Exclusive Q and A: Sohanny Talks Tr3s, 'Step Up,' Collaborations
posted in: Latin • Music News
Latin artist Sohanny knows what it’s like to be on the grind. While she puts in hours of songwriting, singing, dancing, rehearsing, and promoting, it all seems almost effortless to the talented Dominican songstress. This past summer, her collaboration with Vein, “Get Loose,” was featured on the Step Up Revolution soundtrack, and she is currently working on her first English album. Though Sohanny is poised on the threshold of huge crossover success, she doesn’t forget where she came from. This month, she’s teaming up with OurStage to be the celebrity judge for the Tr3s “El Headliner” competition and to give back to up-and-coming artists who are looking to hit it big. We caught up with Sohanny to chat collaboration, inspiration, and hard work.
OS: Your music has a lot of different influences that work together. How would you describe it for somebody who has never listened to you before?
Sohanny: I’d say Tropical. Tropical fusion with a little bit of urban pop for sure. I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and also the US so it’s a mix of my roots together with what I grew up listening to.
OS: You also embrace newer electronic sounds like Moombahton as well. What do you like about newer styles like that?
S: To a lot of people who are listening to it now it’s a recent thing, but it’s so underground. In most of what I do there are a lot of original sounds that came from the streets, like my first single that had a bit of Perico Ripiao, which is more of an upbeat mambo. Moombahton has been happening as well in Puerto Rico for a while now, but now all these Latin sounds are starting to come back and it’s a lot of the underground stuff that people loved but that was never really commercialized in the US. I’m very proud to be one of the pioneers to bring out the fusion of sounds from my country.
OS: So you’re happy that it’s getting more mainstream exposure in the states, then?
S: Absolutely. Just being the only Dominican on the whole Step Up soundtrack was a complete honor and absolutely fabulous and amazing to me.
OS: Are you a fan of the Step Up movies?
S: Absolutely. Not just because I’m Dominican, but I’ve always loved dancing. The movie is still artistically done. So much of the footage is so amazing in Miami and the dancing is just out of this world. It really does take a lot of commitment and dedication and that’s what this industry is about. It’s a lot of work. So to be a part of it is all just amazing.
OS: Your Facebook page is full of posts about inspiration and the hard work that it takes to follow your dreams.
S: What I love about this business is that you don’t know how your day is going to be, and that’s exciting to me. Every day I have new things on schedule that keep me going. I’m also fortunate to have an amazing family that’s always there and is always so supportive of everything that I do. Every day is an exciting beginning for me. I’m probably going to write a new song that’s going to change my life or change somebody else’s life, and I’m just happy and fortunate to be doing what I love most and what people can relate to.
OS: What was it like to become a member of the new generation of Miami Sound Machine as a teenager?
S: It was definitely an amazing experience. We got to travel the world in the group. The opportunity presented itself and it changed my life completely because the only side I knew of the music industry was the beautiful and perfect image that I dreamed of. In that group was where I learned about the work that goes into it and how tough it is sometimes to be away from the family. But when it started happening for me, I wasn’t by myself. I had two other girls sharing the experience with me, so it wasn’t as lonely. I can’t imagine being by myself that young and traveling without my family. I come from a family of five siblings. Both my grandmothers had like twelve kids [laughs]. It was a big big family. That’s what I had to learn. I had to learn to be independent and be on my own. I no longer had Mami and Papi with me. It definitely taught me a lot about the business and made me realize that I can’t live without it.
OS: How do you feel about the travel aspect now as a solo artist?
S: I love always having something to do. I love visiting other countries. This has always been my dream, and the fact that I can travel the world and take my music around the world is an amazing feeling. I feel very blessed and very fortunate to have that opportunity. And of course, there are those days where it’s tough and you miss your family, but that’s why there’s Skype and Facetime. They always get to send me pictures and they’re always keeping up with everything I do. That’s why during the holidays, we have an even more amazing time. Whenever they can travel to see me, they always do. But again, this is my dream. This is what I love most, and I do have their full support. I’m doing this solo, but I’m also very fortunate to have an amazing team and crew that are also very supportive of what I do. I always have a lot of people behind me who are very caring, and I can’t imagine it any other way.
OS: You’ve done great collaborations with Vein and Fuego on tracks in the past. Which artists would you want to work with in the future if you could have your pick?
S: My dream is to be able to do something with Juan Luis Guerra because he’s such an amazing artist and songwriter. Marc Anthony is one of my favorite performers in the Latin music business and I love how Aventura revived Bachata all around the world. I think it would be very interesting to do something with one of them on the Latin side. On the American side, there are just so many people and so many interesting collaborations that could happen with a Latina. I’m now working on my English album so it would be amazing to do stuff as well with, who knows, maybe Maroon 5. That would be amazing: the vibe of Maroon 5 together with new Latina sound.
OS: How does it feel to be a celebrity judge for the Tr3s “El Headliner” competition?
S: It’s an honor, and I’ve got to say, you guys are amazing with the opportunities that OurStage gives to new up-and-coming artists and kids that love this business and have a passion for songwriting and for creating music. There’s so much room for more. There’s so much room for new material. It’s definitely an honor to be the celebrity judge of this competition. I love it more than anything in the world because I’ve been there. I used to beg my parents to take me to New York every other weekend so I could visit the mariachi restaurants and get onstage and perform and sing. I started songwriting when I was 11 years old, so I know what each and every step of the way means to an artist trying to make it to where I am right now. To be a part of that and to be able to support that and support new talent is definitely an honor for me.
OS: So what kind of advice would you give to a younger artist who says, “I want to do what you do?” What would you tell them?
S: Keep going. Keep going and don’t look at what anybody else is doing. Be yourself and always want to be original. Never look at the competition, or the so-called competition. I think we’re all here to be a team. We’re all here to work together and to make beautiful music. I always love collaborations because I think magic comes out of the studio when you collaborate with other artists and other songwriters. If this is your dream, just work hard for it and always make sure that you wake up with a smile and you always have something else to back you up as well, so that on the tough days you have a pick-me-up, something that will to keep you going. Just keep yourself motivated with life, with the people that support you, and know that you’re original no matter what. There’s only one of you.
Check out Sohanny’s video for “Get Loose” now!
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