Born and raised in New York City, Marlyn grew up with the values of her Dominican ethnicity. At the early age of 11 she began her journey with a scholarship to “Urban Youth Theatre” in musical theater off Broadway. Discovering her talents and passion for the arts between theater and her church choir, Marlyn knew music was her calling.
In 2001 Marlyn was approached to sing with a Bachata group “NV” in which she became part of a trio lead. NV took the tri-state area and Europe by storm. Marlyn out-shined in her first recorded single with the group entitled “Don’t Speak” a Bachata re-make of No Doubts’ original pop hit. In early 2006 the group parted.
Since then Marlyn has been part of the first all female Bachata group call Girlz Talk with Judy Santos. Girlz Talks’ singles such as “Esclava a Tu Querer” and “Lloraras” brought chaos to their devoted fan base whom praised them to the max leading them to Calle 8, Latina Magazine spreads and winning a contest “El Headliner”; showcasing their music video “Esclava a Tu Querer” on MTV Tr3s.
In February of 2012 the duo parted as Marlyn continued Girlz Talk as a solo act touring in the U.S. Later in April 2012 the decision was made to pursue her career as a solo artist. In less than a year as a soloist, her single “Need You Now” (a cover of Lady Antebellums’ #1 Country Hit) has been in the top 5 in CT; PA; Canada and has also made its way to the Latin Billboard Charts.
We were fortunate enough to catch up with this Bachata Diva to speak with her about her career and what she has in store for her fans in the near future.
é: So how did you get started in your career and what inspired you to become an Artist?
Marlyn: I have been singing ever since I can remember, I just always envisioned my life in the arts and realized very young that the stage gave me a sense of home. I can be whoever I want on that stage, take the audience on a journey with me, and hopefully they enjoy the ride. I was in 2 different groups before embarking on my solo career; Grupo NV and the girl group Girlz Talk. I learned so much. My journey has been a long one, but I am so grateful for all the lessons I have learned. They led me to finally going solo a year and a half ago.
é: We recently heard you were nominated for several categories in Premios Juventud, How did it feel to be nominated?
Marlyn: What an amazing day it was for me to wake up and go on Twitter and see people actually start to nominate me for Premios Juventud, not my friends or family, but actual fans. It was truly amazing. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to the actual nomination but to know that people are supporting me was more than enough for now lol.
é: You have several great songs out on sound cloud right now. What would you say is your favorite right now and why?
Marlyn: Thank you soooo much!!! I love all my songs hahaha that’s a hard one to answer but right now at the moment my favorite would have to be “Need You Now”, its just such a beautiful song and who can’t relate to this song? Anyone who has been in love and things didn’t work it but you still think about the person every once in a while… the song just says it all!
é: How has growing up in New York influenced your music?
Marlyn: I was very lucky to grow up in such an amazing city. I grew up in the Lower East Side of Manhattan; such an eclectic part of the city, there is so much culture in this area that I grew up listening to every type of music you can think of. I also was in musical theatre for many years, so I never closed my ears off to anything. But as a young girl growing up in a Dominican household Spanish music nunca faltaba especially boleros, so that influences my music so much.
é: What are some past times or hobbies that most people don’t know about?
Marlyn: I love watching reality TV hahaha it’s pretty insane I watch them all from the Housewives every version of it, the Kardashians, I love Jenni I watch them all!!! hahaha
é: Being that you sing bachata, would you consider yourself a hopeless romantic?
Marlyn: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love is such a beautiful thing, who doesn’t want it? But love is not always soooo beautiful, but that’s a whole different story hahaha. But yes, I am a hopeless romantic!!
é: So what’s next for for Marlyn? Will we see you perform in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area any time soon?
Marlyn: I am working on finishing up my album, and I can’t wait for you all to hear it. My video for Need You Now will be coming out in the next few weeks as well. I am so excited I will be in the DMV area in August for the Bachata Congress. I can’t wait!!!!!! Performing is always something I look forward to doing and I am coming strong with surprises for you guys! See you then!!
To learn more about Marlyn you can follow her on twitter & Instagram @marlynmusic
