Today we get to hear from 27-year-old Sanchia Velez, the reggaetón/Latin singer, who’s getting lots of local gigs lately, as well as some exposure on cable TV.

(Photos courtesy of Sanchia)

The Orange County resident—who grew up in Rockland and graduated from North Rockland High School—put out a new album in mid-September (mp3s from Let the Beat Drop available online) and has been playing area shows since then.  One of her songs was also recently featured on a episode of USA’s Burn Notice—proving that her music reaches beyond the local market.  Check out the interview, and info about upcoming shows, including one at Care Net Pregnancy Center in Spring Valley, where she’ll address the issue of teen pregnancy.

TH: When did you start thinking about music as a career?  Why?

SV: When I was in middle school I used to sing with my friends at lunch because we thought we were going to become a famous singing group.  I’ve been at it since then.  At 14, I got in touch with a major label A&R who told me to send her my demo.  I didn’t even know what a demo was…so that didn’t work out.  In high school, I got involved in acting and modeling.  I knew I wanted to be a performer so I went for it.

TH: Did you find it easy to break into the business?  You mention on your MySpace page that you started off as a dancer in some rap videos.  How did you get into that?  What was it like?

SV: This industry is all about networking.  You never know who you’re going to meet.  I met one person who ended up casting me for a video, and I just kept meeting people every chance I had. The videos were great!  But there is a lot of drama that goes on with girls on set, and I am not one of those girls.  When you’re in a video, they put you in a certain place where you supposed to stay, and just go with the flow.  But you have girls attacking the camera.  Some of the girls do anything to get in front of the camera.

Plus, they think that they’re going to go home with the artist.  And everbody thinks that you’re like that too.  I’m not like that at all—it was just a job for me.  In the end, every person I have met has been a stepping stone to where I am today.  I feel that I did get lucky with my first gig [in a G. Dep video called “Special Delivery,” featuring P. Diddy], but I’ve had to work at it.

TH: Tell us about the manager that you had a few years back.  He passed away tragically?

SV: Yes, he did.  His name was Sandro Burgos.  He was a great man and he believed in me so much.  He dedicated his life to helping me succeed.  We worked really hard on my first album and we were so excited.  His murder totally took me by surprise.  I was reading the local paper and found an article that caught my attention.  There had been a homicide and the victim’s description matched Sandro’s.  I thought it was such a coincidence that I called him to make sure he was alive.  I never heard back from him.  There was an attempted robbery on his home in Plattekill, and he came home during the robbery.  I wish he was here now.  Without his influence, I would not have been able to complete Let the Beat Drop.

TH: Have you always been a fan of reggaetón?  Do you have ties to Latin America?

SV: I love reggaetón.  My family is from Puerto Rico, but my parents and I were born here.  I love my Spanish culture and hope that I represent for my Latinos in the music that I make.

TH: Who are the artists that have influenced you the most?

SV: Janet Jackson, Taylor Dayne, and Madonna.  The whole freestyle era is also a big influence for me.  I’ve always been a dancer so I listened to music that made me dance.

TH: Do you have a day job as well?  For how long do you envision yourself playing music?

SV: I did have a day job when I started this project, but realized the amount of time I needed to put into the music, so I started my own children’s birthday party business.  I also have a few other ventures, and this allows me to make my own schedule, which I love.  As long as I can keep writing, I will be singing.

TH: Actually, I didn’t even ask yet.  Do you play any instruments besides singing?

SV: I can’t play a thing.  I wish I could though.  I have a whole production team that puts the music together, but it’s all done through pre-recorded tracks.

TH: Let’s talk about lyrics.  From what I can tell, you tend to sing some songs that are autobiographical.  Is that true?  If so, which?

SV: The song “How Can This Be” means a lot to me.  I got pregnant at the age of 18, and was scared and confused, but I knew what I wanted.  Many girls don’t know what they want and allow others to influence their decisions.  This song has touched many people’s lives already.  In the song, I placed my daughter into adoption, which I think is a wonderful option.  But in my reality I kept my daughter, and she sings this song with me now.

TH: Why do you choose to sing in Spanish?  Have you ever thought about focusing on songwriting in English?

SV: My first album—the one that was never released—was all Spanish.  With this project I needed to add some Latin flavor.  It’s what makes me different from the next girl.  Sometimes when I hear a song, the words come out in Spanish and I have to go with it.

TH: You mentioned your daughter.  How old is she?  What is it like raising a child and trying to launch a music career at the same time?

SV: My daughter is eight years old and I have a two-year-old as well.  My daughter is a great help when it comes to my music.  She gives me her opinion and even helps with lyrics sometimes.  She is just like me—constantly singing and dancing.  The most difficult thing was not being around all the time, and staying away, locked in a room, when I was trying to write. But I have such a great family that they take care of my kids as much as they can.

TH: You have an upcoming appearance at Care Net Pregnancy Center in Spring Valley, where you will actually perform with your daughter.  Tell us a bit about that.  What are your motivations for performing?

SV: We will be there on October 17, and hopefully we will be able to change someone’s life.  I volunteer weekly at a crisis pregnancy center, and sometimes a song in a crisis situation can make things better.  However, it can also make things worse.  People have to make sure they are listening to the right kind of music.

(Sanchia and her daughter Drianna)

TH: What’s next on the horizon?  Any shows lined up?

SV: I will be performing at the Sugar Loaf Fall Festival in Sugar Loaf, NY, on Saturday at 2 p.m.

TH: Thanks again, Sanchia.  Hope to hear more from you in the future.

SV: Anytime—thank you.