Although only twenty years old, Maria Isa does not lack experience as she has been on stage and around music since the age of five. She grew up on St. Paul’s westside as a young Puerto Rican and by the time she had turned eleven she began writing poems and music. As a young girl at the El Arco Iris Center for the Arts (where she now does some teaching) she was a part of a group called Raices (roots) that performed traditional Latin dances and songs. She was greatly influenced by her family’s musical tastes which included R&B, soul, jazz and hip-hop. Her main influences besides include Mila Llauger (her aunt), Felipe Chautli (Los Nativos) and Lolita Lebron (Puerto Rican Nationalist). Her lyrics range from her youth as a young Puerto Rican to America’s ownership of Puerto Rico, all of which can be heard on her debut album M.I. SPLIT PERSONALITIES which was released this past May. A regular performer in the Twin Cities Isa can be seen at the 7th St. Entry on August 3rd; just one of the many dates she is scheduled to perform this summer.

[words by guest contributor Ryan Dunn]

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