Feature: Jaime Lozano Discusses The Power of Music and His Upcoming Show with The Familia at Feinstein's/54 Below

Now a musical theater composer praised by the likes of superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jaime Lozano originally meant to study criminology. The change came despite his lack of experience in music.

"I don't have any background, no one in my family does anything related with art," Lozano says. "The only background that I had at that time was singing in the church choir."

Swiftly realizing he was a ways behind his classmates at music school (who had begun their artistic journeys at a very young age) Lozano put in the effort to recover the "wasted time." While in his first year studying music, Lozano auditioned for (and scored a role in) "Jesus Christ Superstar," and that served as his introduction to musical theater.

"I just feel something and I go for it," Lozano says, reflecting on the decision to change career direction. "I enrolled later in composition, and when I was doing musical theater as a performer I fell in love ... of the power of words and music together. It's the most powerful way to tell stories."

The linchpin to a good story is honesty, Lozano adds. Regardless of skill level or genre, he says, whether a composer is classically trained or not, their honesty and connection to the material will have an effect on the end result.

"When those stories are coming from your heart, when they're in some way related with you being honest about what you're trying to say, without trying to educate [or] to sell - just being honest and truthful to that story, I think everything is gonna fall in place and you're gonna find the right music, words, collaborators," Lozano says. "Everything is gonna make sense."

Over the past year and a half of Covid-19 restrictions on live performances, Lozano performed virtually. He says he is excited for his upcoming show at Feinstein's/54 Below, "Jaime Lozano & The Familia: Celebrando the Hispanic Heritage Month" in part because it's a long-awaited return to live shows.

"Theater is a live form, so just having the chance to be back out there with a live audience telling and singing our stories," Lozano says. "Feeling that energy of the audience, that's one of the things that I'm most looking forward to, collaborating on stage with my familia, feeling each other, looking at each other, making music & singing songs at the same time live in the same room."

Lozano also reflects on the changes the pandemic has wrought on society, including the tragic loss of so much life as a result of the Covid-19 virus.

"We need to...create a change, do better, be better than we were before," Lozano said. "I just feel grateful to be able to do it."

Jaime Lozano & The Familia: Celebrando the Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place on Sept. 23, 2021 at 9:45 p.m., is performed by Lozano along with his "Familia," group of Latinx Broadway performers, and represents their Feinstein's/54 Below debut. It also is a way for the group to celebrate their stories, culture, and heritage.

"I believe that these stories deserve to be heard," Lozano says. "There has been a lack of diversity during the years. We're putting our stories out there so that people can relate to them. They're Latinx immigrant stories...They're very specific but become instantly universal."

Lozano says there is power in specific stories to apply to a general, broad audience.

"It's magical when you realize...We are different but we're human beings, we're the same and we have to celebrate our diversity, and we need to celebrate...that we can be together," he says. "Those differences make us the same."

While he hopes that someday artists will be able to tell their stories without labeling themselves, Lozano recognized that the homogeneity that has cloaked the stories told, written, and performed for much of history needs to be broken first.

"Some stories that are being more told and heard than others so right now we need to label and raise our hand," Lozano says, "I am Mexican, I am Latino, I am here, and these are my stories."

Jaime Lozano & The Familia present Celebrando the Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 23, 2021 at 9:45 p.m. Tickets are available here.