Raquel Ramos is a singer and songwriter whose life’s adventures have taken her from her native New York, up and down the California coast, all the way to central Florida, where she currently lives. Raquel has had the privilege of performing with some of the finest musicians in the world and loves nothing more than putting on a great live show.
Influenced by everything from 80’s pop, to classic soul and the music she heard growing up in a Puerto Rican household, Raquel’s music flits from rock to romantic fizzy pop, tied together by her vividly poetic lyrics and soulful delivery.
She has two full-length albums, one music video and a few voice-over acting credits to her name and is excited to continue adding to that body of work and to keep growing as a songwriter. All of Raquel’s music is available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon and everywhere else digital music is sold!
Latin é had an opportunity to catch up with the artist to discuss her work and the release of her recent music video “Naked”.
é: Being that you’re from Queens, New York and now live in Florida, how has living in these locations influenced your music?
RR: Growing up in Queens definitely influenced my sound, in ways that were both conscious and subconscious to me. New York is where hip-hop was born and even while I was listening to pop and freestyle, the dense lyrics, the innovative turns of phrase that are unique to hip-hop, definitely seeped into my writing style. Florida has a “forever summer” feeling to me, because the air is always so soft and even when it’s kind of cold, it’s not really New York cold. I think that’s had an interesting effect on my writing because I always feel like I’m in an alternate universe. I’ve also become really appreciative of artists that came up in Florida and really made their mark on the industry, like Flo Rida.
é: What influenced you to become a Pop singer?
RR: I’ve wanted to be a singer since I was two years old. I come from the kind of huge, extended family that would put on shows for the whole neighborhood so it just felt natural to me.
é: What inspired your new song Naked and was it like filming the video?
RR: I’d gotten a job at a gym and found myself surrounded by people who were passionate about their bodies. They were into being healthy but it was also the idea of looking a certain way and feeling good and getting to enjoy every aspect of being a physical creature. Filming the video was a great experience. Andrea Schell, the producer, has an amazing talent for making huge things come together in a way that seems effortless and we just had the best of the best working with us for the video.
é: If you weren’t an artist, what do you think you would be doing?
RR: I have great admiration for people who help others, so I’d like to think that I’d find some way of making a positive contribution if I weren’t an artist.
é: What advice do you have for young Latinos out there who aspire to be part of the music industry?
RR: It’s really important to stay connected to your heritage. I’m 100% Puerto Rican and very proud of that. At the same time, I’m going to create what feels right to me regardless of what the expectations might be when it comes to a Latina artist. I love Spanish music, but it’s okay if I’m not a salsera. I’m me and I bet I’m not the only Puerto Rican girl who loved Madonna as much as she loved Menudo. So I’d say that being true to who you are artistically should be your focus, as opposed to trying to fit into what someone else thinks a Latino artist should look like or sound like.
é: When you are not working, what are some hobbies or pastimes that you have that most people don’t know about?
RR: I love running and actually completed a marathon in San Diego a few years ago. I’m also a voracious reader and love going to the library, believe it or not!
é: So what is next for Ms. Ramos? Any major projects?
RR: I definitely want to record a third album this year and I have been asked to do some voice acting for an animated studio, which I’m really excited to do. Other than that, I’ll be booking live shows in Central Florida and just singing and writing as much as I can!
Raquel’s single can be download at Soundcloud and albums can be downloaded at her FB Music Store.
