Tiffany Joy’s sound is defined by a few quirky elements: a distinctly smooth jazz voice combined with her acoustic guitar and Latin beats. She takes pleasure in life, love, faith and the challenges of learning & growing through relationships. She writes material in both English and Spanish, blending that with various sounds that jog their memories of Spain or Latin American trips, held together by a creative bond with her producers and longtime musician friends.

Y&F caught up with Tiffany via email several weeks ago, who was awaiting her family’s visit, to talk about the new album, being away from home, and making a new life in Argentina. Viva!

Do you remember the catalyst, the spark that made you fall in love with the Latino culture?

I could never forget my catalyst moment. My father is an artist and one evening he took me to an art show that featured the work of a Huichol Indian from Mexico. I was 15 years old and had been studying Spanish for about 5 years but up until that evening had always been too timid to attempt to use it in any real conversational way. When I walked through the door the art goers were going crazy over the work of this artist and as I scanned the room… I couldn’t find him anywhere – “Where is the man behind the magic?” I joked – and someone motioned to a small dark-skinned man somewhat tucked away in a corner of the dining room. I was confused then quickly realized that this man didn’t speak a single word of English and was entirely too nerve-wracked to attempt a conversation. I felt my face flush, my palms began to sweat – I knew in that my moment had arrived, it was my time to use what I had been working so diligently to learn.

I approached him (scared out of my mind) and feigned confidence with a hefty “Hola” – he responded with a mile-a-minute stream of Spanish and I told him that I wasn’t entirely as fluent as I had pretended… it was then that something that I consider miraculous happened. I began speaking, really speaking, and using vocabulary that I don’t remember ever learning in a way that felt extremely fluent. I began translating – between this man and all of those who had been longing to express their admiration for his work. I must have spent close to an hour speaking and my mind was on fire. It was the greatest high I had ever felt in my life. My new friend the artist looked up at me with tears in his eyes and said “Gracias” – the power of language to bridge cultural barriers became shockingly and beautifully apparent to me – and from that moment on, I became passionately committed to my goal of being able to speak Spanish with native-like fluency.

When did you start learning Spanish?

I took my first class when I was ten – was speaking conversationally by the time I was fifteen and I eventually went on to receive my BA in Spanish Linguistics. During that time I spent my weekends recording my first album “El Ritmo del Mundo”.

So you packed your bags and left the States 7 months ago. Did you accomplish the goals you set yourself out for?

Surprisingly, yes… and then some. I arrived here in Buenos Aires 7 months ago with nothing but a guitar and my entire life packed into a suitcase. Starting from scratch was exhilarating. We have now hit the half way mark on the recording of “Real Joy”, which means pre-production is finished and we have begun to perform live here in the capital. I have a killer apartment, a stellar community of friends and adopted family and I am involved in some really exciting projects – such as salsa and tango dancing – and helping to launch the first ever international Tango magazine.

Folks like myself only get to see the glitzier side of the music industry. But can you tell us more about the successes you look forward to and challenges you face when recording an album?

Uff. well – being an indie artist for 8 years now – I have definitely had my ups and downs. There are moments when I have returned home from a show and said “ok, that was officially my last show, I promise” All that is involved from booking the shows (which sometimes includes hauling all of your equipment to and from the venue and running your own sound) marketing, promoting etc… It can be stressful to say the least. When it comes to recording, however, I can honestly say that I love every minute of it. It is a really magical process and so far the recording of Real Joy has exceeded my expectations in every way.

How does your energy and dynamic change when recording solo versus performing with your Argentine band or other producers?

The recording process is much more mental I would say – as you don’t have the energetic feedback from a live audience. I really love the dynamic I have going with my current team. Fernando Iguacel – Co-founder of Control Z studios – is producing “Real Joy” alongside myself and my drummer and longtime friend Martin Sosa. The triad has been really magical.

Here’s Part 2 of Tiffany’s interview.