Our conversation with Venezuelan sensation Carmen DeLeon started off with a blaring “Ask me anything. I’m an open book!” Say no more, then! We went right ahead and dug deeper into Carmen’s personality, career and more.
She walked her first steps onto a stage at a very young age when she signed up to The Voice Of Spain without her being aware of it. “I didn’t know I was going to be a part of the show which caught me by surprise but I ended up enjoying it so much and most importantly learning even more.”
Flash forward to 2020 when Carmen dropped her debut single “Volverás” which was produced by Tainy, the Puerto Rican mastermind who’s been responsible for churning out some of the biggest hits in reggaetón and trap.
“Volverás” is a song about the people who wrong you, in any type of relationship, and how their own arrogance can keep them from seeing how they hurt you. The words describe the moment when you realize that those people don’t deserve you, and you make the decision to let them go. I want people to know you create the life that you want and you can choose who’s a part of it! It’s important to love and value yourself.” said Carmen.
Her array of influences and icons is quite wide and diverse: “I love so many different things. Jazz, soul, even rock a little bit. I look up to people like Jessie J. Aretha Franklin, Nat King Cole and so many more!”
Carmen has now returned with her latest track “Cafécito”, a tender and bittersweet tune she wrote in memory of her grandfathers.
“I wrote ‘Cafécito’ about the loss of a loved one,” explains Carmen DeLeon. “My specific inspiration was the loss of my grandfathers. All the things I mention in the song – coffee, toast with jam, enjoying each new day with the people they loved – those were the things that were special to them. But this song is an anthem for anyone who has experienced loss. My hope is that you sense the common emotion and know that we’re all grieving together.”
When asked about her style and aesthetics she leaves room for no doubt: “My clothes affect my personality!”
“I take great care of my style. I’ve never loved showing my body as much, it’s not my thing. I’d rather show off my flashy outfits and play with makeup or with my hair. Even in my music videos I want to make sure the visual side of things is taken care of as much as the music!”
Despite taking the music scene by storm with her debut banger, Carmen confesses how quarantine, lockdown and the whole Covid-ridden year of 2020 took a bit out of her mental health.
“This year has been awful for everybody and I felt it too! Which is why I strongly believe that mental health is a crucial topic that needs to be addressed! Even being able to talk about your anxiety makes you much stronger. At least that’s how I feel about it!”
Carmen is a force of nature and an authentic artist, something so rare and hard to find these days. Her future is looking brighter than ever: “2021 is going to be filled with new collaborations which I’m super excited about and my very special charity project I’ve been working on.”
More on that later but in the meantime check out “Cafécito”!
