Rising Stars: Meet Paola Felipe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paola Felipe.

Hi Paola, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have had a passion for music but was always fearful to pursue it. Being a first-generation Latina-American, I needed to heavily pursue my education to be successful and make my parents proud of me (which they would be no matter what, but it was a pressure I put on myself). Other variables like my stage fright and lack of confidence when it came to my singing, and I just settled it to be my “hidden talent” and nothing more than that. Last year around September, Maluma (one of my favorite Colombian artists) was coming to Phoenix, and I got front-row seats and had an absolute blast! He had a beautiful backup singer, Daniela Gomez, who joined him on stage, and hearing her sing, I kept thinking: “I can sing just like her. I can do that!” The next day at work, I had an ” after concert glow” and was so happy about seeing one of my favorite artists, but something inside me felt empty. I went into the back room and began to cry because I felt like I was mourning the loss of a talent that never had the chance to reach its full potential. Singing brought me so much joy, and I wanted to have that joy back in my life but didn’t know how. I told myself that when I got home, I would figure out how to incorporate singing back into my life and not give up on a dream. I began to network and reached out to people that would possibly be able to guide me in the right direction, and by November, I was starting singing lessons with my amazing vocal coach, Desiree White of Painted Soul.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been struggles along the way. Every new venture has its ups and downs, but luckily, I have enough support and love around me that I have been nothing but motivated to continue to pursue my passion. Honestly, most of my struggles have been internal. Self-doubt, lack of confidence, and fear of rejection make up many of the challenges I have faced. Early in my lessons, my vocal coach gave me, along with her other students, a BINGO sheet. In the empty squares, we had to fill out different challenges or goals we had like “perform live,” ” record a cover,” or “post a singing video on social media.” It was a great tool for me to use to be able to push myself out of my comfort zone!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a Latina singer wanting to spread joy and confidence through music! I have always been proud of being Mexican and Brazilian and want to incorporate that into my music. I like to include “Spanglish” music into my sets and give a feminine take on masculine songs in Latin music.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
You can connect with me on multiple social media platforms! @PaolaGOfficial on Instagram and TikTok, and Paola G on YouTube!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paolagofficial/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWNoB_Gkbx1DqdAWUX3kN5A

Image Credits
image of me on stage: Victor Garcia image of me on rail: Uriel Erives @tugo_photos