We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gabriela Esquivel. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gabriela below.

Hi Gabriela, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

It was 2005 when I left my country of birth Costa Rica with the dream of creating a painting exhibition where I could combine visual arts and music. The goal was to create paintings and songs inspired by Costa Rican landscape and Costa Rican native rhythms. Seventeen years went by until I finally got the opportunity to fulfill my dream and create the project titled Costa Rica in Sounds and Colors.

The perfect time came when I had almost given up on the idea. I was at the beginning of the final graduation project for my Bachelor’s Degree in Commercial Music Composition at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and had to choose the topic. That same week I met a friend who gave me the most beautiful advice. He told me that I had to reconnect with my roots. And that’s how I continued the journey.

I began by composing the lyrics for three songs based on the rhythms calypso, parrandera/tambito, and cumbia. I knew very little about the rhythms and topic, so I reached out to various Costa Rican researchers, composers, and musicians, who were all willing to help.

Fews days passed, and I received an email from the OURI Research Department at FAU offering the opportunity to apply for a grant that involved research in my area of interest. Suddenly all the pieces of the puzzle were starting to make sense. I won the grant, which allowed me to interview around twenty Costa Rican composers. Combined with my music production and composition lessons, their shared knowledge gave birth to the songs Lindo Calypso, Maria, and Razones. I partnered with another music production student, and together we produced and recorded the songs at two recording studios in Miami and Colombia.

But the project wasn’t ready yet. I was missing the visual arts part it. So, I applied for the Creative Investment Grant from the Broward County Cultural Division with that idea in mind. Luckily I won the grant and was able to create around fifteen paintings inspired by the interviews I made with Costa Rican musicians. While creating the artwork and music, I needed to find a location to exhibit the project. And after doing some research, I found the perfect place for it. The final exhibition was at the Plunge Beach Resort at Lauderdale by the Sea.

There was another essential element that I wanted to add to the project, a visual story for each song. And so it happened. I partnered with another composer and producer, and together we produced the music videos for the songs Lindo Calypso, Maria, and Razones. We used some Costa Rican footage found on several YouTube channels and combined it with original footage filmed in the Fort Lauderdale area. Non-profit organizations like “Heal the planet”, “Action for Literacy”, “Kool2Care”, and the “Neighbors Volunteer Office” from the city of Fort Lauderdale joined the project and were featured in the music videos.

The night of the opening arrived. It was a magical night! After seventeen years of waiting, on September 24th, 2021, I could sing one of my original songs live, accompanying myself on the piano. Eleven paintings were installed in the lobby of the Plunge Beach Resort and were exhibited for a month. Two more exhibitions were organized at the GalleryOne Hotel by Hilton and another at the Plunge Beach Resort. At the GalleryOne hotel exhibition, I had the opportunity to perform my songs live again.

I uploaded the music videos to my new youtube channel Gabriela Esquivel and visitors at the exhibition were able to access and enjoy them through their cell phones via a QR Code.

The project Costa Rica in Sounds and Colors brought wonderful surprises. I received the “Researcher of the Year” award from the College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University, the OURI Research Grant from FAU, and the Creative Investment Grant from the Broward County Cultural Division. The project also received special recognition from the government of Costa Rica and the brand Essential Costa Rica. I am grateful that this project allowed me to appear on Costa Rican radio and TV. Today, I can say that I feel fulfilled! <3

The Costa Rican musicians and one choreographer who are part of the project are Manuel Obregón, José Cañas, Manuel Monestel, Juan Carlos Rojas, William Ramos, Edín Solís, Balo Gómez, Ana Rozen, Carlos Gutiérrez Hine (Pitusa), Ligia Torijano, Ulysses Grant,  Sergio Flee Morales and Alonso Torres.

Musicians from the United States, Venezuela and Colombia who are also part of the project are Brendan Lyons, Emily Moorhead, María Hernández and music producer Daniel Riaño Restrepo.

I also had the guidance of music producers Michael Zager and Alejandro Sánchez-Samper, coach Antonio Francisco Succar and researcher Noel Allende Goitía.

Gabriela, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Gabriela Esquivel, a Costa Rican interdisciplinary artist and author currently living in South Florida. Before settling in South Florida, I lived in Costa Rica, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, and Puerto Rico. For fifteen consecutive years, living outside of my country of birth, I have constantly been active as a student and an artist.

I am interested in creating interdisciplinary projects combining visual arts, music, and research. The Florence Biennale in Italy, the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, GalleryOne Hotel by Hilton, Artserve, 33rd Street Wine Bar, W Hotel, and Plunge Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale have presented my past projects. The titles of some of these projects are “Soul and Mysticism,” “Gardens of Freedom,” and “Costa Rica in Sounds and Colors.” My paintings and music are inspired by the search for the Divine, a personal quest for freedom, and the reconnection with my homeland through research and music.

During my career, I have won several awards, including the Creative Investment Grant from the Broward County Cultural Division, the Researcher of the Year from the College of Arts and Letters from Florida Atlantic University, and participation in the Florence Biennale in Italy.

In 2019, I published my first children’s book, Gema, the Curious Butterfly, part of an award-winning project combining literature, arts & crafts, and music.

My studies include a BFA in Sculpture from the School of Fine Arts of Puerto Rico, a BA in Humanities from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, and a BM in Commercial Music-Composition from Florida Atlantic University. I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in Jazz Piano Performance at Florida International University.

The most important aspects of my career have been to be persistent, have a clear vision and goals, and never give up.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The particular goal that is driving my creative journey is to successfully finish my master’s degree in Jazz Piano Performance at Florida International University to continue creating projects inspired by Costa Rican rhythms and other musical influences from around the world. The goal is to continue combining visual arts and music in the projects.

Once ready, I look forward to creating music collaboration projects with other Costa Rican musicians.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is to be able to experience the world in a unique way, both through music and visual arts; through sound and color.

This creative journey has allowed me to work together and learn from other artists; to understand the different ways that someone can interact with the world. I have specially partnered with musicians from different countries to understand better how to create art using sound as a tool. To learn how to combine sound and create new music. I am in the process, in progress and Always grateful! :)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gabrielaesquivel.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/gabrielaesquivele
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/gabrielaesquivele
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriela-esquivel-5a4526a9/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/butterflygema
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4XK2kFpGov0q9ZzA17FZ2g
• Other: www.tiktok.com/gabrielaesquivele www.ibble.com/gabyesquivel https://vimeo.com/286392522