AS: I can only speak for myself but both my mom and grandma where really into the old school salsa like Hector LaVoe, El Grand Combo, and my personal favorite Ruben Blades. So I think it’s inevitable that somehow it’s going to seep out of me in one way or another.
FD: What influenced your instrument of choice?​
AS: Obviously my Puerto Rican heritage had something to do with it but I always loved the power, passion and instant gratification that comes from drums… I mean you hit the drum, you hear the drum… Pretty gratifying.
FD: While we are talking drums and percussion, did you listen to the Latin Greats like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, and Ray Baretto etc.. ? Yea I did my homework here… LOL​
AS: Well done Frank! Tito is on every Latin influenced drummer’s playlist but I also enjoy Horacio “El Negro” Henandez, Giovanni Hildago, and (I am going old school here) Frank Malabe. Frank’s book is probably one of the best Latin drum set books ever made.
FD: Now as a Latin artist in the ROCK genre do you find Latinos in general are becoming more commonly found?​
AS: We’re definitely out there. Some are hiding and some are in plain daylight… LOL but seriously our people are peppered around the scene in one capacity or another.
FD: Do you feel as a Latin rock artist there any barriers that you face?​
AS: I am not sure if there are any barriers, but I remember one conversation I had with someone I knew. I was them my old band’s group photo and incidentally we were an all male Puerto Rican rock band. They asked, “ What kind of music do you play? “ I told them it was rock, they looked at me peculiarly and said, “But you guys are Hispanic, shouldn’t you be playing salsa?” this is a true story!!
FD: So when the skin thumping great Adonis is listening to music what’s your go to band, or music choice?​
AS: I’m a huge Sevendust fan!
FD: Do you listen to any other genres of music more specifically other Latin Rock Artists?​
AS: Being a drummer I have a very diverse collection of music on my iPod. Sometimes I’ll just throw it on shuffle. It might start out with Sevendust then jump to Marc Anthony, then Neil Diamond then Michael Jackson then Tool
FD: Now I happen to know you guys for a while and I know something, which I find interesting and that’s you all write your instrument parts for each song for the most part. Do you find that to be personally to accomplish or does it allow you each to influence the overall sound more directly?​
AS: It definitely allows us to influence the music as individuals but as the music progresses our parts mold into the sound we all know as Charetta.
FD: What do you have in your drum kit?​
AS: I’m endorsed by Vic Firth drumsticks, Beato drum bags, and Evans drum heads. I play DW drums and a mixed bag of Sabian and Zildjian cymbals.
FD: Well my favorite song by you guys is “The Truth is Out” (no surprise) from your debut EP Defying the Inevitable. If I am correct you start the song with a drum solo, which I think is a small highlight for you in the album, because in my opinion it allows you to be in the forefront of that song. I guess the question is how much does having a drum solo in a song matter to you​
AS: It doesn’t matter to me at all. Don’t get me wrong I LOVE soloing but I would much prefer to play a great feeling head bobbing straight groove with a well written song any day. That for me is so much more satisfying than showing off every last bit of chops I have…
FD: If you could share the stage with any particular Latin artist who would that be?​
AS: Ruben Blades is one of my musical heroes… his Siembra album is embedded in my soul… So definitely him!​
FD: OK just ROCK … who would you love to play with?​
AS: STING no doubt about that.