Florida's Next Big Thing
Who is "Cila La Sicaria" and what does "La Sicaria" really mean? Very good question! I get asked that a lot ! The word "Sicaria" or "Sicario" (used in masuculine tense) is actually a hired assasin! A "hitman" so to speak. The name was given to me by one of my beat makers a few years back. No worries as it is NOT meant literally! haha. I want to be that assasin in music. Cila is short for my birth name, which is Priscilla. "Cila La Sicaria" is a local reggaeton artist bringing a breath of fresh air to the scene when it comes to female latin artists.
What inspired you to become a musical artist? I was actually inspired by a 1997 Vico C album titled "Aquel Que Habia Muerto." I was about 15 years old and surprised myself by imitating Vico's fast paced lyrics. I stepped into a studio for the first time at the age of 18 in Orlando and with time realized I was pretty dam good [laughs]. Not at the beginning, of course. Actually, the first time I heard myself on a track I laughed. It was terrible! However, I had no idea what my sound , pitch, or delivery should be. It took some time to grasp. There is always room to improve and be better!
How would you describe your sound? My sound to me is dope! Not being cocky, I am actually quite modest. All of my songs are in Spanish... I seem to express myself better that way. Being a female in a male dominated industry comes along with expectations. My sound is unique and versatile. If I want to rap, I can, but also maintaining harmony within my bridges and/or hooks. Being melodic brings it all together in a sense for me.
Describe the state of music in your state. What are the positives and the negatives? The state of music in my state to be quite honest is pretty redundant. I am originally from Brooklyn, NY and music in Orlando, Florida tends to repeat itself. As a positive, there is a lot of good music out and a lot of Florida based artists, however, I've never quite gotten accustomed to the "southern" style of music. Obviously, we are talking hip-hop, rap etc. I actually barely listen to the radio and when I put on my latin stations, I always hear the same things. Everyone in the industry sounds the same. Every once in a while do I hear an awesome collabo in either genre. All new music is heard up North first , and the DJs up there definitely do it. I love Florida, but definitely a New Yorker and lover of good ol' fashioned hip-hop at heart.
What are your musical career goals? My musical career goals are to not only perfect myself as an artist and show progression within my music, but to also put females on the map. I want to be so great that I am able to open doors to aspiring women artists. We are in so much competition and indeed, this is a very competitive industry... however at the end of the day, it would great to see women unite and support each other.
Do you have any upcoming projects we can look forward to? Yes. I am actually going to be working on my first album I've titled "La Revelacion." I will be working with a couple of producers in Florida. I havent set a release date yet, but am anticipating by the end of year to be completely done. I will also be working on releasing music in Israel which I find extremely AWESOME! Yes, Reggaeton is listened to in Israel.
What challenges have you faced as a musical artist? As an artist, one of the challenges I've faced is finding genuine, true and honest loyal people who are real support systems in it for your best interest. I think this is a very "dog eat dog" world industry and loyalty is something hard to find, whether it be from investors, producers, and even friends. Another challenge, I would say I've faced, is breaking into this "Latin market" without wearing the heels and lipstick! The latin market is a "sex sells" market to me and if you know me, you know that the world would end before heels would be a part of my attire [laughs]. Being marketable is very important in this industry.
07 July 01, 2015 FLORIDA MAGAZINE