The ‘Safe Haven’ Under A Baja Hotel
FLYING TO CABO SAN LUCAS in Mexico and chartering a car north on Highway 1 along the rugged coastline of Baja California is the easy part. When pulling up to Hotel El Ganzo in the tiny beach town of San Jose del Cabo, the real trick is finding the studio located inside — or rather underneath — this hip hub for vacationing creatives.
Those in the know will spy the trap door in the floor of El Ganzo’s chic lobby, pull it open and descend the stairs, walking past a glowing art installation into a thoughtfully designed, slightly retro-looking recording space outfitted with guitars, a grand piano, hand drums and other necessities.
Artists who’ve traveled this path usually do so thanks to El Ganzo’s Musicians in Residency program, which offers travel, a week’s accommodations and use of the studio in exchange for a rooftop performance and live recording session for the hotel’s YouTube channel. They’ve included everyone from French pop band L’Impératrice to Anderson .Paak, whose 2019 residency was highlighted by the Grammy Award nominations he received during his stay. “Our founder wanted it to be a sacred, hidden place,” says El Ganzo’s music director, Paco Rosas, “where artists came into a safe haven to explore and create.”