(Jan.
22, 2007) PCM's Lauren and Kelsey
spoke to the two-time Latin Grammy-nominated pop artist
Belinda. The Mexican singer-songwriter and actress has achieved
phenomenal success in her own country, and now she's looking
to make a name on the international scene.
Belinda: Hello, Lauren?
Lauren: Hi, this Lauren and I'm with my
co-worker Kelsey.
B: Nice to meet you guys.
Kelsey: Nice to meet you, too.
L: How are you doing today?
B: Good, I've been in L.A., very happy, I
love L.A. I go to Mexico tomorrow to do some work. I'm very
happy.
L: That sounds fun. So here's our first
question for you. When did you first start having or showing
an interest in entertaining?
B: Since I was really young, 4-years-old,
I used to sing all the Disney songs. I love to do movies
like with my friends. Home movies, is that the word? Sorry
about my English. I went to a casting and I sang and that
was it.
L: What were some of your earliest performances?
B: At 4 I knew I was going to be an artist
because I had this feeling that I loved singing and acting
and everything. But professionally I started at 10. I went
to a casting with a lot of girls and I sang and I did the
casting and then I started to act in a TV series in Mexico.
I did that and then after I said no more TV series. And
I did my first album, a Spanish album called "Belinda",
and I wrote the songs and it was great. And now I'm with
my second album called "Utopia." It has 13 songs,
2 are in English and I'm very excited because I'm starting
with the second single.
L: We were just actually listening to your
album.
B: Oh really! What do you think?
K: We loved it, our favorite song is number
2.
L: It's fabulous. We really love it.
B: Thank you, that's the first single. And
girls, the English album is going to be so great and will
be released in June or July, so I hope you like it.
L: I'm sure we will!
K: You released your album "Belinda"
just before turning 14 and it sold over 800,000 copies in
Latin America and Spain. Is that kind of success hard for
you to comprehend?
B: Yes, at 13 I recorded and at 14 it was
released. It was hard for me because when you do something
and it goes great, you're kind of scared for the second
project. I was like, "oh I hope the second album does
better, I hope it will be the same kind of success."
It was a lot of pressure for me; that's why I took longer
to do "Utopia." I did it with more time and all
the songs I thought of every detail. It was great, I did
a big tour, I went to Puerto Rico, Columbia, to everywhere
to promote.
L: For your new album "Utopia,"
you worked with some big name producers and composers who
have worked with singers like Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani
and Britney Spears. What was that like to get the opportunity
to work with them?
B: It was great, for my English too, because
they're all American people. I love American people, I think
they are great, very smart and very nice. I had a lot of
fun and I learned a lot about this business, because they
work with a lot of people, they are very talented and smart.
I wrote with them the 13 songs, and it was great. I worked
with Kara Guardi, Jimmy Harry, 6 producers and everyone
was very nice to me - you can't imagine.
K: So you've won 3 MTV Latin America Awards.
Is your next goal to conquer the U.S. charts?
B: Yes, for sure. I'm very excited about doing
this English album. I just think that music is international,
and it doesn't matter if your stick Chinese, Italian or
Spanish, I think the world is one and we need to know each
other and to support. I'm very, very excited.
L: Now, you've been in the business from
an early age. Have you been able to maintain a "normal"
teenage life despite your hectic career?
B: It's not normal because you're working
and you're busy all the time, but it's very important to
not lose that and, if you have time, you go with your friends
and enjoy and have a good time. Most of the time I try to
combine and do both, because both are very important. My
friends come with me touring and they are with me and I
try to be with them as long as I can.
L: How do your friends feel about your
success?
B: I don't know, they don't talk about that.
I've known them since I was really young so they don't care.
They are very nice and I can tell them you want to go to
a concert and they say of course but after let's go to a
party. We talk about girl things, girl issues.
K: So who are your musical and acting influences?
B: I love everything. Old music, old movies.
Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Warren Beatty. I love Katherine
Hepburn, too. I love old movies and actors like Al Pacino
and Colin Farrell. Everything.
L: What about musicians?
B: I like the Killers, Pink Floyd, The Beatles,
Madonna, Christiana Aguilera. I don't know, I like everything,
I think I'm very open to every kind of music.
L: So if you could do a duet with anyone,
who would you want to do it with?
B: Tough question.
L: You can pick two or three if you want.
B: I like Pharrell, he is hot!
L and K: (laugh) He is hot, we agree.
B: Muy Caliente! So Pharrell and Coldplay.
I love Coldplay, they're great. I like Bjork, Portis Head,
I like everything. But Pharrell I would love and Coldplay.
K: So you starred in 3 popular TV series
and have had major album success. What do you prefer acting
or singing?
B: I did three series and you what I had a
great experience, but it's not what I like. I love acting
but movies, I did the Cheetah Girls 2 and it was great after
I did a movie I want to do more. Acting but in movies and
singing as well I love, so it's hard to pick.
L: What was your experience like performing
in the Cheetah Girls? Did that change your career?
B: I think. It was Belinda before the Cheetah
Girls and Belinda after.
L: Alright, did you become friends with
Raven [Simone]?
B: Oh yesss, actually I'm going to see her
in an hour.
K: Oh, really!
B: Yes and she came to Mexico to visit. When
I'm in L.A. I talk to her and we go out. She's great and
she's one of my best friends. She's very nice, she was nice
in the movie and my first language is Spanish so it was
difficult for me to communicate and she was there for me
all the time, she was helping me.
L: So when did you start speaking English?
B: At school, when I was 5 but it's not the
same because you're with your friends and you don't pay
attention to the teacher. That's the same thing as far as
someone from America, you ask them if they speak Spanish
and they say I learned in school but I didn't pay attention.
This year was essential for me learning English.
K: So where do you see yourself and your
career going in the next 5 years?
B: That's a tough one because I wake up everyday
and think ok today and I enjoy everyday as the last one.
So I don't know. I think I would be in this career but maybe
not acting, I love direction so I would love to be in the
future a director or a writer or something like that because
that's a great thing to every time not be on camera, on
stage, maybe behind, and be the back-up of other artists.
I would love that.
K: So do you have a private tutor or someone
that comes on the road with you for school?
B: I have a teacher and she comes to my house
and all that.
L: Do you have plans of attending college
in the future?
B: Yes, of course. I'm thinking about a career,
but I don't know yet.
L: So where do you like to shop?
B: Shopping! Everywhere! I love Europe shopping
and the United States. Like here in L.A. I love Rodeo Drive.
I love Melrose because they have very weird stores, you
know very Rock 'n Roll and I love that. I like shopping
everywhere, it doesn't matter.
K: I feel the same way.
L: Do you have a favorite designer?
B: I have a couple. Let me think, I like Chanel,
Dolce and Gabbana. Oh, you know what, I love Ed Hardy. Ed
Hardy is great and we don't have him in Mexico so every
time I come, I go crazy. I like everything, my favorite
thing to buy is shoes and purses. Boots, I love boots!
L: Call us anytime and we'll show you all
the good shopping.
B: Please, please, yes you need to show me
here. I'll call you sometime and say Hola, let's go shopping,
Vomonos!
K: Ok, well thank you so much, you were
a pleasure.
B: Thank you, it was a pleasure talking to
you guys and I'll see you around when I go shopping.
L: Good luck.
B: Thanks, and if you guys go to Mexico, let
me know! Adios.
