From Santiago to Cécille Records: Alejandro Paz’s “El House” Reborn

From Santiago to the global stage, Alejandro Paz has long been a distinctive voice in Latin America’s electronic music scene.Now, over a decade after his iconic vocal on El House first shook the underground, the Chilean artist finds himself at the center of a powerful revival—this time through the lens of Spanish house heavyweight Héctor Couto. The new version is out on Cécille Records, a legendary label in the house music scene known for shaping the European sound over the past two decades. We sat down with Alejandro to talk about the origins of the track, its unexpected comeback, and his thoughts on this new chapter.

Alejandro, great to have you here! The vocal from “El House” has been a defining element in the Latin electronic scene for years. How does it feel to see it revived in a fresh version by Héctor Couto on Cécille Records?

Thanks for the kind words and the opportunity to talk and share some ideas. It is a very beautiful feeling and I feel honored by the invitation and the musical work that Hector Couto and Cécille Records have done. When I recorded the track, I never realized the amount of love and happiness it was going to give people all around the world. Neither could I imagine it was gonna give me a space in the dance music culture. To be honest, I feel very emotional about it because I have dedicated all my life to dance music. I am so grateful to be recognized as a part of something that will make me happy forever.

Do you remember when and how the original vocal idea came to life?

Yes I do. The lyrics came from a joke between a couple of friends who are also DJs, and older than me. I was working a lot with the Cómeme crew those days (2011-2014) and I remember laughing about it, especially with Matias Aguayo. We are both from Chile so we share the slang and “Tatita” is the way we call in Chile to our grandfathers and it is also a way to call your very good friends. In between those jokes there was a very good question: What are we gonna do when we get older? So I came up with a proposition: we are gonna dance, with our Grandchildren, with the friends of our Grandchildren, and also with our great-great-grandchildren. We are gonna dance even if we are in a wheelchair and also with the nurses and everyone who wants to join us.

You’ve always blended energy, attitude, and message in your vocal style. What do you think makes the “El House” vocal resonate with people even after so many years?

I want to believe that it’s because it’s a beautiful utopia, to dance until we die with the ones we love. There’s also a strong connection with the roots of house music, to DJs and musicians I love like Ralphi Rosario, Liz Torres, Little Louie Vega, Kenny Dope Gonzalez, and so on. Latin people who were part of the creation of this music and who gave me the opportunity of being part of this lineage. To sing in Spanish it’s also part of the strength, because it’s talking to us, to the Spanish speakers and especially to the Latin world and it makes us feel like our party is the best party. In the context where English language is predominant, it’s something very special. I need to add that it is not a defiant attitude, it’s more like an invitation to everyone to get to know us and dance with us. Finally I want to repeat that it came from a joke so the humor is basic to communicate the good vibe.

How did your first conversation with Héctor Couto about revisiting the track come about? What convinced you it was the right moment and how was your experience working with Cécille Records on this release?

Andre Butano, a respected Chilean DJ, got in touch with me to let me know that Hector and the Cécille Records crew wanted to talk about the idea of doing this new version. I felt flattered and I also felt a lot of respect in the way they approached me. They were interested because they love the track so that was fundamental. There were a lot of people around me making me feel that the El House became such an “anthem” and that it needed a fresh way to make it connect with new audiences. I’m very respectful also with the people that helped me to release it for the first time, so I spoke about it with Matias Aguayo and he agreed. So all things came together to create this perfect moment.

You’ve performed live and DJ’d across many countries. Have there been moments where you heard “El House” played unexpectedly? How did that feel?

It feels great. To be honest, I get a little bit shy sometimes if I’m at a party and I hear the track, but I really appreciate the affection and it still amazes me the people's reaction. I get a lot of messages and videos where El House it’s being played and danced at such far away places and in different contexts, it’s unbelievable. From well known DJs like Jamie XX in Europe to also well known, but close friends, like DJs Pareja in Latin America, it has been played at very big festivals and underground parties all around the globe. People have told me stories like it was their wedding song or couples who met each other dancing to it. I’ve seen people in wheelchairs feeling great on the dance floor. What can I say, it’s just gorgeous.

Looking ahead, what kind of sound or direction are you currently exploring in your solo work or collaborations?

I’m working in two directions. I've released two LPs with pop songs: “Sin Llorar” and “Llamarada”. It’s an exploration to develop my lyrics and also to get deeper into musical dimensions like different rhythms, harmonies and melodies. It's also music to play with a band, because I love playing my guitar and sharing that feeling with different musicians. It gives me the space to go back in a fresh way to dance music, which is something that I just can't help. I’m always doing a lot of dance tracks, nowadays adding these senses of musical complexity, more chord combinations and letting myself go into melodies. My vocal skills are also something that I’ve been training and developing as much as I can. Trying to make sense of these two sides of me it’s my goal.

The scene in Chile and Latin America continues to grow. How do you view its global presence today, compared to when you started out?

I feel it’s a dream that is slowly becoming true. It still needs a lot of work, but the growing interest in our dance culture and context is something that I really appreciate. Somehow it’s a bridge that we need to build, side to side, not only between Latin America and the U.S. or Europe, but with the whole world. Breaking the walls that separate humans it’s something I strongly support. That being said, I need to express that I also see how our local scene in Latin America is becoming bigger, and I pray and work every day for that goal. It’s important that the new talents in our countries have the opportunity to be heard and also that the new generations get to see the chance to make a living from being a DJ or musician. It was never easy, especially coming from our territory or any third world country. But we can’t give up, and there’s more people giving their work to make this happen.

Our readers are curious about your future releases. What do you have planned?

I’m back in Chile for a few months and I’m working with my dear friends and DJs Andrea Paz and Diegors to keep releasing music on our label “Discos Pato Carlos” . We are planning a few records with our music. It’s a shared effort so we wanna make a few “splits” EPs with a couple of tracks of each one of us and also with new talents from Latin America. So this year I’m releasing four house tracks full of rhythm, melodies and good vibes. I’m feeling very happy finding new ways for art and that’s what I want to express, love, peace and complicity.

What does a perfect day off look like for you?

At this very moment a perfect day for me starts having breakfast with my mother. Then, a “must be” it's a long walk with my dog. After that, a few hours of music practice it’s fundamental, it could be guitar, piano or voice, it makes me feel I’m still making a little progress. Then, a shared lunch with friends or family gives me the energy to answer emails and make the work office. When everything seems like going, I turn on my machines and start working on music production, maybe i have to give some lessons. This schedule changes a lot but essentially it’s the kind of living that makes me happy.

What is one of your all-time favourite releases?

Of course there are a few favorites, but since you are asking for just one, I have to say “Silencio” (1986) by Los Encargados. They are one of the first techno pop bands in Argentina and Latin America. The main composer is Daniel Melero, a bright musician and a pioneer on electronic music. It’s gorgeous music, and still quite underground. I strongly recommend it to everyone who is looking for the roots of our soul.