Watch 95-year-old Angela Álvarez accept her Latin Grammy for new artist of the year award | Videos
A decade ago, Angela Álvarez was a mere kid from California who was about to turn 19. As she recounts, the first time she remembers doing anything with music was singing “La Bamba” with her friends in her living room. But as Álvarez became a teenager, she began taking music seriously. By the time she was finishing high school, she had started playing, singing, dancing and, as she puts it, “taking risks” with her talent. For Álvarez, who grew up in the middle of Southern California, moving to New York and finding success was all about learning how to “deal with my fears of not growing up and how to do that in an environment of people who don’t listen to me.” Now, a decade into her career, Álvarez — better known by her stage name, Gabriela Díaz — has become one of Latin America’s top rising stars.
“I’ve been doing it for 12 years. So my life has been filled with music and travel and being out here. I’ve tried everything. I’m like LaBamba,” Álvarez, who’s the founder and artistic director of the non-profit Latin Grammy Los Angeles, tells CNBC Make It. “Music has been my way to survive. It’s been my source of love. My life has been my source of happiness. I think that’s why I did it this long.”
The Grammy Awards show just weeks after the show, which airs April 26 on CBS at 5 p.m. PT.
So, what kind of music does Gabriela Díaz play? And why does she make it as a touring artist? Here’s everything you need to know about this “singer in everything” who is also a “creativity expert” and producer.
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On Her Music: “We make music in so many different ways. It doesn’t have to be any kind of genre. It could be electronic or dance. Or if our fans don’t know what it is, we can call it something completely different.
“It’s a
