Today we’d like to introduce you to Raye Zaragoza.
Raye, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in New York City. Born of a Japanese/Taiwanese immigrant mother and a Native American (O’otham)/ Mexican father. We lived in a tiny studio apartment on Houston Street above a fire station along with my two siblings who are 3 years older and younger than me. We each got a small corner of the apartment – about 2 feet by 2 feet – that we could do whatever we wanted with. I turned mine into a poetry studio, a restaurant, and then a gallery – you had to get very creative in the environment I grew up in. I grew up with Asian food, mariachi music, and native spirituality and cultural influence. Growing up I thought that was how everyone lived.
I started singing when I was four years old. My Dad was on Broadway in ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ playing Chief Sitting Bull & I would sing songs from the show at family dinner parties and get together with friends. My Dad would say “I’ll give you a nickel if you sing ‘You can’t get a man with a gun,” and I would – because I wanted that nickel and I was already a young entrepreneur (I mean I had already owned my own restaurant at 4). By the time I was eight, I was in musicals at my elementary school PS41 in Manhattan New York. When I was ten, I played Princess Winnifred in Once Upon a Mattress and I was pretty much hooked by show business at that point.
I loved the applause, the nerves, the excitement, being on stage, being off stage – I wanted every bit of it. From then on I operated on the dream that I would be on Broadway one day like my Dad. I performed in musicals through middle school and high school – but by the end of high school, I told myself I would never sing again. I hated being told what to sing. I hated the feeling of not being able to hit the high notes in the show-stopping numbers. I hated not getting the part I wanted. I decided not to go to college in order to pursue being an actress.
At that point, my family had moved out to Los Angeles, and since I was never going to sing again – I thought it made sense to try to be in movies. I moved out of my parents’ West LA apartment at 18 years old and found a place to live in North Hollywood on Craigslist. I wanted to be independent, and I wanted to prove to my parents that I could make it in the entertainment industry on my own. Well, I ended up hating acting too. I hated the auditions, and I hated reading lines from something that someone else had written. I was so sad that I had made this commitment to a life that I didn’t even like.
I started battling severe insomnia. I had been playing guitar since I was 12, and had written a couple songs before – so when I couldn’t sleep, I started writing songs. That first year out of high school, I wrote about 20 songs. And then the following summer, I wrote another 20. By the time I was 19, I was writing voraciously and performing at local North Hollywood cafes and bars almost 3-4 days a week. People started to know me as a singer-songwriter, and I never looked back. Everything clicked for me. I loved performing – but I only wanted to perform MY material. From 20-23 I pursued music back in New York City. I built a local following of friends and fans and really felt like I was living my dream.
At 23, I moved back to Los Angeles and began to make music full time. From the time I started writing, I wrote about my life, my upbringing, love, and pretty much anything that inspired me. As I’ve grown into my adult years, I realized that I have a unique story and perspective to tell because of my diverse upbringing – and it is a story I cannot shy away from sharing. This led me to writing social justice songs, and stories of how my heritage has shaped the way I look at the world. In September 2016, I wrote, “In The River” – a song protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.
This song went somewhat “viral” and connected me to many of the fans that support me today. This experience really showed me the power of music, and how a song can truly help inspire change. In June 2017, I released my debut album Fight For You – an album of songs about finding your voice and using it. The album consists of other social justice songs about Indigenous rights issues and the most recent presidential election. After the release of this album, I was invited to perform all over the world – at the United Nations, across Europe, and opening up for DISPATCH and Nahko and Medicine for the People at Amphitheaters across the United States.
I am currently working on more music, and hope to continue to inspire people with my songs and stories.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It certainly hasn’t been a smooth road. There were definitely times when I felt discouraged and wanted to quit – but I never did because I always knew that the feeling I got when I was performing was worth the hard times. It can also be a struggle as a woman of color in the music industry. There aren’t enough of us – and I have often felt that I am fighting for my seat at the table. And always fighting for people to take me seriously.
We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a singer-songwriter. I write music to inspire others to speak up for what they know is right – and inspire young people to be comfortable in their own skin, no matter where they are from. I promote diversity and inclusion in my art, and I am proud of my message. I know that I have a unique story to tell and this sets me apart from others.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I feel that success is a state of being. I feel that I am in constant success because I am doing the work I feel I was meant to do, and I get to do it every day. Success is fulfillment and happiness! And that is something we can feel every step of the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rayezaragoza.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @rayezaragoza
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/rayemusic
- Twitter: @rayezaragoza
Image Credit:
Kaitlin Gladney, Mallory Turner
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