Luis Montalbert-Smith
| Luis Montalbert-Smith | |
|---|---|
Luis playing with Gandhi in Jazz Café, Costa Rica.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Luis Montalbert-Smith |
| Born |
21 May 1975 Washington, DC, U.S. |
| Origin | San José, Costa Rica |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer/songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano |
| Years active | 1993 - Present |
| Associated acts | Gandhi |
| Website | http://www.grupogandhi.com |
Luis Montalbert-Smith is the lead singer and co-founder of the Costa Rican music group Gandhi.
Luis Montalbert-Smith was born on 22 May 1975 in Washington DC, to a Costa Rican surgeon and a physiologist who were studying at Georgetown University at the time. He lived his first years in Washington, D.C. and moved to his parents hometown in Costa Rica in 1979. His first artistic expression, her mom remarks, was dancing at the young age of one while listening to Anita Wards’ hit Ring my Bell.
During a visit to his grandmother’s for tea at the age of 5(his grandparents were of English descent), she played the piano. The moment was so shocking to him that he instantly told his mother “I want to do what Grandma Molly is doing”. His parents right away put him in piano lessons with a local neighborhood teacher, which prepared Luis to audition for the Children’s Program at the University of Costa Rica’s School for Musical Arts. In order to support him, his Grandma Molly gave Luis an old Köhl piano she had, as a motivating factor for his studies. In 1981 he presented the audition and was admitted to the Basic Stage Program and assigned to Professor Sara Mintz.
When he was 8 years old, he watched a Michael Jackson concert on the TV and decided he wanted also to sing. His mom put him in the Children Chorus at the University of Costa Rica, where he was already studying piano. He studied until 1990, when he was forced to quit the musical program in order to improve his high school studies.
Montalbert-Smith began to create his own band at the age of 13, while attending Saint Francis College -HighSchool- in San Jose, C.R. As part of the teenage natural search for identity, he rebelled from his classical music education and started experimenting with other musical styles. His search stopped when he first listened to the Guns 'n Roses album Appetite for Destruction.
In 1988-89 he formed his first group called The Hypers, who played classic rock from the 60s and 70s. As a curious detail, Luis was the drummer. The group dissolves when Luis left to participate in a dance contest at school. In 1990 he formed his second band with a couple of friends, including Erick Hernandez (now part of the comedy group).
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