Duendita
IMAGE CREDIT: TAIYE GODBODY
DUENDITA’S SINGLES BASSLINE AND BIG ONE ARE OUT NOW ON BANDCAMP AND STREAMING PLATFORMS.
4AC: PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF. WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO.
DUENDITA: MY NAME IS CANDACE, MY FRIENDS CALL ME CC :) I’M A VOCALIST AND ARTIST FROM QUEENS, NYC … I RECORD AND PERFORM ORIGINAL MUSIC UNDER THE STAGE NAME DUENDITA.
4AC: YOU DESCRIBE DUENDITA AS A “LIVING COLLABORATIVE PROJECT MADE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS ACROSS MEDIUMS AND CITIES”. COULD YOU TELL US WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT? HOW DO YOUR OTHER MEDIUMS INFLUENCE YOUR MUSIC?
THERE ARE SO MANY LOVED ONES INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT. PRODUCERS, INSTRUMENTALISTS, VIDEO DIRECTORS, TOUR BUS DRIVERS… EVEN MY FRIEND WHO I RENT STUDIO TIME FROM DESERVES CREDIT. IT’S A BLESSING TO COLLABORATE CLOSELY WITH FRIENDS, ESPECIALLY WORKING IN DIFFERENT MEDIUMS AND EXPRESSIONS. MY FAVORITE IS MAKING VISUALS WITH MY FRIEND SANDY ISMAIL, SHE’S A DEEPLY GIFTED STORYTELLER.
4AC: PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF. WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO.
DUENDITA: MY NAME IS CANDACE, MY FRIENDS CALL ME CC :) I’M A VOCALIST AND ARTIST FROM QUEENS, NYC … I RECORD AND PERFORM ORIGINAL MUSIC UNDER THE STAGE NAME DUENDITA.
4AC: YOU DESCRIBE DUENDITA AS A “LIVING COLLABORATIVE PROJECT MADE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS ACROSS MEDIUMS AND CITIES”. COULD YOU TELL US WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT? HOW DO YOUR OTHER MEDIUMS INFLUENCE YOUR MUSIC?
THERE ARE SO MANY LOVED ONES INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT. PRODUCERS, INSTRUMENTALISTS, VIDEO DIRECTORS, TOUR BUS DRIVERS… EVEN MY FRIEND WHO I RENT STUDIO TIME FROM DESERVES CREDIT. IT’S A BLESSING TO COLLABORATE CLOSELY WITH FRIENDS, ESPECIALLY WORKING IN DIFFERENT MEDIUMS AND EXPRESSIONS. MY FAVORITE IS MAKING VISUALS WITH MY FRIEND SANDY ISMAIL, SHE’S A DEEPLY GIFTED STORYTELLER.
4AC: WHAT HAS YOUR EXPERIENCE BEEN IN SPLITTING YOUR TIME BETWEEN QUEENS AND BERLIN?
DUENDITA: I’M GRATEFUL TO HAVE MULTIPLE CREATIVE HOMES IN THIS WORLD … QUEENS, BERLIN, AND PUERTO RICO ARE MY FAVORITE PLACES TO BE AND MAKE ART. BERLIN IS EXTRA SPECIAL BECAUSE MY BANDMATE IS THERE, RUNNING AN ART SPACE WHERE WE CAN MAKE MUSIC AS LOUD AS WE WANT. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE REHEARSING FOR HOURS, HAVING A NICE DINNER TOGETHER, TRAINING LIKE ATHLETES BEFORE TOUR. IT’S A HEALTHY PLACE, I RIDE MY BIKE EVERYWHERE
4AC: YOUR SOUND, ESPECIALLY ON “SEPTEMBER” FEELS ROOTED IN SPIRITUAL NOSTALGIA. WHAT SPACE WERE YOU IN WHILE CREATING THAT AND HOW DID IT SHAPE YOUR DEBUT ALBUM?
DUENDITA: SACRED MUSIC HAS INFLUENCED MY WORK SO DEEPLY. I GREW UP ATTENDING A LUTHERAN CHURCH WHERE WE SANG THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HYMNS. THEN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, I BEGAN STUDYING CHORAL MUSIC ... WE SANG BRAHMS, PALESTRINA, ERIC WHITACRE, LEONARD BERNSTEIN... AS I GOT OLDER, I LEARNED MORE ABOUT PUERTO RICAN FOLK MUSIC WHICH IS ALSO DEEPLY SPIRITUAL. I THINK GOD IS THE ULTIMATE ARTIST, SO WITH DIRECT LINE TO MY CREATOR, AND ALL OF MY MUSIC, IT FEELS NATURAL TO EXPRESS MY LOVE FOR EXISTENCE AND BEING A BEING, BEING SOMEONE'S CREATION. IN MY PERSONAL LIFE, I PRAY, AND I PRAISE GOD ON THE DAILY, EVEN THOUGH I WOULD NOT CONSIDER MYSELF A PRACTITIONER OF A SPECIFIC RELIGION. I FEEL LOVED BY THE POWER OF THE SUN, OR TO WITNESS THE OCEAN, IT MAKES ME VERY EMOTIONAL TO BE ON EARTH. TO HAVE THIS CHANCE AT LIFE. I CAN'T HELP IT.