Ten Questions with Festa

Selena Serrano Interview

By Festa

This month we had a chance to catch up with an up and coming artist, Selena Serrano, while in Miami covering Miami Carnival 2008.

Selena was born in the Bronx, New York as an only child to Puerto Rican parents. She moved to Colorado as a child and later moved to Miami, Florida to pursue her dream of becoming a major recording artist. She made a significant step in that direction with her ‘dub’ remake of Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, “Sound Killa” which made waves gaining major prime time airtime on major radio stations across the US. Selena is not only talented vocally but also a very personable and likeable person who has her feet on the ground. She has also holds tight to her Caribbean roots and loves her Caribbean heritage.

This is the first of the series of “Ten Questions with Festa” with Island Vibes Magazine (IVM), so without further adieu, let’s get to know more about Selena Serrano.

Question 1.
What got you started in music?

Selena: I’ve been singing since I was little, I’m sure everyone says that. But we’ve been working on my project for 2 years now, before that I was doing a lot of back ground vocals, writing music for other artists and doing reference vocals for different artists. We started working on my project and my manager, who is Jamaican, suggested that I do ‘dub plates’ for dj’s. One of which, “Sound Killa”, a remake of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” hit it off with the dj’s, and it blew up from there. I got to be known for doin dub plates and a lot of people started calling me for dubs. Right now we are working on the album and are trying to get the singles out there.

Question 2.
What are your inspirations when it comes to music?

Selena: My inspiration comes from a lot of things. A lot of different artist have inspired my work and have influenced me such as Ella Fitzgerald, Lauryn Hill, Faith Evans and a lot of R&B… stuff.

Question 3.
Who do you look up to, personally and musically?

Selena: Personally, I would have to say the people I work around because they are so focused and take pride in what they do. They motivate me to be the same.

Musically, Whitney Houston, the end all, be all of Divas! She is why I sing, I remember when I was about 5 and my uncle would gather up everyone and put me in the spotlight to sing Whitney’s “Greatest Love of All”. (Selena gives IVM a little taste of Whitney and I have to tell you, it was HOTT!)

Question 4.
Tell me more about your new single, “Waiting”?

Selena: “Waiting” was produced by DJ Fingerprint of Power 96 and was written by Red of Streetrock Entertainment, wicked wicked writer. Coming off of the dub plates I was doing, it’s more R&B, more of a Miami-type of sound, stick and jook kind of vibe. It’s not just a fun club song, but has a message people, especially the ladies, can relate to. AND Pitbull is on the track as well, nuff love to Pit!

Question 5.
When is the album dropping?

Selena: Album is dropping soon, we’re almost finish with it, come and check out my website (www.selenaserrano.com) and myspace. I have some Caribbean vibes in the album as well as the R&B vibe; there is a new song that got debuted just this weekend on the radio with Sizzla called, “Don’t Think”.

Question 6.
What are your passions other than music?

Selena: Other than music….. FOOD! I’m a Foodie, I love food, I love to try different foods but my favorite is good ole Puerto Rican food.

Question 7.
What do you do when you’re not doing music?

Selena: I’m on myspace promoting my music (laugh). I also teach voice lessons, so if you ever are in the South Florida area, hit me up.

Question 8:
What is your perspective on your Caribbean heritage?

Selena: I am an island girl at heart! Even though I was born in the Bronx, even as I lived in Colorado, I always felt a connection to my Caribbean roots. I wanted to move to Florida because it’s a mix of the Caribbean Culture, with the nightlife of Miami, and of course, the weather. I love the lifestyle and I love the food. I love the vibe, it’s an easy , kick-back and laid-back vibe just like the magazine, Island Vibes!

Question 9.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

Selena: Be persistent, be open-minded, stay focus and be professional. Because artists are creative people but still need to be professional. Remember it’s a job and you have to give it your best to achieve. You are blessed enough to do what you love and in order to make money doing music, you have to stay focused, professional, and persistent. The only one that will truly believe in you is…… YOU!

Question 10.
What’s next for Selena?

Selena: EVERYTHING!! GRAMMY’S!! OSCARS!! EVERYTHING!! Lots of traveling and touring when the album drops, so tell everyone to check out my myspace (www.myspace.com/selenarnb) to help me build my fan base. The album is called “What’cha Don’t Know” so check it out when it drops and show your Puerto Rican island girl some love!

Selena's Makeup By: Sharada Baker / Contact: birchbaker@hotmail.com

Hair Styling by Candie / Contact: canjoshphill@hotmail.com

I&I Cross tank provided courtesy of I&I Clothing Co: Check them out @ www.iandiclothingco.com

Look out in the future for more “Ten Questions with Festa” exclusively with Island Vibes Magazine for more on your Caribbean artists and peeps in the music industry.

(Dwayne Anderson is Editor-in-Chief and contributor to Island Vibes Magazine and writes about Caribbean culture, business, sports, entertainment, and social issues, from his perspective. For comments, please feel free to contact him at dwayne@islandvibesmag.com.)