Q. There are many ways to be Latina, what is your favorite part about being Latina?
A. Latin culture is so much fun. Every day is a celebration. I respect and admire that about Latin culture and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. We are also proud people, and pride is something that’s often frowned upon, but to be proud of your people and to be proud of what you have, no matter what, is a very powerful and beautiful thing.
Q. Tell us about a time that you were underestimated.
A. My whole life! I don’t think you ever grow out of being underestimated. The bigger your dreams are, the more people underestimate you. And I think that once you accomplish that first thing that people underestimated you for and you keep going, your dreams will sound crazier to others. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of performing in stadiums and I had a deep level of self-belief, even though I was also aware that I was 100% the underdog. I got my first opportunity to perform in a stadium and open for the Coldplay tour last year. And it was such a surreal moment. I thought- if I had to stop right now, I’m so happy that I endured.
Q. What is your superpower?
A. The first thing that came to my mind was not giving up.
Q. Where is home?
A. I grew up in San Diego, California, and I live in New York. The more you move, the more love you have for the world in general and in a way the more sorrow you must hold because you can’t be everywhere at once. Feeling this has forced me to be present wherever I am, and I was lucky to grow up in a community with manyother Latinas.
Q. Leila you’re a bit of a one woman show, you don’t have a label. You are opening for Coldplay, you just released your first album- how are you doing this?
A. When people underestimate you, they want to avoid taking a risk, which is hard on both your spirit and the practicality of building. But then you come to a point where you just say, okay, people don’t believe in me, I still want to do what I want to do — why don’t I just try to develop all the additional skills needed to accomplish it? It made the victory so much sweeter. Not only was I a singer, which is what I am and want to be, but I also had to produce and write every song. I got to choreograph everything, come up with every outfit. Now, I do have a little team that I adore, but I first had to build it myself. I still view myself as a fully independent artist because, in a way, I am, and the team is an extension of me as opposed to me being an extension of a pre-existing team.
Q. You just launched your album Revolución, tell us about it.
A. To me, the revolution is all about female empowerment. I decided to Latinize the title because I feel there’s something so beautiful, feminine, and strong about Latin culture. I also recorded it in Colombia.
Q. How do you describe your music to people who haven’t listened to it?
A. I wrote real-life stories about overcoming. Sometimes it’s overcoming doubt from others — like in the song Genius — they think you’re crazy because you move to your own rhythm, but give it a year, and they’ll call you a genius. The more you believe in yourself, the more you become you. Beyond that, the songs are very Latin-inspired production-wise. It’s fun, pop dance, but with lyrics that can make you cry or jump with joy.
Q. Your album and how you’re describing it feel very in tune with the moment we currently live as Latinas. We are in a pivotal moment honoring our roots and shaping our future- does that resonate with you?
A. We will always be on the frontier of tomorrow and it’s completely within our power to build a beautiful future. I think that a lot of that comes from appreciating how far we’ve come and from dreaming about a better tomorrow. We are on the precipice of that right now and, in a way, have always been on the precipice of that.
Q. You’ve worked incredibly hard, and you’ve been told no many times; tell us about the feeling you got the first time you sang in a stadium full of thousands of people.
A. I have not been married yet, but I imagine what a wedding would feel like if you’ve dreamt of it, wondered if it was possible, or been curious about it your entire life. It’s a little bit what the Coldplay tour was like- there were six months of submitting writing knowing there was so much competition and the chances were slim. Once I got the gig, I thought something was wrong with me. My heart rate was so high that I couldn’t breathe. Then, when it came time to perform, I felt this wave of calmness. I realized I spent my life becoming who I am, prepping and hoping for an opportunity to match my talents. When I got on stage, I took a moment to breathe, and then I started singing. I remember seeing this little girl on the shoulders of her dad in the front row. I felt so calm, so present, and almost emotional because I used to be that little girl with this dream. Once it was over, it was bittersweet. I got this feeling of — I need to do that again.
Q. Leila, what’s next for you?
A. I’m singing the national anthem again in front of 80,000 people at Metlife Stadium this month and then I’m moving to L.A. to start my next album. I want to get to a place where I don’t care what people’s response to the music is and just make songs I love. I feel like that’s the most beautiful place a creative person can be.
Q. Who is someone else we should feature on informada?
A. Jennifer Lopez. She is my favorite Latina entertainer. She does everything. She’s not just in one box; she’s in like 50. She also defies the age stigma which I really respect.