We were lucky to catch up with Charlize Ramirez recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Charlize thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
The most meaningful project I’ve worked on that has been released thus far was my debut EP titled “If This Is Love” – which focused mostly on the highs and lows I had experienced while dating in New York. My first single off this project called “Always” was about me falling in love. “WDYG?” was the stage of denial/bargaining I was in when the relationship was coming to an end. “Cold Water” was me expressing my anger and sadness about being lied to and cheated on. And lastly, “Moving On” was my eventual acceptance of it all. This EP is truly a reflection of my healing journey post heartbreak.
Charlize, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m Charlize (shar-leez) Ramirez, a Dominican-American singer, songwriter, and educator based in New York City. I was born in Orlando, Florida, on August 3rd, 2001, around the vibrant Afro-Latin culture of my local Caribbean community. My dad, originally from Queens, New York, sparked my love for music when he introduced me to the world of R&B, soul, and hip hop, at a very young age.
I would say I started becoming the artist I am today around age 17. At that point, I had already been taking vocal lessons and singing competitively across state competitions since I was 8 years old. But I found a lot of my confidence as an artist around this time in high school, after having experimented in musical theater, joining honors choir, starting my own a cappella group, and continuing to sing competitively. I felt like I was finally finding my own voice and seeing myself in other popularizing artists, including Jhene Aiko, Alina Baraz, Sabrina Claudio, Cleo Soul, Nao, and other Alternative R&B/Soul artists of the like.
I began studying at The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in 2019, pursuing a BFA in Vocal Performance. During my first year of college, I teamed up with a music startup called Gig Finesse, affiliated with NYU, and had the chance to perform my unreleased music at various venues in Manhattan.
Being at The New School also allowed me to connect and collaborate with other BIPOC artists I greatly admire, including Marlon Saunders, an incredible singer, songwriter, record producer, and educator at Berklee, NYU, and TNS. Our studies together over the last two years have helped me grow tremendously as a performer and hone in on my sound as an R&B artist.
Since 2021, I have recorded over a dozen songs that I continue to perform in venues around New York City. It was during the pandemic that I began collaborating with Leuca, an independent artist and producer from my hometown. Four of those tracks were released in my debut EP, “If This Is Love,” in August 2021. Since, I’ve also released two singles titled “(201)” and “Dishonest”. I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be dropping my first “Spanglish” single, “Kiss and Tell,” later this summer. Stay tuned for that!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
A community that is built through art has been the most rewarding aspect of being an artist. Being able to network and co-write with other artists over the last 4 years of pursuing music professionally has contributed so much to my understanding of the industry and my love for music. I am so appreciative of the friendships and partnerships made while focusing on my craft. Finding community in a city as big as New York is something I’ll always be grateful for – especially when it’s linked to something I’m so passionate about, like music.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Navigating compromising without sacrificing what I value and what my sound is has probably been my hardest lesson. When you are working on something so personal to you that is about your own experience and is a part of your personal narrative, you want to be able to control how that comes out into the world. However, sometimes in order to get the best version of it, you have to relinquish a little bit of that control and allow other people to weigh in on how best to do it creatively. Collaborating with my producer Leuca and other band members for live performances has taught me that the beauty in music happens organically, and often on the spot when working with others. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/charlizeramirez?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=e326290f-82bb-495f-9b5c-b8bd8598b2e1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlizeramirez
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/charlizeramirez
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@charlizeramirez
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@charlizeramirezmusic
Image Credits
images by B.Archi, EBAR, and Dominick Gregoretti