“Being able to center yourself and define who you are as a human being will be the constant struggle. ”
SOULDEGA: When did you say out loud to yourself or someone else that you were a Singer/Song-writer?
CARLA: Ive always wanted to be a performer since I was a little girl singing at church but 2016 was the first time I said aloud that this was what I wanted to pursue. Then 28 I finally started to shed the views and stipulations that society deemed as a “songwriter” and took on that “title” when I released my first song - Bougie Black Girl. One thing I have learned, there are going to be a lot of people out there telling you what defines a “perfect song” but the perfect song will always be the words and melodies that come from your heart.
SOULDEGA: Who in the family can sang?
CARLA: Hahaha hmmm my sister and mom can hum a tune but no one really sang outright.
SOULDEGA: What are some of the challenges and rewards of singing, performing and songwriting?
CARLA: Everyday you are challenged to define who you are or want to be. Being able to center yourself and define who you are as a human being will be the constant struggle.
SOULDEGA: Do you ever get nervous before you go up and perform? If so, do you have any rituals that prepare you mentally and vocally?
CARLA: Before every performance I watch Whitney Houston’s “All the Man That I Need” and listen to Mariah Carey’s Unplugged 90s performance for MTV. This does the trick every time. It allows me to relax and get in the zone and be free!
SOULDEGA: What top three Singers or Song-Writers have inspired you as an artist?
CARLA: Mariah Carey Faith Evans Whitney Houston
SOULDEGA: During these quarantine times, what does you're creative process look and feel like?
CARLA: It’s very up and down. I’m in a much more free space mentally to hear my thoughts but It can Be hard to not know what tomorrow will bring. Some days I feel like writing and others I spend binging tv dramas to inspire and release my mind.