Christian Review Magazine Issue 3 - March 2015 | Page 73

“I want to inspire and encourage
others to be who they are.”
Blanca
“It was so hard at first,” she says. ‘I
had to break through a lot of creative
blocks. The thought of being
vulnerable can paralyze you. And
there’s always that question of,
‘What if I fail?’ lingering in the
background. Finally, I just went for it
and let my guard down. I allowed the
truth to set in and really started
believing that I was enough.
“That was a very stretching process,”
she continues. “To realize that I
didn’t have to try so hard and that I
could be the real Blanca and let
people see the real me taught me a
lot. I was able to put it down on
paper. I found my mission statement.
I wanted to see the things I’ve gone
through as part of who God has made
me to be. One of the statements I
found myself repeating was, ‘Be true,
be real, be you.’”
Soon the creative process yielded
five songs that comprised her debut
solo EP, aptly called, Who I Am.
Released in January, the music has
garnered critical acclaim, while her
live show is captivating arena-size
crowds night after night, as a part of
Winter Jam 2015.
“The first night I was out there by
myself without Manwell or my
husband, I was so nervous and
scared. I think it’s just the unknown.

Those stages are so big. And you’re
trying to cover it all by yourself,” she
says. “But once I got that first one out
of the way, I could breathe again. The
more that I’ve done it, the more
comfortable I’m getting with my
music. Soon, I really began to feel
that I can do this. I’m ready.”
Without a question, her show is
ready. She can more than cover the
stage. And her music, an
amalgamation of shimmering pop
sensibility influenced by “the divas of
the 90s,” she says. “Whitney, Celine,
Mariah Carey...all are huge voices
that I looked up to. Throw in some
Lauren Hill and I think you’ll find in
this music a level of growth and
maturity in me.”
Sonically, relationally, spiritually,
Blanca is undoubtedly at a new phase
in life. The circumstances of her past
have been hard. The circumstances
of her present are equally hard. She
lost her father to cancer about three
years ago and her mom is currently
undergoing another round of chemo
for breast cancer.
Life isn’t easier. But time, faith, and
sheer determination have made
Blanca stronger than ever.
So now, as she continues living out
the story God is writing for her each
day, she’s doing so honestly and

openly, with a clear mission to help
others a lot like her.
“I feel that everything I’ve gone
through has given me some wisdom I
can share with other young women,”
she says. “I used to feel like my past
defined me...that I could never be
anything outside of those
experiences. But I know and I want
others to know that we are all
enough in the Lord. Through Him, we
can take the story we’ve been given
and use it to be the strong, beautiful
people God has intended us to be.”
Night after night, song after song,
day after day, Blanca’s story is
infused with gratitude and her life is
fueled by the mission God has so
clearly laid upon her heart, her voice
and her life—Be true. Be real. Be you.

ABOUT BLANCA: When it comes to
stepping out on faith, Blanca has a
tendency to sprint. After wrapping
her powerhouse vocal around
infectious and intense beats as part
of hip/hop group, Group 1 Crew for
nearly a decade, she's making the
leap and is flying solo. "Who I Am,"
the lead single from her forthcoming
debut solo album, slated for 2015, is
an upbeat reflection of a season of
soul-searching and surrender,
buoyed by an effervescent soul/pop
vibe that brings a crowd to their feet,
and hearts to the throne.
Read our review of Blanca’s “Who I
Am” EP on ChristianReview.com

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