No one believes me but one of my earliest memories is dancing to Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' in my crib - no lie. Growing up there was always music in the house; a mix of Latin American sounds and the latest hits on MTV. I'm a product of music loving parents and have grown up with a deep appreciation for the energy and emotion that music can evoke. I love to dissect songs - see if I can hear and track every instrument. I can be moved to tears by melodies and few things give me greater joy than really connecting with people over music.
It wasn't until I moved to NYC in 2007 that I attempted to write songs and sing them. Most of these are oldies that I wrote for my band at the time called Yellowcake here in DOMA cafe (this place holds a special place in my heart). I'm hoping that by sharing them it'll awaken a new desire to write and sing again.
Doma, 2007 - corner of Waverly Place and Perry St., NYC
My first time....
This was one of my first songwriting collabos. After posting a Craigslist ad back in 2008 looking for someone to jam with, I was led to a guy named Jon. It was summer, we met in Central Park, he played the guitar, I sang some lyrics and we eventually formed a band. He would send me instrumental tracks he was working on and I would write and sing to them. This was our first experiment. The song was never finished or rerecorded but I still love this track...gritty, incomplete, just how it should be.
Heartbreak is the worst and the best...
I have been fortunate enough to only have my heart broken once. It was bad though...really bad. But as time always does, it healed me and showed me the beautiful things that can come from all the bad feels. This song was written all too easily. It poured out of me and was the first complete song I wrote. Here is the early demo of the song and the version that eventually made our EP. I was blown away with the instrumental - the guys completely captured the way I was feeling and the electric guitar solo at 2:51 is one of my favorite parts of the song.
Remember that old song...
Hit 'Em up Style by Blu Cantrell? I think it came out in 2001 and don't event know how it came into my head but as I was trying to write this next song it popped up and I wanted to write a song in the same vain. It was a fun, playful, had a memorable hook and made you sway. Anyway, 'Shake It Up' was my shot at creating the same thing. It was always fun to preform but I have to admit looking back now some of the lyrics make me cringe.
Embracing the process...
I don't know how to read music, if people throw out a key - I don't know how to find it. I'm not a typical musician. I don't have the technical skill - but I still try. What usually happens is I find myself humming something, I grab my iPhone, do an audio recording of it and from there start trying to develop something. I write from melodies or tracks that musicians send me and then we make something happen. Here's an example of that process in action. My favorite part is always getting with the band and exchanging ideas. This song eventually went through more polishing but here are the initial stage of us working it out.
Writing in different tongues...
My father is Brazilian. My mother is Nicaraguan. And I am full of flavor because of them. My parents always had music playing in the house - from bossa nova to boleros, so it was natural of me to try and develop songs in Portuguese and Spanish. These are the two I created. There are mispronunciations and bad grammar all over the place but I'm glad I tried.