Humberto Gatica, the man behind the music

Renowned music producer and 8-time Grammy winner, Humberto Gatica is a man with a storied career. He recounts how when he was just 17 years old, he and his cousin Manuel moved to America with a distant relative faring out the money for them to buy an airline ticket from Santiago, Chile to Mexico City. With nothing more on their backs, the two young men struck out to America, trying their luck. Humberto has multiple jobs: cleaning warehouses, and parking cars and night. “Each job, I took as an art.” Humberto said.

Finally, when the opportunity came, and Humberto had the chance to work in a recording studio he couldn’t help but feel whole. “When… I walked into a recording studio, I realized that this was the place where I belonged, that was the world and I wanted to be there.” Fortunately for Humberto, his uncle, famous singer Lucho Gatica would help bridge his way into working professionally in the industry.

From there, Humberto continued to work with huge names in the music industry such as Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, and Michael Bublé.

Humberto worked with Michael Jackson on 3 albums and on “We are the world”. Thinking back on his relationship with the “King of Pop”, Humberto said that it all started one day “they tell me: we have to finish the Michael Jackson album, it was Thriller. The plane landed, I left the airport and went straight to the studio. The first song that was given to me to work with was “Billie Jean.” 

Humberto’s career only grew in influence here on. Alongside Celine Dion, Gatica won record of the year and a Grammy for the song “My Heart Will Go On” from Titanic. 

When Gatica began working with Michael Bublé, he says that Bublé and him became friends instantly. “I can say that I changed Bublé’s destiny.” Gatica recounts how Bublé would create demos, songs and nothing would come of it. Just as Bublé told Humberto that he was getting tired of the lack of success, the two created an album that sold 7 million copies. 

We at Isina are glad to have such talent in our mentor repertoire!