We had the good fortune of connecting with Elton Salazar and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elton, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in Monterrey, Mexico and moved to Houston, Texas when I was 8 years old. Being only 6 hours away from the border gave me the opportunity to experience both cultures and relate to them fairly easily. Growing up I had the opportunity to learn about our Hispanic culture and listen to various genres of Spanish music, which broadened my horizons; I was able to expand my taste, understanding and appreciation for music from around the world. I enjoy music in other languages and am constantly looking for new music to add to my listening library.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It has definitely been and still is a learning experience. I have always admired originality in artists. Originality is my main objective and it is definitely what I always strive for when I write a song. Although I am influenced by other artists, I always force myself to make each song that I write different from all the others. For me, being an artist is one of the most difficult tasks a person can strive for. On Charles Bukowski’s gravestone it reads “Don’t try”, as his advice to young artists. The only way to be successful is to simply just never give up, to die doing what you are really passionate about, for me, without art there really isn’t much more to life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are some cool spots in Houston that I would definitely want them to check out. I would start by taking them to Bohemeos for some coffee or beer to catch up and talk about life and music of course. I would hit up Boombox Tacos for the best tacos in Houston. You can’t come to Houston without visiting the Rothko Chapel and The Menil Collection. On Friday night I would take them to Numbers Night Club to dance the night away and listen to some old school new wave. I would finish off the week by taking them to a private event at my friend’s house, aka La Vecindad De Alex lol, for some cold Micheladas and continue to contemplate life and discuss music, while we wait for the neighbors’ rooster to remind us that it’s time to go home with his morning cock-a-doodle-do.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m am very thankful to have had many people, friends and family that have supported me throughout my journey. However, the one person that has been there from the beginning and until now is my wife, Marilen. Her encouragement and support has allowed me to continue perusing my music career. My creative inspiration comes from writers, painters as well as musicians and actors. Among these are, Charles Bukowski, Gabriel García Marquéz, Morrissey, Saul Hernandez, Piet Mondrian, Mark Rothko, Cantinflas and Al Pacino to name a few. These artists have influenced and inspired me throughout my life and somehow shaped me into the artist that I am today.

Website: http://www.elyzerock.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/elyzerock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elyzerock
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ElyzeRock/?ref=bookmarks
Youtube: http://youtube.com/elyzerockband
Other: Listen to our music on Spotify! https://open.spotify.com/artist/2q2TNwfDkyYAWm82nUqe7Z?si=tCk0qm8RTHuZ1Uozt5gGoQ We are also on every other digital listening platform like ITunes, Pandora etc.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.