We were lucky to catch up with Luz Angela Jimenez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Luz Angela, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

In my case music just happened, I started very early to get paid singing.I was around 12 years old. I was part of a group in my little town in Colombia where we sing professionally and have tons of work (gigs). We sang all kind of events and off course, we got paid for it. It is actually endearing to think about that group. It was call “Hugo Moncada”. By the way, eternally gratefull since was he who taught me in deep how to play the gender of music that will defined my musical path.

Right after, we formed with my friend from childhood Victoria Hernandez (Victoria Sur) a duet call “Sombra y Luz” wish end it up being one of the more remarkable duets in the story of the traditional music from Colombia. When my duet started to record albums, win festivals, having big sponsors and traveling all over i understood that was the professionally path I wanted to keep pursuing. In a way a deep feeling of “This is that I was born to do”.

Luz Angela, 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 am a Colombian singer, writer and Tiple player. I was born in the coffee region where I grew up listening folkloric songs and rhythms from the region. Also, folk songs from Latin America. Walking around the city and listening to that entire cultural layout was part of the day-by-day affairs of a normal town girl. When I started singing professionally at the age of 12, that was the kind of repertoire we used to sing in all the groups that I belonged. Except, my school band wish was total pop/American repertoire. That fortunate scenario was the tapestry for what was the mission on my musical career.

With “Sombra y Luz” the duet mentioned before we sang only Traditional Folk Music from the Andes region of Colombia. It was a very specific gender of music. The rhythms of Bambuco, Pasillo, Vals, Torbellino etc. were the core of our music activity. During that time I felt in love of the Folk music. No just Colombia but all Latin America and South America to be more specific. I started researching about, composers, rhythms and Andean stringed instruments. I started founding similarities between all this variables and it´s countries of origin that charm me. To the point, that I have dedicated my life and musical career to be an exponent of the music of Latin America. Off Course being Colombia my main subject. With this duet we recorded 4 albums that as todays are air played in the Colombian radio stations.

The other component of my mission as a musician/performer is to make known the Colombian Tiple. This is a plucked string instrument of the guitar family, common in Colombia where it is considered one of the national instruments. About three-fourths the size of a classical guitar, it has twelve steel strings set in four triple-strung courses. It is played as a main instrument or as an accompanying instrument to the guitar. I started to play Tiple at the aged of 15 but I got serious when I formed the “Trio Colombita”. The trio was innovative in its use of Colombian traditional instruments: the Bandola, Tiple, and guitar. The main members of the Colombita Trio were Dora Carolina Rojas (Bandola) Luz Angela Jimenez (Myself) Tiple and Sofia Elena Sanchez (Guitar). Trio Colombia was specific an instrumental trio. No singing included. The repertoire requires a high level of interpretation of each instrument. Like a chamber trio, each of the participants is practically a soloist. It was a stage of my career that I loved because taught me how to sing without a voice but through the strings. With this trio we recorded 1 album. The trio is still performing and recording with a new format.

In the year of 2003 I moved to the United States of America with clarity on my missions as a singer and Tiple player of Colombia. But, I have also other motivations. I was always fascinated by the quality of the sound of the recordings made in the states. Lucky enough found myself working at Crescent Moon Studios in Miami with Gloria and Emilio Estefan. It was the best school for me. Got to work as writer, also vocalist etc, But, what got me the most was to experience the real world of music production. Inspired by the experience, went to school and got a degree in sound engineering and music education in Miami Dade College. This event opens the door to my other complementary activities as an artist that makes full living out in the music industry.

I opened my own recording studio in Miami. Light Angel Studios Inc. at the beginning with guitar player/producer and Grammy winner Marco Linares. Years later Marco relocated to Panama and I continued with my Studio en Miami. I love this part of my job because is more peaceful and I don´t have to leave home for long periods of time. Turing and getting away from my family is not my cup of tea. But, I do it, as a singer/performer off course is a most.
The studio work that has given me much satisfaction is related with vocal couching, production and editing. I love to help singers to find themselves, to get liberated though their singing and me on the other part to make them sound beautiful. Between so many jobs with singers (famous and nor famous) I proudly announced my most recent work for the “Billy Joel in Black & Withe”, A DVD recorder in Faena Theater Miami Beach. (So worth to watch).

After all of this I have to mention, That as a solo singer/songwriter I have recorded 4 albums. 3 of them available in all the digital platforms. I have loved my mission as an exponent of the Latin American Folk and also super proud of my work as a sound engineer that actually never though it was going to turn out so good. That is a total bonus for me. In my later years I have found a deep passion for teaching. I love to share what a have learned and help other have a concept of music in a sublime way. You CAN make you living in the music industry. You just have to work it out.

My Name is Luz Angela and you can find me on
YouTube: LuzAngelaMusic
Instagram: Luzangelaji
Facebook: LuzAngelaSinger
Itunes: Luz Angela Vela de Plata
Spotyify: Luz Angela

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I actually going to tell you about a lesson I learned. In the year of 2001 I got an amazing pool of Managers. It was a Woman from Chile. Mariana Concha and a Gentleman form Panama Jorge Conte, They liked my talent and proposed to record an album. I was living in Miami then, but the whole production has to be made in Panama. I was excited; I said YES, moved to Panama and started working. The Panamanian producer Ricky Ramirez, super talented, puts the most amazing group of musicians and songwriters together. We have created an awesome album. Me, as a singer. The stars were aligned. New album, marvelous songs, refreshing new sound, press, radio, launching etc. Everything was aligned to have a hit.

When the album was ready, I mean mixed (final product) we had a conversation with the producer. It was about a contract I have to sign. When I reviewed the contract it said that I was the singer of the album. Then I stop and I told the producer whom I met in Miami before everything. Hey Ricky, but we talked about “producing an album together.” Then he told me yes but I am the producer and he was actually right. Even though I have participated with ideas here and there he was the one with the concept of the album, and I remember he always came to the studio with the tracks pre-produced at home.

I ended up not signing the contract. I was fixed with the “title” of Co-production. It was not enough for me just being the singer. It was so bad. I still today can´t believe I did that..! The album was really a magic one. I have no doubt in my heart it would be a hit, or for sure a spectacular peace of art with music. I have the opportunity to apologize with the producer like 15 years later. Thank God, but I still want to apologize to all the unbelievable talented people involved in that project, because they believe in me and I was so young, naive and bogus. I wish I can get in a time machine and go back.

Here the lesson learned. Humbleness is the main ingredient in a career. What ever it is. When you are humbleness as premise in your life you will always have peace. You will always have clarity. Recognizing other people’s worth, work and needs is so important. When we work for a common goal and not for “my goal” life is more beautiful. If I would of being grateful for the amazing opportunity instep of what I though was important we would compete a marvelous project and probably many happy moments.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Yes, I´ll make this one short. When my Duet “Sombra Y Luz” stopped activities I was devastated. That duet was all I ever wanted, I wanted to be devoted to that group for the rest of my life. I got very depressed after that. But reality was, it was time to stop. Back then I wasn’t aware.

I got so affected by it that I didn’t wanted to sing as a solo artist, I felt like naked singing by myself. But, I have to keep going and finding the new me. Learning to fall in love to the sound of my own voice. It was so hard, and it took years for me to get to that point. That was probably why I end it up doing some other things like sound engineering and teaching, and playing my Tiple in a most skillful way and writing and producing others. It was all a way to cheat the “singing by myself” until after many years of keep doing it I finally felt in love with my own singing. Is amazing but the resilience on knowing that my life was music, my career was in this industry keep me alive and actually brought so many gifs. Now I am super grateful with that “forced change”, that only helped me to grow as an artist an more as a human. I love the duet. We have recently performed and it was subsumed. Like no one day has go by. But, now I am more than just one voice of a duet.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.luzangela.net
• Instagram: @luzangelaji
• Facebook: Luz Angela Singer
• Linkedin: Luz Jimenez
• Youtube: LuzAngelaMusic

Image Credits
Alvaro Jaramillo Koke Richard Wolf Carlos Zamudio Rafael Rincón