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Q&A with Latina Singing Sensation: CLAUDIA
AN EXCLUSIVE Q AND A WITH LATINA BEAUTY AND SINGING SENSATION, CLAUDIA
Where are you from, what is your cultural background and where did you get your start in music?
Claudia: I grew up in a small city in San Diego County, just eight miles from the Mexican border. My parents are of Mexican descent, so naturally, I sang the music my family exposed me to like Rancheras and Mariachi music. That was the music sang at parties when people were feelin’ a little too good. [laughing] I learned the songs of Lola Beltrán, Ana Gabriel and Rocio Dúrcal. But then, I heard a song on the radio unlike anything I’d ever heard before. It was Mary J. Blige singing “Real Love.” Her raw powerful voice blew me away with that new blend of Hip-Hop and soul. It was so unique that I devoured all of her music, learning the words to every song on her albums. Everyone in my family listened to Rancheras, Banda music or oldies. They didn’t care much for Hip-Hop/soul or rap the way I did.
So how did you end up leaving San Diego and eventually getting deeper into Hip-Hop and R&B?
Claudia: I felt such a strong desire to get out and experience new places where people were different than me, where I’d be exposed to an array of cultures and music and just an overall different experience outside of what I knew at home. So I worked all throughout high school. I can’t remember when I didn’t have a job. My mom didn’t have much money supporting three kids on her own. Money was always really tight. I finally saved up enough money to move. I moved to the Bay area and started freshmen year at San Francisco State University. I’m glad I got up and out. Moving to the Bay area was how I was further exposed to Hip-Hop and all of the aspects of that culture aside from just the music itself.
So I heard you went to USC as well, what was that experience like and how did it help you with your music career?
Claudia: Well I kinda just ended up at USC. After my second year at San Francisco State, I wanted to be challenged more, academically. I was almost convinced I wanted to pursue a PhD and become a Chicana English professor, since there were so few at the time. But I couldn’t pull myself away from singing and performing. I was at every open mic night, every singing competition and recording with different producers... anyone who would give me a beat and let me in the booth. None of the producers I met along the way were really legit and the quality of the music wasn’t great so I got frustrated. Nobody I met knew enough about the business to guide me and mentor me. As a young female going into this business alone, it was really hard for me to find a producer who was strictly about business. I just wanted to write and sing but they tended to have different intentions outside of recording. I got fed up and thought, maybe if I educated myself about the business, I’d have a better chance at meeting some real producers. So I researched my options and found that USC had one of the top five Music Industry programs in the nation. It was really competitive but I applied anyway. I had to be interviewed by a panel of administrators and I was late to the interview because I didn’t have a car and had to find my way there. It was pretty intimidating. They asked me a lot of questions and I knew nothing else but to be very blunt with them. I told them straight out I was tired of people trying to take advantage of my lack of knowledge in this business. I said I was on a full financial aid ride and was working two jobs to pay my rent, but their program was why I moved to L.A. After I blurted that all out, I knew for sure I’d bombed the interview. But then they told me they liked my determination and that I had a sense of passion and perseverance they rarely see in students. So I was accepted. And I was one of the few female students in the program. It was a good experience... challenging. But I can tell you this, you can study all day about music industry but you don’t know anything until you work in the business. You need the experience and all the ups and downs that come with it.
Who are your biggest music influences in both English and Spanish music?
Claudia: As far as English artists go, Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and Etta James. My biggest Spanish influences are the late Lola Beltrán and Rocio Dúrcal. Linda Ronstadt sings Rancheras beautifully; she has an amazing vocal range. I like women who sing their hearts out. You can hear the pain in their big, soulful voices.
What producers and songwriters are you working with?
Claudia: I’m blessed to be working with Shysti, Hip-Hop producer and creator/founder of the Latin Rap Conference. For the first time in my life, I’m working with a serious producer and songwriter who can communicate my emotions in a song. It’s amazing how he can convey exactly what I’m thinking and what I want a song to sound like. The end result is always better than what I had imagined. He’s a really dope lyricist because he chooses his words carefully and his lyrics have double meaning if you take the time to listen. It’s poetry. It’s been an amazing experience to work with such a talented producer who has a great work ethic. I should’ve been careful what I wished for because he’s really quick, I can hardly keep up! Working with Shysti is demanding and you gotta be on top of your game when you step into the studio with him because magic happens fast.
How has working with a producer who is best known for Hip-Hop music affected your style and your musical goals?
Claudia: You know what’s funny is that Shysti doesn’t just produce Hip-Hop. He’s best known for that but he produces everything from rock to reggae, pop, dance, you name it. He’s very versatile and his wide range of influence comes across in my music. So my songs have a mix of Hip-Hop, soul, rock, R&B, pop, dance, salsa. All these different elements come together to make an album that’s different from the commercial stuff you hear on the radio. I think listeners are ready for it. We music lovers are hungry for somethin’ that encompasses all of our different backgrounds, cultures and tastes and radio is just not givin’ it to us right now. There’s a song we just finished called “Lose Control,” a Spanish-English dance song that sounds like a mix of salsa and Hip-Hop. It’s a real feel-good type of song and one of my personal favorites. Working on that song with Shysti made me realize that there are no limits as far as my musical style and goals are concerned. Why put myself in a corner doing just one style of music when I can mix it all up and do it all? It’s a lot more interesting that way and I never get bored.
How has being Latina affected you in the pursuit of a career in R&B and Dance music?
Claudia: It’s been such an advantage for me to be Latina and sing R&B and dance music. I’ve been told I have a big, powerful voice compared to the Latina pop singers out there. It’s something different to hear a Spanish dance song with an R&B flavor to it, so that’s why I’ve pursued a career in that direction. I like to give people something they can’t get anywhere else. It keeps me moving forward.
You have some Ranchera songs in your repertoire, who is your favorite Ranchera singer and what is your favorite traditional Mexican song?
Claudia: La reina de la music ranchera is my favorite... Lola Beltrán. She is one of the greatest Ranchera singers and the first female artist to record a Ranchera album in the early 1950’s. I appreciate her because she had to fight her way to be heard since at the time, Mariachi music was male-dominated. That’s why all of the old songs are written in the masculine form. She paved the way for women in this genre of music. My favorite traditional song to sing live is “Paloma Negra” because I love that you need so much vocal control and powerful projection. I really enjoyed recording this song. But I have to say that my all-time favorite Ranchera song is “A Los Cuatro Vientos.” It’s so beautifully tragic and the lyrics are poetry. I still remember the first time I heard it... it was at one of the lowest times in my life. It touched me at my core and I had to record it. The first dozen or so times I tried to sing it, I couldn’t without crying. Most Ranchera songs are very sad, just like the blues, soul music, R&B. Even though they’re sung in different languages, I find them to be similar in that sense.
You have done some modeling work, you are stunningly beautiful by the way, should we expect more of that and maybe even some acting roles from you in the future?
Claudia: Aaww thank you, that’s really sweet of you. Yeah, I’m definitely going to continue the modeling. It keeps me on point and reminds me not to eat too much, which I love to do! [laughing] I gotta work out twice as hard as I eat. And yes, I see myself gearing up to break into the Hollywood movie scene and doing some acting in the near future. There are some good opportunities already in place, but I have to focus on one thing at a time for now.
You were at The Latin Rap Conference this year, what was your involvement and what did you get from that experience?
Claudia: Yes I was, and for anyone who wasn’t there, you really missed out on an amazing educational experience! I don’t think I’ve ever been to anything like it. The panel discussions were intense, heated debates at times. The after-parties and shows were off the hook! All the members from Cypress Hill came out on stage, Mellow Man Ace, Malverde, Psycho Realm, Frost... the list just went on and on. So much talent blessed the stage during the LRC, it took me a few days afterwards to digest it all. But yeah, I helped out Shysti as much as he would let me. I mean, he’s done a lot for me and my career. I was beggin’ him to let me get involved. So I did everything from promoting, to making badges, to making gift bags prior to the event. The day of, I worked the registration table, which was the most rewarding part because I learned who’s who in the business and I got to meet all of the bigwigs in the music biz. It was almost overwhelming and just an amazing experience, overall.
Are you signed to a record company? Where can people hear and buy your music?
Claudia:No, I am not bound to a contract and happy that I still have creative control of my music and my image. I can stay true to who I am and you can’t put a price on that. Smart artists can see more money in their pockets selling independently today than ever before, versus signing to a major just to get shelved and lose control of everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve. Yes, it’s a lot of hard work and sacrifice to do it independently but everything great in life doesn’t come easy, right? I don’t appreciate anything that comes too easy anyway [laughing]. My new website just launched, where you can listen to and download my newest songs, check out pictures from my photo shoots and sign up to get my monthly newsletter at www.claudiasmusic.com
Thanks again for your time. I really appreciate you and your music. Any last words for those people out there who are just hearing about you... what can people expect from Claudia in the near future?
Claudia: Thank you, it’s been a pleasure sittin’ here talking with you. Well, I’ll tell you this... I got some really dope collaborations in the works. I’m not saying with who just yet. You gotta check in with me at my new website and I’ll let you know! You can sign up on my site for all the latest news on where I’m performing, who I’m collaborating in the studio with, behind the scenes info and everything else I’m working on.
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