Photo Credit – Sami Drasin
What inspired you to pursue music?
When we’re all babies, we play with toys that make noise. There was a piano in my house growing up, so that was my noisemaker. I didn’t want to part from it and my parents probably needed to figure out how to make it sound good, so they put me in lessons at three! But I wasn’t ever planning to be an artist. At six years old, I knew I’d wanted to be an actress, but the songwriting bug bit me right after I moved to NYC to study theater.
Can you tell us a little bit about you?
I’m a Los Angeles based Two Spirit Afro-Indigenous Latinx singer-songwriter and actor-filmmaker. I come from a long line of strong female philanthropists. My parents are from Perú and Ecuador and I am proud to carry their Quechua-Inka blood, but I was born in Washington, DC–where they met!
What artists do you look up to right now?
I’ve been having this thing for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club for a really long time now. I saw them on my birthday last year and it was probably the best show I’d ever been to! I also love what Bjork does with her film and multi-media music video collaborations.
You are gearing up for the release of your new EP! Can you tell us about what this EP means to you?
This EP is me connecting to my roots. I spent my childhood in the suburbs of Washington, DC in Virginia and it wasn’t a very welcoming place for people who look like me. That made it hard to embrace who I was and where my ancestors came from. I did a lot of escaping in my teens, so this is a step towards healing that trauma while hopefully empowering others.
How did your new single “Mi Hombre, El Diablo” off your new Ep get created? & Can you tell us the meaning behind the song?
I’ve been exploring a lot of the underworld in my work – the darker side of life that can be easy to get caught up in. A lot of my favorite films from the crime genre show us that it’s never worth it to lead a life of crime. This song isn’t that specific but it’s a fair warning that any part of the underworld is a slippery slope.
What do you hope your supporters will think of the new EP?
I hope they’ll hear my honesty coming through. I’ve released a lot of sunny music that was originally written as sad, but I produced it to make it sound hopeful. This song isn’t sad, but it’s in a blues format, so it has that cautionary life’s tale feeling to it.
Any fun moments while creating the EP?
I was on set while I wrote this one. I get cast often to play singers and musicians and this project had me singing all day long. The more I sing/play, the more I write. It’s like a virus. I’m very grateful.
What song are you most excited to perform from this new EP?
This one. And “Te Econtraré”.
What does it feel like to perform your own music live in front of your supporters?
It feels like butter. It’s my smoothest way to communicate and its no secret that it’s very therapeutic for anyone to make sounds and/or sing your heart out. I tend to feel lost the longer I go without music. And adding the element of singing to people’s hearts – it’s all reciprocal, so I feel like I’m getting a giant hug when I perform.
How do you want your relationship to be with your supporters?
I like an open dialogue. I’ve talked to people about mental health, coming out, decolonization, civil rights, you name it. Social media makes it so much easier to connect and that can be good and bad.
What social media platform do you use most to stay connected to your supporters?
Probably instagram. For now…
Are there any other projects in the works you can tell us about?
I’m acting in a new series called Blackwater. This song is in the pilot and there may be more…Coming Soon!
Do you have any last things you want to tell your supporters?
Watch Too Old To Die Young on Amazon Prime on June 14th! When you see me, shout me out on social media and tag me! I’ll repost you!
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview with us.
Much obliged!
