Anyone who wants to be in this crazy business we call music has to be willing to work their ass off. In addition to that an artist must be willing and able to wear many hats and do the jobs needed to give their music the best sound possible and the exposure it deserves. We recently discovered the talents of Cheena Black.
The NYC native recently released her single “I Love You” to her growing fanbase. It is a soulful rendition of true emotion. Cheena Black’s silky voice sets the mood for a romantic evening and she has the bravery to say what she truly feels.
We had a chance to speak with Cheena recently and get into the backstory of this rising star. Enjoy the interview below:
First of all, what inspired your moniker Cheena Black?
since i was a kid my mother maria hernandez always called me by the name of cheena pronounced in spanish i ran with the nickname ever since .now my last name black long story short lol people always told me i sound black every time i sang a song even though i am half black and spanish but nobody knew that.
From a young age you had success as a dancer, what pushed you toward the musical side?
i went to ridgewood dance studio in queens new york and i remember back when mary j blige came out with that song real love. i knew in my heart that what i wanted to do is sing and be just like her and all i did was sing all her songs as i grew older i left dancing ever since my grandmother passed away at the age of 14, i got depressed and started to sing my pain away .started a girls group named choosen one in high school .i got involved in many talented show and show cases i even joined a church choir . me and my friends that where all so involved in music use to sing in the train station just being creative . i love music music is my life …
You are also involved in graphic design and engineering, how do you put all these aspects together?
i’m a fast learner all this take time and also i have great friends who are willing to teach me what i know .i never went to school for none of the things i know . i am bless
You have been developing your sound for a while, how would you describe it now?
ive been developing my voice on my own without a vocal trainer gotta give my self some props for that.but to describe my voice i think im pretty smooth when i sing a love song and when i hurting in my songs u can hear and feel my pain my struggle .. im the best of both worlds
Brooklyn, NY is well known for Hip Hop, how has your locale influenced your sound?
it was tough living in the hood in brooklyn back then in the 90s ..when i was growing up everybody i knew had love 4 music. i use to be in cypher session all the fellas dropping them gem free styling and me humming in the background singing on some mary j blige type flow. hip-hop has a huge influences in my sound of music today u can hear it threw my songs i do consider myself a hip-hop soul artist ..
What artists would you say had the most impact on you?
mary j blige , faith evans, erykah badu, lauryn hill
Tell us about why you started Black Monrow Music?
i do everything from taking my photos, makeup, graphic, engineer my music , i write my own songs, i think it a great time for me to start my independent label.
What is next for Cheena Black?
I recently drop my single I love you produced by june marx (of twin perils) and my second single hey boy produced by namelessmuzic dropping my mixtape Black 2 the future in aug to represent the album love & struggle doing a couple of video this year and shows.
Keep up with more from Cheena Black at: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/CheenaBlack1
