Meet Magela Herrera | Recording artist, flautist, vocalist and composer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Magela Herrera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Magela, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My name is Magela Herrera, originally from Havana Cuba. I was raised inside a family with who exposed me to a lot of popular cuban music and afrocuban music while I was growing up. So this type of music made a huge impact on my of seeing music as a platform for my corporal and musical language. My music formation started when I was about 9 years old, and the at the age of 10 I was accepted into the conservatory of Music in Havana “Alejandro Garcia Caturla. My training was in classical music, that a normative in Cuba. When you studies music in Cuba that’s the type of training ones get , in classical or western music. This shape my playing to really knowing the instrument to de grown but at some point realized that I could not make a living out playing classical music, and also at that time I was already starting to play more traditional popular cuban music which opens up the world of improvisation and the freedom that comes with it. After finishing my studies I worked at a popular band in Cuba call Mezcla, with this band I took my first step into being a performer and artist. After 6 years working with that band I moved to Norway to study jazz and improvised music. This experience also change my whole aesthetics thoughts about music, how do I identify thru art and what to share with my music. This background made me be a curios musician and person, I am always looking for new music to learn. Also one thing I like the most when playing is the information and the message we carry in our self because of our experiences and culture, that will affect the way we interact with people. I love playing different genre of music and also collaborating with artist from different cultures, I think that improves-us as humans being and as an artists. So form my my background ahas giving me identity and a huge understanding about music as an art form but also a channel to live and connects with humans.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
First of all I’m really grateful for all the opportunity I have had along my career, and also all my failures as well , from what I have learn each time. It has not being easy to be were am, it has taken time and a lot of work, and trust . The thing I am more proud of is about the musical knowledge I have growth through the years as student and as a professional musician and playing with people for different cultures. And this is exactly what sets me apart from the rest. I can play so many genre of music classical music, pop, jazz, reggae, flamenco music, brazilian music and brazilian jazz, afrocuban music, latin jazz, latin music. Also most of all to talk the language of each genre of music i is also important.

My biggest challenge it has been to compose since I started to compose really late on my career, this is something I still working on and develop different way to organize and put the musical ideas into a paper, finding also different way to get inspired and identifying what exactly I want to reflect in my music. I like composing from personal experiences and but also about things I see or hear that can cause an impact on me.

One of the lessons I have learn is that no matter what you do or what you play do it with honesty and respect, and be an observant . We always can learn for any type of work, even when we play a music that is not the one we like the most we will alway has something new to learn, musically, maybe about the business it self , about the dynamic of the performance about repertoire, relationships with colleagues and audience. Be and observant .

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
North Miami beach for sure. while here in Miami. To listen to music I will take them to the North beach Band shell, the Anderson, The Betsy Hotel, Adrianne arsht center has and exiting program, Also the Black Box . To dance I will take them out to dance to Ball and chain, Calle 23, Doral Yard, Gramps, Oasis.

To eat burgers which I love , Kush, one of my fav places. To eat cuban Food “la Carreta” or Havana Harry’s.
Asian food Lung Yai Thai Tapas, sometimes is crowded, and the servers are not the nicest ones but the food is good!

The keys it would be interesting option, Morada keys, Key West.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As I said before while in Cuba, to my professors Zorime Garcia Caturla and Raul Valdes. Also I to the Band Mezcla, lead by Pablo Menendez

In Norway to the Norwegian Academy of music, where I was push to start my own project

Here in Miami ,there are many friends musicians who has helped me Aldo Salvent(sax) , Tal Cohen(piano) , Munir Hossn, Jose Manuel Alconchel (guitar) and Jose Luis de la Paz (guitar), among others

Website: magelaherrera.com

Instagram: @mgelaherrera

Twitter: @mgelaherrera

Facebook: Magela Herrera Music

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-XBexy11Bs

Image Credits
I want to give credit to 3 different photographers. Below their IG profiles: Jose Manuel Alconchel (Ig: @jmalconchel) @Master Wing creative Phillip Avello : @psa50