Fate of fate for many, 2020 was the year of Zuleima González (Las Palmas, 1998), better known as Ptazeta. Going from anonymity to success thanks to ‘Mami’. The rapper has established himself in the music scene in just two years. Coming to collaborate with famous artists like Bizarrap or Aitana. On September 20, he will perform with Juacko and Lola Índigo at the closing concert of the San Mateo program.
You were barely known two years ago, how did you absorb everything in such a short time?
At first the success hit me pretty badly because I was used to a different life, it was a very strong shock. Now I’m more balanced in these kinds of movies, but I guess you never really get used to it, something new surprises you every day.
It’s not your first time in Asturias, what do you expect from the people of Oviedo?
I love Asturias and its people, I feel very loved. We use this place as our second home because my team lives there, there were hits and we recorded video clips there like for ‘Trakatá’.
Producer Juacko has been a key part of its success.
Producer and singer are like insurance and gas, when they come together it’s really a job, everything in this life can’t be done alone. Juacko was already resonating a lot as a DJ in the Canary Islands and he offered me to record it to see what would happen, that’s how ‘Mami’ came out. He’s my brother today: he gives me advice, he puts me at ease, he gives me advice when I’m angry…
A week ago, ‘Mujerón’ was released in collaboration with Villano Antillano.
It was an issue that I had to open. The villain I love him so much, I feel so represented with him. With this theme we want people to understand that we aunts are strong and independent, to show the woman we are all in and the height we are at, but we need work to keep people open their minds.
What is Ptazeta planning?
I hope to release more songs this year and I feel there are good plans for 2023, I don’t want to hint but new collaborations will come, some will be left in the trunk, solos with Juacko will be amazing… just hoping for that let’s go fast and well.
Can it be said that she composed feminist lyrics in a macho world like urban music?
I don’t write sexist remarks because it goes against my values as a person and a woman. I have the power to give a message, and I have my presence in what I want to emphasize to the smallest: respect, healthy relationships… In my songs, I sing to a girl and send a message of freedom: if you want it. Be okay with me and you’re free to do whatever you want if you don’t want to. I have more mischievous lyrics that throw things off like dirty reggaeton.
How would you describe your musical style?
I consider myself a rapper. Rap is poetry and music comes from it. now me working with different genresby repeating a species that has merged with a species, or by trying not to duplicate it, I learn which species I get along with and which I don’t.
It started in the rooster wars.
I started improvising with my colleagues and we would have cockfights, we even had to go to a Red Bull fight. I love to improvise but it also scares me, I have stage fright to do it on stage. I’m a lively, friendly, extroverted person… but in the end, every person has a shyness point, and it’s happened to me with wars. All my life I loved writing, composing and improvising, it helped me understand how to write a musical song.
Have you always wanted to devote yourself to the world of music?
I’ve always been into music, I played the trumpet when I was little and my family used to sing, but I didn’t value myself as a singer either. I wanted to be an architect but in the end one thing led to something else, when I started freestyle I realized that this is what I wanted to do.
How did the pseudonym Ptazeta come about?
Sounds like a cool word to me. It does not have the sense of “pika pica” sweets it is associated with. “Peta” comes from peta, and “Zeta” from the first letter of Zuleima has a roll when pasting.