We were lucky to catch up with La Lulu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, La thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I decided to be a full time musician when I was about 19. I was sitting at a cafe in the west village with one of my best friends who at the time was an aspiring movie director. I told him that I wanted to be a musician full time. He told me ” after today, theres no turning back. You are going to be walking and creating your own spiral. It only gets bigger when you walk.” It brings tears to my eyes whenever I think about that moment because I still go back to that day whenever shit gets hard, and I am dealing with the heartlessness of the industry.

I started playing in the subway while I was still in college. I was always shy about my skills because I started playing violin at such an ” old age”. I started playing at 13 years old. All of my friends started at 2 or 3 yrs old. Playing in the subway helped me gain a confidence. It takes a lot for anyone in NYC to stop for 2 second to listen to you and give you $1. When I moved out of my moms house this was how I payed my rent. I was playing at Union Square 4-6 days a week. Sometimes making $200 sometimes $2. In the Subway I met fellow musicians who reached out to me to play in other projects, recordings etc.
I eventually started playing with an All girl mariachi band in NYC that led to my first Latin Grammy nomination, and eventually my first Latin grammy win.
After this experience I began to have a better outlook about what I wanted to do in my life with my music. I was done being a side musician. I wanted to explore more with my voice, and writing skills. I wanted to be ME!
This is when La Lulu was born .
I am 10000000% in. Its not just music, is productions, directing videos, visuals. I AM IN LOVE.
Is very challenging in terms of funding but I am still a Full time violinist. Play all over the world to help fund my dream project.

I never gave up. I have always known music was my path. I believed in me and in my love for it. Now that I am older ” sucess” has a different meaning.
Back then was about being ” Famous” now sucess is about doing whatever I want and make a living of it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Spicy without pepper. Hotter than a volcano. First of her name. I am La Lulu. Vocalist, producer director and Latin Grammy award winning violinist. Who was born in Cali, Colombia.

I moved to New York with my family when I was 11 years old. I always wanted to play violin. In Colombia I was told i didn’t have the “aptitude” to be a violinist. They suggested I played clarinet. I hated it. When I was offered a music scholarship in 6th grade and i was able to CHOOSE an instrument, you better believe I took the power on my hands to say “VIOLIN’
It has never left my hands ever since. I have been a freelance musician for 15+ years. I played as a side musicians for many years. During the pandemic, when the whole worlds seemed to be near it’s end. I had a thought. ” If i die today, am I content with my life?” This is when La Lulu was born. La Lulu is my way to say to people who LOVE to put people in a box in this industry ” F.U” Many times I was told that I couldn’t rap If I played violin.I couldn’t dance if I play violin , I was too latina to be a violinist, I was too sexy, not sexy enough. La Lulu does everything she wants and does not ask for anybody’s permission to be.
La Lulu is a vocalist, composer, producer and director. I am in charge of my image. I showcase the fact that women have phases .
I have released 9 singles, and I am about to release my 10th in decemeber called ” L3″ which is my most personal yet.
We shot the video on Colombia in the land where my grandmother was born and grew up.

What sets me apart from others is that I already heard the word “No” sooo many times, I ain’t scare of it . I am very proud of La Lulu because she is not looking for approval. She is here to provide a voice for people who might feel her way but that do not have an outlet to share. She is here to put a twist in life. To think differently about things. To showcase that a Woman can be Sexy and be a bad ass at playing violin. That I can be Latina and play a European instrument .

I want to inspire my “followers” to be free. I want to inspire them to “grind’ The grind is a way of life, a lifestyle. that connects the holistic side and the economic side; to take care of themselves, emotionally, psychologically, physically and financially. Everybody now is all about the MONEY. Everybody wants to be a millionaire. Even doctors. They stooped listening to what their soul is telling them .

With my music I want to bring a vibe of joy, empowerment and celebration of self.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I’d knew earlier in my creative journey to listen to my heart and body. We get too much in the mind. We forget the mind is a tool and we allow it to be our CEO and call the shots.
I have become a lot more aware of what I consume; food, music, books, tv, movies, friends, social media.
The minds absorbs all the things that you are not aware of. They sit there in your unconscious and start fucking with you.
That self doubt beings to play a role, in the creative space. You start thinking , ” This is not good enough” ” people might not like it ” ” I suck” ” this sucks” I quit”
I realized, that a creation is a feeling. A feeling is a feeling. There’s no good, or bad. There’s no right or wrong. You have to just let it out. share it. Some people are gonna love it, some people are gonna hate it. but thats life. You don’t have to pleased everybody. Matter fact, if you please everybody you are doing something wrong.
The most important thing is to be 100% honest with expression that feeling.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artists for me is that I get to make a living, doing something that does not feel like work. I don’t think about clocking in or clocking out. Is a journey where I get to show my growth and development. I do it for me. I don’t do it because I have to . I do it because I love it. I am blessed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laluluofficial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamlalulu/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/lalulu

Image Credits
Johnny Rodriguez Frida portrait Falyn Huang in the park Alvaro Jose