometimes pictures portray things that aren’t. They should say “False advertisement”.  Sometimes it seems things are better when you are up closer…Like the famous saying goes, “the grass is greener on the other side”… We all know it’s not…Only in our dreams…and even then it’s cutting it close.

Pirates at Zions 1st Bday

The truth is I, Reina, Diego and Zion don’t have it all together. We love to share our pictures, our adventures, our thoughts, our dreams, our art and our faith. It may seem everything is perfect…but it’s not. It is very far from it. I am not the greatest dad, I try to but I don’t quite get it all yet. Just when I think I have disciplined my boys right, they’ll make a public show, where I get punked…  I am not the ideal husband. I’ve dropped the ball in our marriage plenty of times and messed it all up too. I’ve managed to  scrape by here in a new city doing what I can to keep the lights on. Working odd jobs when inside I feel I am capable of more…Seems like I have an amazing musical  and acting career, but I really don’t. Working at it though… So don’t be fooled by our pictures, videos, blogs etc…It’s not what we are trying to do.

The little Pirates

One thing is for sure. We enjoy doing life and sharing it. We are passionate about art, faith, music and it’s the reason we share it. We are passionate about people. Y O U..It is why we do what we do… No matter what has come our way, we’ve remained happy. No matter how tough things have gotten we have not given up. No matter how much of a rookie Dad I am, I am on a quest to be the best Dad I can be. No matter how much I may have screwed up in the past, my wife loves me and I love her, and we’re in this for the long run… No matter what, we have a blast doing life and sharing it with you! The people! It’s amazing to be who you are and know you are not defined nor judged  by how many times you fall, but how many times you rise above the obstacles.

One thing of the many we don’t know how to do is TO GIVE UP… That is not part of our vocabulary…I love heroic war stories…Not only of actual wars, but war stories of ordinary people facing life and who triumph despite of __________________. I am sure we can all fill that blank. Be encouraged. Rise above the mess, leave it behind and live the greatest life you ever have and share it… That is the whole point…Make a difference in the world you are part of…Don’t be afraid to share what you’ve gone through or may be going thru…It’s a valuable story worth telling. It’s meant for someone out there to hear. I love the saying at our church… “Everyone is welcome, Nobody is perfect, and anything is possible”…I think that’s how it goes…close enough…

hasta luego

-fuser+

One day my kids will open up this book filled with stories, thoughts, triumphs, failures,prayers, songs, ideas, photographs and sketches. They will sit around the fire place and tell these stories to their kids. It’s the story of our lives. The memories of their fathers, the lessons they learned and the most amazing adventure we had together. I keep this in mind everyday when I wake up and tuck them into bed at night.

What will your book say one day?

-fuser+

Reina and I were in college when we talked about what we would name our kids one day. I remember writing down the name “zion max” in a notebook, we both liked the name and promised each other we’d use it. Last year, today  our 2nd boy was born and we named him Zion Max Santoyo.  I remember early on in the pregnancy Dr.’s telling us there were complications and the pregnancy would have to be terminated. We were devastated at the thought of losing our child who wasn’t even born yet…We received the bad news on a Friday. That weekend our friends and family prayed for us. Sunday morning came and we got great news that everything was back to normal and things would be ok! Months later Zion Max Santoyo was born on July 6th 2009 in Homestead FL. He’s brought so much joy into our life. He has an amazing smile, an adventurous charm, a never ending appetite, and a passion for music.

I have learned so much from Zion and continue to do so…He has truly been an amazing gift and blessing from God. This evening we got him a cake, sang happy birthday and kicked off the festivities a day early…I can’t believe he is 1 already. Diego was such a big brother, and helped Zion with blowing out his candle. Moments like this get me all emotional as a Dad…Time flies way too fast. Seems like just yesterday the nurse handed Zion over to me straight out of the oven for his first hello…I will never forget that day.

Happy birthday big boy! Daddy and mommy and your big bro Diego love you so freakn much! I am glad you are part of this journey with us. I promise to be the best dad, role model, artist, friend, spiritual leader I can be for you!

-fuser+

-fuser+

Creating culture begins at home. Every evening, me, Reina and the boys have dinner together. For Reina and myself this is new. It wasn’t common for us to have dinner with our families at one table and all together when we were growing up. I remember when my Mom cooked dinner, everyone ate at different times. Sometimes I ate dinner watching TV, ate dinner outside but it was rare to have everyone together at the table. Unless it was a family gathering or party.  When Reina and I got married, we wanted to start a new culture in our home. One being that we would eat together at one table with our kids.

So every evening  right before dinner, the TV goes off, we all set the table together, Diego prays for our meal and we dig in. We play music while we dine, we laugh and we watch Zion make a mess with his food. It’s amazing. It is something new for us, but normal culture for the boys. One day our boys will grow up with memories of dinner at the table together while the songs of Ruben Blades serenaded us. One day our boys will pass on this new culture to their children and share stories of their childhood.

I look back and remember many things from my childhood. Some are great memories and some are not so great. Regardless of it, it’s part of my past but doesn’t necessarily have to be part of my future. I can sit here and complain about how things could have  or should have been…But instead I choose to create a new culture in my home.  A new foundation. You can do the same. This can be the case for many areas of our lives. Don’t accept things for what they are…You have the power to create a new culture in you and those around you.

-fuser+

June 2007 marked the beginning of 2yrs that would impact my life forever and inspire the greatest journey ever. In 2007 Reina and I departed Chicago and went to the furthest city we could go before hitting the The Keys, Homestead FL! I stepped into a role at Life Pointe Church that would change my life forever. I knew I would be working as the creative arts director and Worship guy…But what I discovered goes beyond what I would’ve ever expected. It was truly an honor to work beside Lead pastor Travis Johnson. I gotta say he was one tough dude to work for, but the best boss I’ve ever had. I was challenged beyond the talents I brought to the plate. I learned what it was to lead and not just be. I learned it wasn’t about just  doing, but developing others to lead and do. Letting go in order to grow. In 2 yrs I think I read more then I ever had in my whole life. I was pushed and was given the freedom to fly on my own and fall on my face from time to time. My passion for people grew more then ever…I think because I met some really cool people in Homestead Fl, who took us in and made us feel like family. Because of those two yrs I grew as a person, as a dreamer, as a husband, as a father and as a friend. I learned the good and bad of me. I dropped the ball many of times, but learned lessons I will carry with me till the day I die. LPC and Homestead will forever be in our hearts as 2 of the greatest yrs of our lives. The moment I will never forget is the day Travis challenged me to give away my music for a bigger cause. That cause took my band across the globe and did things I never thought would be possible.

Thank you for 2yrs that marked my life and the life of my wife and kids for a lifetime! It was an awesome season. Cheers!

-fuser+  video was shot during an LPC series titled “likeus.tv” 2007

There is a war in me, between the corporate duties at hand and things my heart is on a creative rampage to achieve. Right now both are important, but one will prevail…

-f u s e r+

So here are a few of the pros and cons of relocating to a brand new city that we have experienced and are experiencing. Some say we’re crazy and honestly I agree… It just feels so right in our hearts. Erwin McManus said it best, “when we are passionate about God, we can trust our passions”.

(negatives)

We left everything and everyone we knew behind, so we didn’t have a whole lot of people in this town, or at least no immediate family. We had to learn our way around. Find the right place  and area to live in. Trying to plug into a brand new social pipeline, in our case the arts pipeline…music, design, film, etc… Finding jobs! Dang has it been tough! Finding the right schools, daycares, babysitters for our kids. Make friends. Make a life  in this town, from square one again. Finding Good pizza and Latin food. Finding things to do. Find a church we can call home.

(Positives)

Meeting new people, making great friends, meeting new families. It’s a new town. So we get lost very often, but in the process we discover great things in this town. Networking more then ever to collaborate with other artists, film makers/ talent agents, designers, Songwriters and more…Our communication and network tools have improved for both Reina and I. Jobs? it’s been tough, but we’ve had strong leads and opportunities are here, just need to be consistent on knocking doors and refining my resume and bio’s etc… Schools? they’re here and they sound great. One more year and Diego starts pre-k. Babysitters…Still working on that. Our dates consist of bring the boys along…Watching late movies=the boys sleep…we love this town and really wanna stay here and grow super old here…Once the jobs and school kick in, it will feel a little more secure. Good pizza? It’s not Chi town pizza but we’ve become huge fans of Pie in the Sky pizza. Latin food?…maybe we’ll open one…LOL. Church to call him. Check!

Overall the things that seem like negatives turn out to be positives. We’re growing in so many areas of our life. We’re growing closer as a family. We’re appreciating more and more the things that matter. Faith in God providing is our one and only vital sign keeping us alive. It’s an awesome journey that’s been worth it. In no way has it been easy, but it’s paying off in ways we never imagined. At the end of the day, no matter what happens, we’ve grown, we’ve learned, we’ve lived, we’ve taken the chance to pursue our dreams, and we’re diggn it. CONSISTENCY, INTEGRITY, PATIENCE…remedy for success. What may not make sense right now, will soon…Hebrews 11:6

-fuser and the crew”

“GREATNESS isn’t determined by fame,wealth,talent or education but by how much it takes to discourage you. Refuse to give up!”-Rick warren