Diana Mosquera
/
Photo by Urzsula Sztern
With Oscar De' León's, Lloraras, playing in the Cafe Bella background, Diana Mosquera and I got to sit down and talk about her music, her challenges, and what inspires her...
N.R.
You're a busy woman, no?
Diana
Ha! Yes, AND no.
N.R.
You've got a few projects that you are involved with.
Diana
Yeah...(exhausted)
N.R.
How many projects are you involved in?
Diana
Well...I can say either three or four that I'm kinda committed to — currently— right now. But some of them are on and off; like some of them are private events so I don't feel so much pressure to be on them. Some of them are more regular. So, yeah...when you ask me if I'm a busy person: yes & no. Because sometimes I get booked — like Valentine's Day I was sooo busy. Then sometimes I have no gigs. But I use that time to write, or to get other gigs, or to work on other things...you know.
N.R.
What are their names?
Diana
I work with a band called Grupo Cha Cha, which is...the idea was to do an older Latin jazz band but it's been kind of hard to find a piano player. So we do try to have a female bass player, a female percussionist, and a female singer. So, that's Grupo Cha Cha. The other group I'm working with is ¡ESSO! Afrojam Funkbeat. (Gets excited) Yeah...the leader, Armando, invited me. He wanted to do a collaboration with different musicians — he wanted to have even more musicians but they all couldn't commit. So I joined them and...it's been a perfect fit.
N.R.
He's got a big vision.
Diana
(Laughs) Yeah...very big. (Laughs again) I love that band; the music doesn't interfere with any of my other projects because we perform maybe once or twice a month and the shows we do are really cool. Very organized; very powerful. So...there's another group I'm involved with and that is Diana Mosquera's Band. It could be a trio, a quartet, or — when it's a big show it can be like six to eight musicians. This past Valentine's Day I performed with a six piece band, or — ensemble — as I would call it. It's guitar, bass...very simple. Vocals. Some kind of percussion. I've also done Diana Mosquera's Trio. And then, I've also worked with an amazing guitar player — Daniel Gomez — as a duet: Sur Dos. We do South American music. It's very...uh, I think when people I know see me sing, they're like, "Oh my god...is that a different person?" The music is so different. It's from the 20's in Spanish. We do music from Colombia, Argentina, Peru... We do it only with guitar and vocals. And sometimes we invite someone else; like maybe a violin player or a flute. So those are the projects that I'm working on right now.
N.R.
How long have you been working as a musician in Chicago?
Diana
Maybe about five years or so?
N.R.
Where are you originally from?
Diana
Colombia. I was born in Bogotá, Colombia.
N.R.
Your father is a musician in Chicago as well...
Diana
Yeah! (Lights up)
N.R.
You two have performed together...
Diana
Yeah!
N.R.
Tell us a little about that.
Diana
He plays congas and bongos; and cajón...so he pretty much just plays minor percussion. And we do play...obviously I prefer him to play with me at all my shows. (Laughs) I collaborate with him, so it's a really cool feeling. Sometimes — he also plays with other bands — I have to get a sub. But, yeah...it's a really cool interaction because he's my father. We're really good friends and you know, of course I feel I got the music gene from him. It's really a cool feeling and a lot of people think — because he looks really young (chuckles) — they think he's my brother or my cousin. I'm like, "No. No. That's my dad." So, yeah...it's a really special feeling. I feel very connected.
N.R.
Is it just him or is there anyone else in your family?
Diana
My brother. Yeah, he's in California right now. But he plays piano and he sings.
N.R.
Did you guys play together as kids?
Diana
Yes! We used to play here in Chicago — my dad, me, and my brother. We had like a family band. We had two others who were not family, but it was mostly us. When my brother moved the band disintegrated because he was the piano player...and the band, I think still plays. Just the two guys. But, yeah...we had kind of a little family band. It's pretty cool.
N.R.
What was the first song you sang and how did it make you feel?
Diana
The first song I ever sang was Guantanamera. (Giggles) It was in Colombia and I was eight or nine and I had joined — in Colombia you have to join either the theater group or the music group when you're going to school — and I joined music. It made me feel really good, I joined an all girl band and I wasn't nervous at all when I was singing. My mom told me she was more nervous — than me! (Laughing) It made me feel really really good. When I sang the first note — all my friends started clapping; my teachers. I was the youngest member of the singing group and it made me feel real special. So, yeah...when I sang it, I was like, "Wow!" I realized I was going to be singing for a long time.
N.R.
Sounds like a defining moment...
Diana
Yeah, yeah...so that was my first song. It's a Cuban song — Guantanamera.
N.R.
Tell us about your musical style and how much of an influence your father has been on that style.
Diana
When I first stated doing music I was more like a "rock" person — not heavy — but like pop. One of my first ever artists was Shakira when she was starting in the 90's; her bohemian-hippy style. It was very acoustic guitar; very mellow. And then I started listening to other bands. Rock, pop...that used to be my favorite style to sing and that's how I started writing music. When I came to Chicago — I didn't know anything about sals...well, I'd heard salsa and jazz stuff. But when I got to Chicago, I joined the choir and the jazz ensemble. That's where I learned more about jazz. Then, I started getting invited to perform with a lot of salsa bands and to do back-up vocals with salsa bands — and then I kind of started liking salsa/Latin music and I would see my dad play percussion and I thought, "You know...it would be really cool if I could get my dad to play with me. So...my influence right now would be like a fusion — a fusion of Colombian rock, a little bit of folklore, a little bit of jazz from Chicago, and then the Latin, so...yeah. And my dad showed me many different groups growing up. He'd be like, "Look at this video." — "Listen to this CD." So, yeah...it's a fusion. I don't have a defined style.
N.R.
What do you think is unique your about your style?
Diana
I think what's unique is the fact that I'm young and I have an "old soul" type of sound — but modern. A modern old soul. I can sing an old song from the 20's and sound young but with the same feeling from that era. Also, a lot of people have told me that what makes me unique is the feeling I put into it — the interpretation. You can have a good singer who can sing really beautiful — they can be vocally trained — but if there's no passion in what they're singing, it's kinda pointless. So, I have a lot of passion when I sing and I do interpret. When I sing a song, I read about the author. I read about the story. I love to have that background. Whether it's a love song or a break-up song — I interpret that feeling.
N.R.
Very much like an actor getting into a role. Doing the background research...
Diana
I love that! To know the composer and what he was thinking. When I do my own songs, I interpret what I was writing about.
N.R.
This is a question I always ask: What do you think is the difference between an artist and a musician?
Diana
Wow...well, I think it goes to what I was just telling you right now. I'll go to university performances and they'll sound beautiful but there's no feeling, no interpretation. So, yeah...they're musicians. But maybe they're not being an artist. Maybe to be an artist it has to develop. You see, I didn't know I was an artist until I started interpreting, and singing with so much passion. Now, I know I'm an artist. I'm a musician, of course, I took some classes here and there but I never went to "school". Artistry developed in the streets and in coffee shops, restaurants, funerals, house parties...so it developed. I think it's the passion, it's the...I can't really say an exact answer but I think anyone can be a musician. But if you don't put any feeling in there — that's the artistry. So maybe it's the passion?
N.R.
(Smiling) Hey...there's no right answer. That's why I like this question because it pulls out some interesting responses about the conceptualized relationship between music & art.
What do you think drives you as an artist?
Diana
I've asked myself, "What are you doing music for?" I've thought it was a selfish profession because you get so much applause and compliments all the time. But then, one day, a woman came up to me after a show and said I had taken her back in time to when she met the love of her life! I think the mission is to get to people's souls. It's like being a soul-healer. I guess, as musicians, that what we are because when you see it — the music just gets into people, makes them happy and heals their soul at that moment. It can be a spiritual experience.
N.R.
What kind of challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
Diana
I had a lot of good opportunities when I started and it was a challenge being a woman. I was working with some really big producers, and — I'm gonna be honest — being harassed; sexually harassed in the industry. And also with my content because my lyrics are very socially conscious. They wouldn't let me perform at a show in Chicago; the organizer told me I was too political and they couldn't let me perform. So that was a challenge. And it's sad — being a strong woman, being educated, having values and being socially conscious has been a challenge — believe it or not. If you don't talk about sex or drugs or men, then you don't sell. That's when I realized I didn't want to be a pop...a famous artist. I wanted to be an underground female singer that fuses music and if possible, maybe perform at music festivals. Look at Natalia Lafourcade! She's not getting herself naked. She's doing social music and fusing folkloric things. So...challenges being a woman and being strong about my ideas concerning social stuff — those have mainly been a challenge.
N.R.
How'd you overcome them?
Diana
You know, going down to Pilsen and getting together with artists from different streams; artists, poets — they have helped me overcome a lot.
N.R.
Connecting with the community...
Diana
Yes...connecting with the community and people with similar ideas has helped me. And just risking it. I've risked playing around town at really nice venues just to see what happens and I've gotten good responses...and bad responses. (Chuckles)
N.R.
You know, this reminds me of one of Shely's quotes from the Rimel interview. She said, "So be afraid, and do it anyway."
Diana
Yeah! I had risked it. Once I was hired by a really fancy hotel downtown — someone called me and needed music for happy hour and there was a lot of international tourist there at the bar. I told her I was going to do South American music and she said she didn't care about the style, just that it be nice. People liked it! My friend was like, "Are you sure you want to sing in Spanish?" And I was like, "Why not? Let's try it." (Laughs)
N.R.
What's the difference playing the restaurant circuit compared to clubs or live venues?
Diana
Oh a huge, huge, huge difference. I notice performing, for example with ¡Esso!, we don't perform at restaurants we perform at venues and the difference is huge. We get more respect, more acknowledgement, more feedback, more publicity... Restaurants are a good way of promoting yourself because people can go see you perform and people who don't know you can get to know you. I've had really good gigs at restaurants and weddings but it's not as acknowledged as venues. You're kind of like background for the people . For me, my goal is to start doing more live music venues in the upcoming years — I've been doing restaurants far too long.
N.R.
How long?
Diana
About five years. I like some of it; like Taste of Peru the Peruvian restaurant. I do that from March to October. I like it because it's very authentic Peruvian music, really cool. The owner is super-nice and I do it with a guitar player so it's very intimate and people connect the food with the music which is really cool. Some people clap; some don't. But, yeah...big difference. I think the goal of most musicians is to perform at live venues, OR — in collaboration. Like, even if you do play at a coffee shop or a club — let's say you perform at a club and there's visual artists and other stuff going on collectively — I think that's pretty cool.
N.R.
Having a multi-dimensional performance like what CumbiaSazo does, it's...
Diana
Yes! I love CumbiaSazo...I had never been to it before. When I went there I was like, "Oh my god, I love it!"
N.R.
Yeah...it's something else. It's an experience.
Diana
It's sooo cool...so yeah, things like that.
N.R.
Do you do benefit performances?
Diana
Yes. I worked with an organization that helps Latinos with scholarships in math and engineering. I did a cancer benefit a few years ago. Also, sometimes I do fundraisers for people, you know, like if they're sick and they need singers or bands. So, yeah...I've done big gala-type benefits and the different little things people sometimes call me for.
N.R.
Very nice. Where do you want to be in three years?
Diana
In three years? Oh, geez...I don;t know. (Laughs) Five or six years ago I thought I was going to be doing social work in an office; with a suit...(bellowing laugh) Now I'm here, having coffee at Café Bella...
N.R.
Talking about your music...
Diana
Talking about my music...yup.
N.R.
So in three years time...do you want to be on the international stage?
Diana
Yes, I want to be... I mean, since I'm working on my album right now. And it's taking forever because I keep switching styles — I have some songs that are more pop and in the past three years I've written some awesome songs that are more fusion...so I was undecided. I wanted to bring out like a collected style. So I'm gonna mix it up — everything on my CD. I don't care what happens. It's like an experiment; my own experiment. In three years I want to be known more as a solo artist, Latina, Colombian, Chicagoan...and yes, I do want to be doing shows both locally and internationally. I'd like to tour California and other places. I want to participate in festivals in other countries. Doing shows in Colombia and starting to get some connections there — maybe in Europe...who knows? That's where I see myself — but always having Chicago as my base. I love Chicago. I've lived in other countries, I've lived in other cities — I always come back to Chicago!
N.R.
You have a quote online, "I LOVE the sound of the rain and the words that rain brings to my ears, which later transport to my head through my veins, and stop at my heart! ♥ This creates the melodies that become my songs! I am the song of my life and the music of my eternity!"
Diana
Oooh... (Surprised)
N.R.
That was fresh. Can you talk a little about that?
Diana
Well, when I write music — when I write my songs — they're usually at night. And I love Nature; sometimes rain inspires me; the night; the wind; the cold; the heat — so I think about those things, you know? And, when I'm writing sometimes it's like a drug — it's weird. It's like when you have a drink, or when you drink coffee and get that buzz of the caffeine. When I'm writing and the inspiration comes, which it doesn't that often, that's what I'm describing. Through my veins, through my body — I can feel it and I start writing non-stop until I finish the song or whatever I'm doing. that's what I mean by that. There's this weird energy that comes into me — that inspiration. It might be I see a couple kissing in a bar. Or, the rain is so strong I have to write a song about it. So that's what I'm trying to say there. When I write something, it comes thru my body & my veins from my heart & my soul. I believe in reincarnation. I strongly believe that I'm going to be a musician for many lives. It's something so intensive — sometimes I can't explain it. It's like I didn't choose to be a musician — music chose me. It's really weird and I feel like — my great grandfather was a musician — no matter what I choose to do, music catches up with me.