On a Saturday in late May, we invited Yvly, Diva Brown, JSCA, Pao Pestana, Keiddy Cruz, Nicole Silva and Ashley Nahomy for the UK’s first cover photo shoot of homegrown Latina Urban Artists. From Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, some of them were born in the British capital, while others have made this great metropolis their home. They filled the studio with their costumes and high heels, with their dreams and talent and a particular determination and resilience that only young women know. Their energy and their desire to succeed creates a special atmosphere.
In their own way, all share a love of rhythm, whether it be in the form of reggaetón, drill, and Latin trap or pop music. They also share the dream of fusing and reigning those rhythms in British lands, where foreign is still suspicious and where Latin is still exotic. But, the global domination of Latin music, the success of UK Urban music and the rise of Caribbean flava and afro-beats to the mainstream has inspired them. It they can do it, so can we.
Though their backgrounds and sense of Latina-ness are diverse, it is clear that they all feel part of London, knowing that their difference sets that them. They are part of a new UK generation, with a unique and distinctive Latin flavour, which they are proud of and want to take advantage of in their musical careers.
Nicole Silva
Born and raised in London from a Colombian mother and English father, Nicole was already singing when she was 4-years old and, at the age of 12, was discovered by ‘80s pop singer Sinitta, who took her under her wing and placed her in a 3-piece girl group, supporting the likes of Jessie J, JLS and Union J, in front of 25,000 people. But Nicole is much more than a singer, the 23-year-old graduated in modern languages from the University of Oxford and masters five languages.
“Those years singing on massive stages were very fun but my family always believed that my education was crucial, and I always tried to maintain the balance between music and my studies.”
Nevertheless, Nicole’s exotic figure secured her a modelling contract with one of London's most influential fashion houses and while she was finishing her degree in Oxford, Nicole was selected as the official face of London Fashion Week in 2019, featured in international magazines and photographed by top photographers in France, Italy, Colombia and the UK.
“Now, with my university degree in hand, I told myself that it was my time and I'm going to dedicate myself to music,” says Nicole. “In the last two years I have been trying to discover my voice in Spanish, because before I only sang in English. I am also writing my songs about my experiences and the people around me”.
In musical terms, Nicole is in exploratory mode. With a unique vocal tone, she sings a variety of rhythms ranging from R&B and reggaetón to trap and commercial pop, “Right now I'm working on Latin trap, but I want to make it more pop, more in my own way, with Italian, French and Italian sounds.”
Her next release will be in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese. “I am applying my academic career to my music!” She laughs, knowing that Brits aren’t the most open to music in other languages. “I always challenge myself in life. For me nothing is impossible. I want to manifest that in my music.”
But the global success of music in Spanish is already changing perceptions in the UK and if nothing else Nicole’s take-on-the-world attitude is inspiring. Her latest song ‘Control’ is all about women being the author of their own stories. “You don’t lose anything trying, and some doors may close but others will be wide open for you. Go outside and take it.”
JSCA
Born in Colombia and raised in London, 21-year-old JSCA graduated from the Brit School, which produced the likes of Adele and Jessie J. Like them, she is clear about what she wants. “I am an artist trying to mix sounds from Colombia and the UK, integrating Colombian folk into pop or R&B. I want it to be something new that has not been heard. There is misconception of what Latin music is in the UK. It’s more than just reggaetón or salsa and that is what I want to bring to the world.”
Inspired by the music of Toto la Momposina and Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, she loves the different genres of cumbia and bullerengue. “Although my music does not sound directly like that, I like the singing style, which is not perfect like pop. It is more emotional, more organic. I try to integrate that into my own music, into my own singing style. The melodies they use are entirely different to pop music, but can sound good with a pop guitar or R&B guitar. I really like that mix.”
JSCA lives Colombia every day. “I listen to Colombian music, then I go to the studio and take aspects of that music and mix it up. It's what inspires me. I start by writing songs first then take them to a producer and we develop the pieces together. It is teamwork.”
Trained on piano and guitar, JSCA regards her voice as her other musical instrument. “I don’t have a loud voice, but it is expressive. I take advantage of my different tones and dynamics to create an instrument out of it.”
Unlike most of her Brit school peers, JSCA is in no rush to be famous. She thinks about every step and does not mind having to do other jobs while she develops her music. “For now, I work in food delivery which allows me to work when I want, the hours I want. It's perfect for me because I can dedicate myself to recording. I am independent, I am making connections and working with people who want to work with me, and I hope that one day a manager or a label will be interested.”
She knows that it may take longer and maybe more difficult, but JSCA trusts that success can come even without the support of a big label. She says optimistically: “If, by 27, I haven’t made any progress then maybe I'll have to think of something else. But as I am going now, that's OK. It doesn't seem like a good idea to go from zero to one hundred because it won't last. I prefer to work little by little and not be scared if things don't go so fast.”
Diva Brown
“I want to put my people and my culture on the map, and I want my music to resonate with anyone who feels different. That is me," says Diva Brown. Born in Spain from Equatorial Guinea, 26-year-old Diva is determined to make a statement with her music and set an example for her younger siblings. As a young girl, enjoying her African traditions, food, and music at home, she felt different from her peers in Spain, but “London felt right,” she says.
“The UK has given me the confidence… coming here was like arriving in the country where dreams come true. Like the USA is for many other people, London is my dream. If I were still living in Spain, it would have cost me more in every way. So, for me, London was the right place at the right time. It was here that I felt able to do what I wanted, which was music.”
However, Diva Brown insists, “despite being here, my audience is still in Spain, Latin America and Equatorial Guinea. All the videos I’ve made were very well received in both Spain and Latin America as a young black artist from Equatorial Guinea. My fans, my ‘brownies', support me very much and they inspire me to be better all the time.
When people listen to her music, she wants them to feel the vibes and lyrics. “My repertoire is urban Latin, hip-hop, reggaetón, merengue. Everything is mixed. I don’t fit into a defined genre. It’s about vibes, whatever I feel like. If I like something, I jump on it and sing it. But the most important thing are the lyrics. I don’t know how some artists let other people write their songs. I can take inspiration from others if I get stuck but, in the end, I have to mean what I’m singing and that can only come from me.”
Pao Pestana
Paola 'Pao' Pestana emigrated from her beloved Venezuela to the UK, in the midst of an unprecedented social and economic crisis in her country. "It's a pain that I carry in my heart, and is in my lyrics and my music."
"Singing came to me as something very natural. I always loved writing lyrics and melodies," says Pao, who comes from the world of theatre and always thought that her destiny was to continue acting. When she realised that singing and music is more personal, she decided that this would be her new route of artistic work.
"A song depends more on the individual. In the theatre, there are many people involved, it depends on a team, while the singing depends more on me. Music can be done sitting on a sofa. I love the freedom that music gives me."
In her music, Pao doesn't want to be confined to a genre: "It sounds clichéd, but in all genres, there is music that I like and music that I am not able to connect with. I listen to a lot of music with an electronic sound. When I was discovering my own sound, I felt that I wanted to combine the electronic world with organic elements and with my Latinity. I want to put the 'sabor Latino in it, but in my own way... sometimes I want the Latin element to be almost subliminal. My music is the mix of what I am: London today, but also where I come from, Venezuela. It is definitely a mix of genres and textures but with an undeniable pop element to it."
Her single 'Culebras' talks of the pain of seeing her family in Venezuela is suffering. "It is so painful to know that your people are having so many problems. But I also write about the enjoyment of life, love, passion, identity...you have to learn to live with things you can't control. Not everything has to be so complicated."
Reflecting on her life during last year, Pao thinks she is in a better place than before the pandemic. "It has been hard for many many people, my family included. Nonetheless, it has given me time to do some catharsis. Being honest with myself plays a big role in this because I've realised that I have been influenced by many musical genres and not only by the ones that I listen to lately. So I am letting all of my present and past influences come through my music; from pop to salsa, from hip-hop to jazz even reggaeton, without ignoring any musical genre that has been my companion at any point of my life. Now I feel more free and therefore I can be more playful with my writing."
Keiddy Cruz
Born in the UK to Colombian parents, this 22-year-old is an aspiring artist who took a pause in her musical career in 2018 to focus on raising her now 2-year-old as a single mother, and has returned with more focus than ever. But it hasn’t been an easy journey.
For starters: “Being first-generation British-Colombian, I felt that I never belonged and was confused by my identity. In Colombia, people would say I was British, and when I was in England, people saw me as a Colombian. But the truth is I am both and that’s beautiful”
Keiddy also disliked her name, which her teachers mispronounced all the time. “My mother wanted me to be called Katie after hearing it on an American TV show, but a mistake in the pronunciation and spelling caused Keiddy to be written on the birth record. Now I adore my name, its uniqueness, and the beautiful accident defines me as a person. My name and my culture are things I feel very proud of.”
Keiddy grew up in Surrey, amidst whiter, wealthier neighbours. “I used to be ashamed about where I came from and I wanted to be like them, to be liked and to fit in,” she recalls. “But now, I don’t think there is anything more beautiful than being able to represent a different culture and being proud of it. I love my culture and Colombia, but I represent everyone who doesn’t know what they belong to.”
As an artist, Keiddy says she doesn’t want to limit herself, or put herself in a box just yet. She started by making Latin R&B and urban pop, but wants to carry on exploring different genres, jazz, reggaetón, singing in both languages, always keeping the Latin influence. “Music is a universal language, sometimes you don’t understand the words, but the melody speaks to you. I like to explore, to discover new sounds. I want to keep my listeners excited.”
Having studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Keiddy insists her music is surrounded by storytelling: “Whatever I write, I make sure my listeners feel like they are immersed in a story through the lyrics or the melody. For example, my next single I am releasing is about two people who meet in a dream every night. I sing about love, happiness, pain and all things that life brings to people.”--
Yvli
Juliana Güiza Rivera, 24, believes that her life has always been surrounded by different forms of artistic expression. Born in Bogotá, she emigrated with her parents to Spain when she was very young. The financial crisis there in the noughties marked a new move, this time to London, where she finished school and became a make-up artist.
Everything changed for Yvly the day she began to see herself with a different perspective. “One day I realized that I wanted to be the famous one who was being made-up. I started believing in myself and my artistic talent. I was always singing as a child and everyone said I had a really good voice. I accepted an invitation to model for a fashion brand and then I participated in a music video. The tune stuck in my head and I started humming it and my friends said 'hey, you sing well'. This time I agreed and took the challenge.”
Yvly sees herself following the steps of the successful women in reggaetón before her: “I used to get bothered by reggaetón lyrics, which always treated women as objects. But it is time for women to take over. Karol G and Ivy Queen have been female reggaetón pioneers, who have opened the door for other women to take back our rhythm as our own.”
Her other dream is to have enough money to buy a big house to unite her family: “My parents are divorced and my dream is to have them under the same roof again.”
Yvly fills her days with music as much as possible. “I go to the gym in the morning, or try to go,” she says with a mischievous laugh. “I write songs and record in the studio. Other times, I try to handle social networks, improving editing techniques to promote myself. I basically live for music.”
Her first song is called ‘Lucky.’ “I speak to a guy who is lucky to encounter me… because men take it for granted that we are theirs, but it’s not like that. I like you, you like me, but you're going to have to fight to have me,” she laughs. Yvly will be releasing her second single 'Call me' soon.
Ashley Nahomy
“It feels very empowering to be the youngest of these amazing Latina artists, embarking on a musical career in the difficult London market,” says 18-year-old Ashley Nahomy, as she looks around the room.
Despite being born in London, she feels as Ecuadorian as her parents, who spoke no English when they arrived and had a challenging time. The young artist got into music with the help of her father, who taught her to sing. “I had my first performance at Church when I was 6-years old. It was amazing. I still remember the smile on my face, performing in front of a large audience,” she recalls. Since then, she always felt that singing was a path she wanted to pursue.
She dreams of winning awards but for the moment…“I want to give it all, and I want to show that even if you start from the bottom, it is only possible to go up. I want to prove that if you try hard, you can achieve all you wish to achieve.”
“I want to do tours, concerts and create as much as possible,” says Ashley, who is also at college, studying to be a social worker. “Even if I am clear with my music aspiration, I think it is important to continue my education because whatever you study will only add to your life.”
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