- (interviewer) Folks today on Crossing South, we meet some music prodigies who are going to show us their stuff on the piano, and we also visit a one with the environment eating experience coming to you now.

(upbeat rock music) (classical piano music) The city of Ensenada is a charming small city overlooking the Pacific.

And it is here, we meet two siblings who are carving a name for themselves in Classical Music circles.

We were received by the delightful sounds that their talent allows them to generate.

(classical piano music) (classical piano music) - Nice to meet you.

- Thank you so much.

- What are your names?

- My name is Ivanna Gutierrez.

- Ivanna Gutierrez.

Ivanna like... kind of Russian Ivanna?

- (laughs) Yes.

- Omar Gutierrez.

pianist and composer.

- Omar and Ivanna.

You guys are siblings, right?

- Yes.

- So how'd you guys get started in music?

- Well, when I was four years old I'd watched a man playing piano.

- Okay.

That's when my interesting start.

When I turned 10 years old my mom took me to piano lessons and my brother follow me.

- Your brother followed you (chuckles)?

- Yeah I followed (chuckles).

- So you guys growing up were very close then?

- Yeah.

- Yes.

I followed her because it was like a hobby, like a culture playing and learning.

But as we continue, I started with Russian teachers, and we love it so much.

Playing, and also I be in composing my own music.

- Oh my goodness.

- Yes, and we continue studying.

And we, touring after that after some years we begin touring in, Baja California.

- Okay.

It was our first concert.

(classical piano music) - How old are you?

- Thirty.

- Thirty years old You guys look younger.

(laughing) - How long after you started playing, did you start touring?

- Yes.

Seven years, studying .

- Seven years?

- Yes, very hard with Russian teachers, and practicing, practicing and practicing a... - Very strict Russian teachers?

- Yes - Yes - Six to eight hours a day.

- And how many days a week?

- Seven.

- No... - When we was studying hard.

- when we have hard concerts tour, we can reach 10 hours.

- Since this is a lesson for kids out there especially if people that you know, want to, you know quick gratification, it takes hard work to accomplish, to be, to master a craft.

Right?

Some people like just want quick results, right?

And they quit.

You know, if they don't get it, it's a lifetime of work you guys have put in.

- Dedication, a hard dedication - Patience Because, not always get what you want clean.

So you need to repeat and repeat and repeat.

(classical piano music) - [interviewer] It's not easy.

Anyone who plays an instrument will tell you that, otherwise everyone would be a musician.

(classical piano music) Do you guys when you feel this is the way I wanna play it.

Or someone else giving, you a no, this is the standard this is the rhythm that, the music has to play.

- The music score has a little rules to the tempo but at final we must put our feelings, - Your feelings is what you put on your interpretation.

- For sure.

(classical piano music) - If I play a piece, my brother play is not the same.

- [interviewer] Oh ,wow... Really?

- Yeah - It will be all different.

- So it could be a very meaningful one to you where you're like almost crying with your song.

Right?

And he's like, no I'm happy.

-_ Only playing - Right, exactly.

(classical music playing) (classical music playing) - Over 10 years playing together, four hands, two piano, also violin because -_ [interviewer]Really?

- Playing as a second instrument, violin.

- Both of you play both violins?

- Yes, both.

And we changed for example, in some concerts, we do know of playing violin on change.

And another seat on piano.

- I'm just imagining you guys like playing on your feet and like let me grab the violin.

(laughing) - Alright sis, I'm holding holding a key, I'm holding the notes.

Go get the violin.

(laughing) - Go get the violin and change.

- Where have you guys played?

- We play in Spain, - Paris, Italia.

- And recently, we was play in China, in Shanghai.

- We were playing Shanghai.

(speaking Chinese) (clapping) (classical piano music) - I think that your pretty legit.

Right?

I don't think you'd get invited to these places if you weren't considered, you know, accomplished musicians.

Are you guys natives of Ensenada?

- Yes.

- Okay, so.

- Yeah.

We here born on and study the piano.

- Became superstars here.

Right?

- We studied here.

- You studied here and your parents are they from Ensenada?

Are you second generation Ensenada?

Or they came from other places in Mexico.

- [Ivanna] Yes ,they are come from Ensenada.

- [Interviewer] So this is Ensenada blood.

You know playing - Yes.

(laughing) - Okay.

- [Omar] We are recording artists.

- [Interviewer] You got a couple of CDs, right?

- [Omar] Yes, a couple of CDs in iTunes and also in our website official website, OmarandIvanna.com they can see all our work.

- What countries would you say have been the most receptive to your music?

The ones that have, what country?

Other than Mexico.

- It's an interesting question, because we have a beautiful response of the people in all the audience, and the audience always stand up, even in Italy, in Paris, - Oh, wow - in Shanghai sometimes we, the first time we went to Europe, to Spain, we feel like okay, okay were going to try to see what the audience say, but no, wow all people asking for more the anchor likes Omar composition.

(clapping) - [Interviewer] So do you make a living out of this or do you have to have other jobs to sustain this?

- We live off of that, I also teach music because I like a lot to teach music, the kids... - You know, I'm not... judging by your personality I'm not surprised that you love teaching kids.

You have a very nice personality.

You both do, but she just seems very nurturing so yes I'm not surprised.

- [Omar] I give also lessons to another countries like China, Iran.

- [Interviewer] You're using technology?

- [Omar] Yes.

- I think it's better in person but, now with the technology we can teach around the world.

- Really?

It's possible to teach online?

- It's possible, really possible.

- It's kinda weird camera on this side this way, you know, and just like - The indication to the piano - We started the Academy, sending videos because, the webcam and the things doesn't work in the past time.

So, the people send us a video playing, maybe the violin in Salvador, we watch, you need to do that, writing and sending the video, how to do it right.

- I love everything that I've heard of what you guys have accomplished.

And it shows a resilience, patience, dedication, discipline, very good qualities to have in any person.

So, we're going to get to enjoy right now, a little bit of their music and I'm going to get Ivanna here, to help me see if we can get these sausage fingers to play something okay so.

- [Ivanna] We need first of all, to find the pattern of the black keys, we identify them.

We have two black keys, three black keys, two, three and and so on the same.

- [interviewer] I had not noticed that until right now.

- [Ivanna] White key behind the first black key, is the, C in all the pianos.

- [interviewer] Okay so this is a C too?

-_ Okay, yes try to find another C okay, another, okay.

All are C's.

-_ All of them are C's?

- But this is the middle C. - This is the middle C?

This center.

- [interviewer] Ivanna started me off with something simple.

(simple piano music) - [Ivanna] Yes, very good.

(simply piano music) (clapping in excitement) - [interviewer] My excitement is similar to that of a baby when he takes his first steps.

A proper comparison since musically I'd be in diapers.

Mary had a little lamb could make me sweat so much.

I've put in the work, my good five minutes to now, join Omar and Ivanna in concert.

And I'm gonna prove it right now.

Let's go.

(classical piano music) - [interviewer] Notice, she's trying not to laugh out of how completely off tempo and off key I am.

I noticed it you can see the embarrassment in my face.

(classical piano music) (laughing) - I know I completely slaughtered it.

This is the part when you kinda start with them together.

And then they just go away for a you're like, [Laughing] Thank you guys for being gracious.

And, it was very nice to meet you, Ivanna, very nice to meet you Omar, very nice my friend, thank you very much.

It's Crossing South folks, don't go anywhere we're going to keep enjoying the music from, Omar and Ivanna and there's more to come.

So don't go anywhere its crossing south.

(classical piano music) - [interviewer Musical power, just unleashed here, raw, pure, energy flowing.

(classical piano music) - [interviewer] As we leave these young creatives to their field of expertise, we head to that, which is our own.

You know, if you thought about going to the, Valle de Guadalupe, there's more than likely you've heard of a restaurant called Deckman's.

If you've seen the visuals on social media, the stuff that these guys are cooking, it'll make you want to go.

And we're here.

And I'm happy that we are.

It's Crossing South folks.

We're at Deckman's, at El Mogor, and it's right now.

So stay with us coming your way.

Deckman's, it's an open air restaurant that really brings the table to farm, both the food and the surroundings have a natural feel, because like many restaurants in the Guadalupe Valley, they are in the middle of nature.

You are smack dab in the middle of straw bales.

And that is the quintessential quaint, cozy, renaissance/ranch environment.

- I mean, I'd have something here, wedding or party with friends pretty cool.

Even the building itself is made from the environment.

It's almost like a village atmosphere, right?

I mean, imagine it, it's almost like you came to the ewok's restaurant or something, fire burning all over very smokey, woodsy.

(soft music playing) - Hey, excuse me, what's that over there?

(soft music playing) But no matter the place, the food's got to pass the test right?

Okay so I'm going to try at first their introductory, dish which is the gerrero negro oysters.

They have like, you know, these flowery vegetables, they've got cricket, you know, in there, it's just, it has like shallots and a white vinegar so let's see what we got.

Not disappointed.

You can taste, you know, the freshness of these oysters and the ingredients that he put in it allow you to, you know, have a little bit of a flavor, you know, the little saltiness, the crickets do that, but don't interrupt the original flavor of, because I've tried these types of oysters with nothing on them.

So it just doesn't interrupt that.

And that's, and I like that.

You have this abalone and it's sliced inside and it's got, suckling pig, chicharron.

So basically crunchy skin.

It's got some seaweed inside this little cream in the bottom.

- Okay.

- This is very good.

Wow.

That may be the best tasting abalone ever had.

Okay so we've got this quail, local quail hunted quail it looks great.

This is one of the biggest looking quail that I've had that I've seen here.

It's got a butternut squash puree, at the bottom I don't know if you can see it.

And this is the butternut puree, the butternut squash.

This is what it is.

This is pickled.

They've got a butternut squash, you know kind of shavings that are fried.

And then he's got some Pipian, which is a mustard and you know, a paste.

Okay, so we're going to try the quail, see how it is okay.

Let's break it open.

Okay.

A lot of flavor.

The flesh and the meat, it has a lot of flavor, you just have to deal with the fact that it's very boney.

You know, it's got a lot of little pieces there.

This part is like chorizo, like dry chorizo.

And, with the butternut smash, both the pickle on the fried, let's see how it is...

It is very good, Wow.

Quelea is a smaller bird, is a smaller bird, and we used to eating chicken, we used to being able to tear off, you know piece of meat from it, not having a real issue, but Quail's different, is a smaller bird, so not knowing the anatomy of it, it does affect because you're biting into bones you know, you want to take a larger bite based on on the thighs of birds, where normally we normally eat be it turkey, be it chicken, and you know, the flesh the meat disappears really quick, you know, you're, you're you're basically biting into bone fairly quick, you know, whether... with a fairly moderate bite, you're writing into bone.

So it's almost like you gotta... into it.

And I don't know the anatomy of, of a quail yet to understand where the flesh ends and the bone begins.

It's gotta be a shallow bite, for you to not run into bones all the time.

Oh boy.

Oh, this is, this is, this is, - a bone marrow this is the bone marrow.

This is, this is the, okay.

So this, this bread, you know, toasted here it's got a bone marrow butter on it, and then you've got bone marrow here.

So from a point there's a point where bone bone marrow became very popular in Baja.

It's just a delicacy now.

It used to be like only a couple of restaurants offered it.

So he's got some sort of tortilla cracklings on top.

So let's see, let's see how this tastes.

I normally have it with corn tortillas.

That's the way traditionally, I have it.

And you do have to put some salt in it.

Look, I see that here.

So you put a little bit of salt in it.

You salt it.

So let's see how it goes.

This is just sublime.

Bone marrow is good for you.

It's good brain food.

It's got the fatties that you need.

Of course, if you're packing in too many carbs, then yeah it'll just clog up your arteries.

But, I have a moderately, you know healthy diet and you add some bone marrow to it.

You will be, well-served, something that we need.

We need to survive, we need it, it's necessary.

So this is, Duck McGray, this is a reduction of duck.

He got chickpeas, Cilantro, zucchini, this fargo teeny, it's basically what they name.

It's almost like a ravioli, but it's it's called a Fargo Teenie and, it's got duck inside.

So, let's see it's crunchy.

So that's a good thing.

You know, the, the seardness the Char-Broil, let's, let's see how this goes.

Oh wow, that's really good.

It's really good.

And the reduction, all this, all this duck reduction, it tastes delicious by the way, we're going to have that.

Wow.

Let's just go to, this is a good dish.

Out of the dishes that they brought me that's probably the best right now.

It's, it's really good.

This, this, the crest, this crust that they put on top I don't know what they put on it.

It may just be salt, but it just adds that flavor to it.

So I'm gonna try the the Fogatina.

Their basic ravioli filled with duck.

Okay.

Wow.

That's a really good plate.

That's a really good meal.

Wow.

So the duck and this ravioli that they have are my superstar so far.

- So log it folks - This is the dish of the night.

Everything has been good.

Everything has been really good, but there is a moment when a dish just separates itself from the rest, and that duck just blew everything out of the water so far, I do have this last sea bass to go.

So, this will let me know if it will compete with the duck, or if the duck remains the champion of the evening here at Deckman's.

So, I'm nervous.

- It sounds pretty interesting.

- We're going to see how that tastes and you liked that, that grilled part, that seared part, that's what I like crunchier, the skin gets.

That's what you want.

That's what you want.

Let's break it up.

Let's just see how, how the fish alone taste.

It's very good.

It's not duck good, But it's very good.

The skin provides a lot of the flavor.

Let's see what the puree, maybe that's what the the chef had in mind.

The puree and the, the clam cream duck seems to be safe at number one.

So let's see It does make a difference.

It does make a difference.

I understand what the chef is trying to do Wow For good measure, let's try this Venus clam.

What can I say?

Ingredients are fresh, produce is great.

Seasoning is great.

If I had to choose a champion, it will have to be the duck.

The duck is definitely the one that takes the night.

So a very good experience overall.

Wow.

Crossing South folks, don't go anywhere.

We're still doing this.

We're still doing this.

- And don't even get me started on the desserts.

They brought them out when we were ready to go they were all phenomenal.

- So after enjoying music from two young elegant and talented musicians, and after eating our way through the flames of Deckman's kitchen, we leave now rejoicing at the thought of what the next adventure will bring, the next time, we Cross South (classical rock music) (classical rock music) (classical rock music) - Like to know more about the places you've just seen.

Maps, videos, podcasts, and more at crossingsouth.com We also do Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

(classic guitar music)