Spanish guitarist and entrepreneur Robert Arriazola, a.k.a. “Roberto Del Toro,” founded his music entertainment business Del Toro Entertainment seven years ago with a singular vision and sound. Today he works with several homegrown artists—including his son, a Frank Sinatra cover singer—to bring the rhythm back to the local entertainment scene.
1. Tell me a bit about your background. Where are you from, and what led you into the music industry?
I was raised in Houston. My family on both sides had a passion for music, especially Spanish music. My father worked as a musician most of his life, while my Uncle Ray is a drummer. I also have nephews that formed their own Rock Band, “Series Six,” which toured the U.S. and opened for Bon Jovi and other well-known artists.On my mother’s side, my grandmother and her brothers were all Spanish Opera singers in Mexico. I remember when I was ten, I was singing “Cu Cu Ru Cu Cu Paloma” with my grandmother as I strummed my guitar. Until this day, my grandmother—age 96—still loves to sing our song together, which fills my heart with joy.
At age 17 I started playing guitar as a hobby. I really never thought of it as a career. My family owned eight Mexican restaurants at the time, and I used to help out growing up. I learned about good business ethics and hard work. Our original restaurant, Merida, has been located on Navigation for over 50 years. I’m immensely proud to be a part of that.
I still ended up strumming my guitar at the end of a day’s work. Music was in my blood.
2. Describe the origins of Del Toro Entertainment and how you developed the company's style and sound.
I started out as a guitarist and singer playing with another lead guitarist and percussionist, and the Del Toro Trio, a flamenco pop band, was formed. I tried to find a niche market that was in an affordable price range for restaurants/wine bars. I then began to hire solo vocalists to perform with tracks or with a guitarist, covering a variety of cover songs suitable for the venue.
For the style and sound, I searched for talent that could sing all genres that would appeal to everybody, not just Spanish. I have an array of artists from country to rock to rhythm and blues, to variety and tribute bands.
3. Del Toro represents an array of talent. How would you describe the various artists you work with? How are they similar, and how are they unique?
To name a few, my son, Alaric (aka Lil Frankie), who started singing when he was five, performs nostalgic songs from the 1920s to the 1950s like Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Dean Martin, the Rat Pack, and Nat King Cole. Our singer Bree is a fusion sound between Donna Summers, Amy Winehouse, and Sade. She has a pop and jazz influence when she sings and the natural ability to connect with people through her music. Chico Lobos was one of the original members of Del Toro Trio. He played classical and electrical guitar, perfecting his Spanish, Flamenco, and Rock stylings. Then, there’s Charles Lopez—he plays saxophone, back-up vocals, harmonica, and percussion. And Lee Thomas is a country singer/songwriter, drawing inspiration from George Strait, George Jones, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley. His song, “Pretty Woman of Mine” has hit #14 and is still climbing the Texas Country Music Charts!
4. What qualities do you look for when deciding which musicians to sign?
I look for talent, being unafraid of hard work, and a passion for music; someone easy to work with, reliable, and humble. Egos are detrimental in this business.
5. Your family is an integral part of Del Toro Entertainment. How has having family involved shaped the company’s culture and the way you do business?
No matter what, I treat all my artists as family. We all work well together to help each other make Del Toro Entertainment successful. I hear their dreams and what they want out of life. I have several artists dreaming of leaving their jobs to pursue music full-time but are fearful that they cannot make a living. I pray about it and produce a strategy using my community connections to fulfill their dreams. It takes time, but with discipline and hard work it is possible to achieve. I’ve helped artists develop their music careers who were struggling with addictions and found music as their only hope.
6. Looking back on Del Toro’s journey so far, is there a particular performance, moment, or milestone that stands out as especially meaningful or rewarding for you?
I would have to say that moment would be when my wife unexpectedly suffered two heart attacks and was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. At the time, we had no health insurance, and we were raising a 10-year-old son as well as helping support my other three children. I was working heavily as a musician at that time, and I used to attend open mics frequently to get gigs. I knew the owner of this Italian restaurant where I performed very well. He and I coordinated the creation of a benefit for my wife to raise money for her medical care. To my surprise, all of my musician friends in the community came together to perform and promote the event as well as donate to the silent auction and raffle prizes. We were blessed to raise $10,000, which got us through this difficult time. With the grace of God, we were able to pay for my wife’s medical needs.
7. If there were no limits, which musical artist—past or present—would you most love to collaborate or partner with, and why?
Santana and the Gypsy Kings. I have always admired Carlos Santana since I was young because he is a phenomenal guitarist. He is legendary! As for the Gypsy Kings, well, they are my favorite music to play.
8. Share your vision for the future. Where do you see Del Toro heading in the next five to ten years?
I see Del Toro Entertainment growing into a bigger company and whole production with singers and dancers. Currently, we're creating a Spanish Flamenco production with a well-known European artist, actress, and dancer, Shifan. You can catch our Flamenco Show once a month at the Mesón Sommelier in Spring.
In five to ten years, my goal is to own my own recording studio and possibly own my own record label. I feel God has opened a lot of doors for me to make this dream come true one day!