Brissa

By Alex Teitz

Every year the music industry hunts for the new artist that will make the grade and change the style and feel of music for the coming year. One place where this is done is South by Southwest. This weeklong event includes lectures, and hundreds of bands playing to the industry.

This year the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (LARAS) held a special Latin showcase at SXSW. The emerging artist Brissa was one of the artists that was part of it. Brissa is in her early twenties and plays a special kind of Latin and Rap mix featured on her self-titled album. 

FEMMUSIC: What part has your family played in your musical development?

B: Basically my dad was a musician. He plays the guitar and he sings, but it was always something local. My grandfather, he used to play the guitar for many different parts of Mexico. They do the velios, it’s like a different kinds of music. They always did it, but they didn’t take it as serious as I wanted to take it to another level. Basically (I’m) the first one to have a whole album and stuff like that.

FEMMUSIC: Who have been your biggest musical influences?

B: Actually I would say Gloria Estafan. At first when I was little I thought it was because I liked the music. She’s always had real, real strong Latin beats, but now that I’ve grown older I’ve realized, “What was it that attracted me to liking her so much?” I guess because of the way she’s opened doors for Latin artists like and Ricky Martin. People who’ve already made it. Opened up the doors to give me that chance to record an album and stuff like that, and people will enjoy the Latin music. I see her as an inspiration when it comes to the music.

FEMMUSIC: What was your best experience in making the CD?

B: It was a wonderful experience. I worked with some great producers. I got to do a lot of writing in it. So it has a lot of expression of what I’ve gone through or what I’ve seen other people go through. It’s just fun, a up tempo CD and it has sorts of different types of music which fits in with the personality that I have ‘casue I don’t just like one type of music. I like freestyle like dance. I like to get romantic. I like the ballads, and of course, everything with a Latin flavor.

FEMMUSIC: What was your biggest challenge in making the CD?

B: It’s my first time up. I started in a group so I got to share and learn how to do my voices on the CD. This time I had to learn. My challenge was to do it all in one. I did my backups. I did my harmonies and stuff. It was a challenge to me because working by yourself it’s just a one time experience that first beginning when you start…I have to make sure that everything’s done right. It’s not like when you’re in a group and you get to share that….It was facing my fear of being myself.

FEMMUSIC: As a woman in the music industry have you faced discrimination?

B: Actually I haven’t seen any of that. I haven’t come across any of that. I’ve been treated real well everywhere that I have gone. And now the people that I work with, I love them to death. They’re my second family. I really have not seen any type of discrimination.

FEMMUSIC: What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

B: I know it might sound cliché, but it’s never giving up on your hopes and dreams and don’t let anyone else tell you different. If you believe in yourself, you can make it.

FEMMUSIC: What are your plans for the future?

B: Right now we are doing the promotional tour for the CD so we are doing a lot of shows like San Antonio Spurs Halftime. We’re going to, I think, San Jose…I know we’re going to the Bay area to promote it in about two weeks. So it’s basically going all over Miami, San Francisco, different parts of the states where they’re doing a lot of promotion and booking. So it’s basically working hard on this album.

Maybe, if everything goes well, starting on another one.