(Originally Published in PCN Magazine July 2020)
Lockdown has presented everyone with a variety of challenges and for musicians, staying creative and not being able to play are live are two of the biggest challenges (along with earning money, feeding the family, staying safe, etc). For many musicians, Livestreams and composite You-tube videos have been the way forward to keeping the creativity flowing. Venezuelan-Born, Aruba-based guitarist Ernesto Ferro had an idea for re-imagining John Lennon’s “Imagine”, a song that in his own words is “nostalgic in but also give me feeling of prosperity”. Ernesto has been a musician for many years, first picking up guitar at age 11 and recording his first album in 1983. From there he sought fame and fortune in Europe and the USA, supporting bands such as Metallica, REO Speedwagon, and the Joe Perry Project and mingling with the likes of Queen’s Brian May, Robert Plant, Eddie Van Halen, Al Di Meola and many other illuminati of the Rock world.
In order to create the video for “Imagine”, Ernesto engaged the services of some of the people he met on his travels, and the band reads like a who’s who of the great and good in rock and roll:
Roger Earl, the drummer with and founder of British Rock group FOGHAT
Jim Gordon, Piano and strings arranger; performed on John Lennon’s “Rock and Roll” album as well as playing with The Band, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner and too many others to mention
Richie Ranno, Guitar; Guitarist with ‘70s US Heavy metal band Starz
Tom Croucier, Bass; Another metaller, playing bass in bands such as Dokken, Santana, and The Scorpions.
Ivan Valles, Drums; The Berklee College of music graduate and music producer also mixed a nd mastered the song.
Ernesto chose to perform this as an instrumental as the music transcends any language to deliver a message of hope, peace and harmony in these troubled and uncertain times with the message “We can do better/We can have a better World”.
