Meet Mauricio Villanueva

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mauricio Villanueva a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mauricio , thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
From the fact that no-one ask me to sing, dance, or to be a performer. I chose to be one, even-though as an artist from the beginning I had to face reality and many times I did not meet the standards to be one, I knew the only way I would achieve my goals was keeping my head straight, focus and not let negativity stand on my way.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am originally from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, but since I was young I always felt the need to explore. I saw myself far away in some new land, learning new language and culture, and since I was 25 years old I did.

I studied classical singing, opera. While studying opera and bel canto, my senses always took me towards my roots, the rhythm. Latin music was a passion I did not know I had, until I heard it for the first time, SALSA, I became a salsa dancer and since then it never left me. More I developed my operatic voice and operatic career, more my latin side showed up and gave me the exposure to perform it. It’s been my life for the past 20 years. I wasn’t even ready to perform opera when I was already part of a dance company and I had already a full latin band touring around Norway, wait, …what? …Norway? I know lol it sounds weird.

Norway was my first new land and language I met, not the easiest to jump from Spanish, but love is like that, long story.
After almost 3 years and a lot of hard work and embarrassing moments my Norwegian started kicking and suddenly I found my self understanding everything, I started feeling at home again.

One thing that I have done without question and without any explanation is, to take the risk. I never said no, on the contrary always moving forward and that mentality took me from Norway to Italy, Belgium, Malaysia, Miami, and now here, in St. Louis, Missouri.

To make my story short, I married a Norwegian, beautiful years together then we got divorced, and then I met my wife while singing together, moved from place to place until now. We have a beautiful kid, a puppy and living our life in town.

I stop singing opera last year 2022 while experiencing one of my most profound 3 months time moments in my career singing for millions at the vocal competition The Voice (La Voz Mexico), that made me realize what was important for me. Even though I went far in the competition, my love for dance started growing and growing. I realized that every time I dance salsa, I felt complete, alive, present, in the moment, and so much happier.

Since I came back from Mexico last year I went straight to dance, practice, develop, improve, enjoy. Its been over a year since and now I work as a instructor and lead performer for a one of the most important salsa companies in the midwest, Almas Del Ritmo Dance Company, I am also a Teaching Artist for Dancing Classrooms St. Louis, I started my own Latin Fitness classes in my neighborhood, I perform and teach at private events, and I try to not miss any social salsa nights in town, and as well I teach voice lessons in private. SINCE THEN I can say that I am a much happier man, even though I stop persuing my long career of opera singing, its like it was about time to stop it.

I want to make clear I am not stopping my singing career for good. There’s another side I am embracing in music, the WORLD MUSIC.
This November I am bringing to this town my world music project ‘ConSentido’, where different genres, rhythms, cultures, traditions fusion. I am a person that brings together, creating bridges where music sounds even better, thanks to the suggested fusion I create together with an ensemble of 4 amazing musicians.

This project will be held and born in the iconic music venue Joe’s Cafe on the 2nd of November, day that Mexico celebrate ‘The day of the Dead’. This is a project that I want to make St. Louis community proud of, and with our hard work and the support of its people to be able to tour around the best stages, festivals and private event in town and domestically. To become a high level local World Music Project.

As well going back to my dancing side, a couple of weeks before this event, in the third weekend of October I will be giving workshops and performing for the second time at the St. Louis International Salsa bachata Congress. Proud to be part of this event.

Find much more about me #mvsalsero #mvtenor and for my project #consentido2023

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Listen before I speak. 2.Smile out there, be nice, be thoughtful, that open doors.
3.Don’t be afraid to ask for the things you want. BOTHER, do it!

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
They never stop supporting me.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Tracy Jane Weidel Photographer

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