If we were asked to describe Carolina Hoyos aka A Girl I Know the answer would be far from hesitation. Fun, inspiring, upbeat, and positive are few characters that make up the unique DNA of a rising artist and actress Carolina Hoyos who dedicated years to developing her personal sound. Carolina was born in Washington DC but raised in the quiet country suburbs of Virginia alongside the gritty urban streets of Baltimore.. she’s the first generation Peruvian Quechua-Inka Afro Latina and her background is as multi-dimensional as her music!
Carolina Hoyos premiered her latest release today, “Mi Hombre El Diablo” and this record will have you at a constant peak of chills throughout the entire song. “Mi Hombre el Diablo” had this western vibe to it that placed me in the setting of Virginia. Not only did Carolina present a strong western presence in the song, but she also included a sound of urban swag and sass that represented her Baltimore background. She didn’t stop there! The dialect of “Mi Hombre El Diablo” was delivered in a language other than English, representing her Latin culture. All these combined elements in this riveting song showcases who Carolina Hoyos is as an artist and what she represents. It was nicely executed and smoothly arranged. “Mi Hombre El Diablo” has a creatively expressed cover art that gave us this powerful representation of the strength Carolina has. This was a nice visualization of the journey she undergoes through “Mi Hombre El Diablo”. Many people will love the sounds of her luxurious vocals with the grainy production supporting it.
Check out “Mi Hombre El Diablo” here and read more in our exclusive interview below!
Welcome to BuzzMusic Carolina Hoyos! You’ve been around a quite few locations in your lifetime. In what ways have you took a little from each, and incorporated it into your music?
I am a big believer in location, location, location. I don’t mean access to jobs, or networking—though that helps. I mean location for inspiration. I intended to pursue acting and planned to be a piano teacher as a backup plan. As soon as I moved to NYC to study theater, I got bit by the songwriting bug. It was undeniable. I also stayed in San Francisco to begin writing this record and while I was so inspired that I woke up out of a deep sleep to write a song, I had to head back to Los Angeles for work and finish the record there. I moved into a warehouse in East LA with several other musicians and the 24-7 environment of live shows and writing/recording was what inspired me to start directing my music videos.
Who would you say has been the biggest inspiration for your music and career thus far?
The darker parts of life. Being exposed to some horrors can either break you or make you stronger. In many cases, both. What do you do with that experience? I channel it in my work to stay healthy. It’s so much work to bounce back from dark periods, so I live to inspire others through my work.
Let’s talk about “Mi Hombre El Diablo”. How would you describe the theme of this record? What’s the message behind the song?
The seedier parts of life can be easy to get caught up in. A lot of my favorite films from the crime genre show the dangers of leading a life of crime. This song is meant to portray that in a song - a warning that being involved in any part of the underworld is a slippery slope.
It seems as if this song is relatively personal! In what ways does this song represent you?
I’m seeing this album as a way of reconnecting and reconciling with my roots. I’m Afro-Indigenous Latin and have always been asked the question, “What are you?” When I’ve taken the time to explain, I’ve blatantly pointed out ‘my people took my people’s land’ and even ‘my people enslaved my people.’ This record is fully in Spanish and I have grown to love singing in the language, but I’m also acutely aware that my heart feels like it’s betraying my Indigenous roots and I really want to learn Quechua for the next record.
What’s next for you Carolina Hoyos?
Too Old To Die Young is on Amazon Prime. Check me out in Episode 10 and on the Soundtrack!
Keep up with Carolina Hoyos through her socials!