Crystal Sierra: Breakout Latin Artist
diG depot >>> fresh meat 0101
Singer Crystal Sierra a Pop Music 'Playa'
Crystal Sierra, nueva artista... [in spanish]
Crystal Sierra
THE BASICS:She's a former manicurist from Baltimore who pays tribute to her traditional Hispanic heritage.
SOUNDS LIKE: Jennifer Lopez with more of an old school Latin sound!
IT'S A FACT: She was a member of a girl group created by Dr. Dre!
CG! SAYS: R&B, hip-hop, and flamenco? You'll wanna shake it!
Backstage interview with Crystal Sierra (taped 12/8/00)...
Soul Train: When you first got into the music business, you were with a group called Hands On. What kind of music did Hands On do?
Crystal Sierra: We were going to be Dr. Dre's first R&B act of girls -- so R&B music.
ST: But you wanted to incorporate a Latin sound.
Crystal Sierra: I did. You know, he would come into the studio and see me blasting salsa music and say, 'What are you doing?' And I'd say, 'I'm telling you, this is gonna be hot.' And this was before Ricky Martin even came out.
ST: When you first started talking about fusing Latin and urban sounds, what kind of response did you get from people?
Crystal Sierra: A lot of people -- like I asked Dre first. And he was like, 'Ummm?' But he was still willing to give it a try. And they said, 'Like what? Like who has done it?' And I'm like, 'Nobody's done it. It's in my head. I'm trying to get it out.'
ST: So the end result is your solo debut, 'Morena.'
Crystal Sierra: Yes.
ST: What was it like making that record?
Crystal Sierra: Well, it was really challenging. I knew what I wanted. It was just trying to convey it to other musicians because I didn't play. The only instrument I played was my voice. So trying to explain to the producer like Swizz Beatz and a lot of other producers to mix this in, mix that in. It was something else.
ST: Now what is the first single from the album, and when is it out?
Crystal Sierra: The first single was "Playa No More," and that came out October the 10th, and the album will be out in February.
ST: I was watching you perform on the show, and I wondered, do you have any professional dance training?
Crystal Sierra: I do. I had to study flamenco for the video I did with Hype Williams, and I also had to study that neck drop that you saw. I had to practice that. You know, I know how to salsa dance, I grew up salsa dancing, hip-hop dancing. But when it comes to specific choreography, I had to be trained.
ST: And you've done some acting, as well. Is that something that you want to continue to pursue?
Crystal Sierra: Definitely.
ST: And might we see -- do you have any plans to do anything in the immediate future?
Crystal Sierra: Acting?
ST: Yes.
Crystal Sierra: I don't have anything -- I just turned down a film because I wasn't able to do it and focus on my music career. I think as things start to balance out I'll start to look into that.
ST: OK. And where will people be able to see you?
Crystal Sierra: Let's see. I did "BET Live." My single is on BET now and The Box. And it's "Playa No More," the single. And I'll be performing in a city close to you. I'm on a promo tour now.
ST: And what would you like to say to the Soul Train fans?
Crystal Sierra: I would like to say to the Soul Train fans, thank you so much for being committed all these wonderful years. Don Cornelius, you are so handsome. You still -- you're so incredible. And I'm just so happy that Soul Train is still existing, you know? It's legendary.
ST: And would you like to introduce your daughter to us?
Crystal Sierra: Yes. This is my lovely daughter who's been standing here all this time. And you wanna tell 'em your name?
Tamira: Tamira.
Crystal Sierra: This is Tamira. This is my best friend. We grew up together, you know?
ST: Do you have aspirations to be a singer like your mom?
Tamira: Yeah.
ST: Do you already sing?
Tamira: Yeah, I sometimes sing with my friends, like when we're at home or something.
ST: Well, good luck to both of you, and thanks a lot for talking with us.
Crystal Sierra: Thank you.
Crystal
Sierra
So you're the first Latina to be signed to Virgin Records? How did you get signed? As crazy as it seems, it was being at the right place at the right time. I was at a dinner with my girlfriend, and we were eating with an A&R person from Virgin Records. My friend told him all about me and said it would be a great idea to present me to Virgin. He did and I got signed!
Prior to being signed, were you performing? I gigged. I went to a performing arts school so I studied the history of music-jazz, salsa, theater training. A lot of study to prepare myself for show business.
What does singing mean to you? It's a release-a way for me to shut my mind off from everything that's happening around me. If I didn't have my voice, I would die. (Laughs) I'd be the walking dead! Singing is breathing to me.
You have a variety of different musical backgrounds in your work? Yes, and in my family, too. I'm half Colombiana and my mother is American. I grew up with rhythm and blues as well as salsa, merengue and cumbias.
How do those sounds play into your album? It plays a big part! My music is una mezcla de ritmo salsa and pop-and a little bit of a harder edge like hip hop. It has a very solid direction. You're going to hear a lot of hip-hop/pop oriented music. But underlying it, you're going to hear rhythm of Latin music. All of the songs are ritmo, very up. The whole album is...party! party! party!
So would you describe yourself as an energetic kind of person? Very energetic. It's like, Crystal, you've got to take a break! I run my parents crazy.
Were you the kind of girl who was always jumping and dancing around the house? Yup. The living room was my playground! I'd be singing. and my parents would be, "C'mon. It's one o'clock in the morning!"
Did you write any of the songs on the album? I co-wrote every song, except one. It took more work than I expected. I thought they [record executives] were going to lay out all these songs, and I'd pick the ones I thought were the hottest. But nobody's ever done salsa and hip-hop -or salsa and pop. So I couldn't go into the record store and say, "This is what I want to do." We had to create it from scratch.
What would you say to someone who's just starting their journey in the music business? Be in a city where record companies are. Come to the place where it's happening. Put yourself in that environment. Write down a lot of short term and long term goals. Do something at least once a day that moves you forward towards your dream-even if it's just a phone call. That's what I did.
What was the hardest thing to discipline yourself about? Waking up and doing my voice lessons every morning-and exercising. I take kick boxing, circuit training, and running. I do a lot of abs. I train the way boxers do when they're ready to get into the ring.
So you're ready to kick some butt? (Laughs). Yeah. You have to have that stamina in order to salsa dance, be energetic, and sing on the stage.
What are your ultimate goals? Longevity in the music business. If there ever had to be a point where it was over, and I was still young, I don't know what else I'd do because I've worked so hard for this to be my life.
What would you say to your future gay Latino fans? I would say that I love you just for who you are. It's okay to be who you are and to express yourself-and not to be afraid of what other people think.
Credit: qv Magazine
