In his debut single, “Thank You, Mama,” singer-songwriter Carlos Fajardo is sending a message of gratitude.
The song starts off in a minor key chord sequence that could come from the 1990s. But instead of the angst of a depressed teenager, this song has a positive message, one of appreciation and recognition.
Thank you Mama for all you’ve done for me
For not leaving me behind
For making sure that my brothers and me
Have a wonderful life
I want to tell you how you kept your promise
You’re God’s gift to the world
With no production artifice beyond Fajardo’s vocals and an acoustic guitar, “Thank You Mama” is honest, raw, and heartfelt. Fajardo aims to keep things simple, eschewing professional studios and instead preferring to record himself outside with only an iPhone.
He says, “Nature is my studio.”
The song was inspired by Fajardo’s own mother, an immigrant from Honduras who sacrificed for a better life for Carlos and his brothers. But Fajardo sees the message as bigger than just his own life story.
He says that “Mama” in the song is a metaphor, that “Mama can be anybody. It can be your mother, a friend, even the Statue of Liberty. I want people to interpret it their own way.”
Fajardo’s path to music has been a winding one. Growing up in New Jersey, he started his own family there. After relocating to Florida and developing a pool business, he started to feel the pull of music, something he had started learning on a cheap guitar 30 years ago.
Looking through the classified ads, he found somebody selling five guitars for cheap. Carlos bought all five. Once he started to get the chords under his fingers again, the songs started to flow.
“I could write a new song every day,” he says.
For now, he will start with “Thank You Mama.” With this song, he wants to add a song of gratitude, for his mother – and all mothers – to the world of music. He wants to jump-start his music career, to let the world know he is a musician, that he has dreams, that he has something to say.
And he wants that story to inspire others. He thinks everyone should follow their dreams. He says, “Don’t let anybody discourage you. No matter what they say, go for your dreams.”
“Thank You, Mama” is out now with promotional support from Starlight PR. Follow Carlos Fajardo at the links below.
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