Singer-songwriter Kablito sat down with Alissa Lopez Serfozo to talk about finding her voice, breaking stigmas, shitty gigs, and more in this episode of Sh*ts N Gigs. Here are 4 takeaways from the conversation.
Uno. Moving to the States from Ecuador was a huge culture shock for the indie artist. In high school, a friend suggested she go by a new name since her American peers couldn’t correctly pronounce her given name Káren. Kablito also talks about how disorienting it was when her family moved to a predominantly white neighborhood in Minnesota where she constantly felt like she was “other.” She says this experience was critical in allowing herself to find her way and discover voice.
Dos. With the rise of TikTok, Kablito is no stranger to the social media app. For her “Baby Bye Bye” music video, the indie artist used TikTok to produce the video during the first wave of Covid lockdowns throughout the US and many parts of Latin America in March of 2021. Speaking about subverting expectations for a big-budget production during a pandemic, she conceived the visual narrative to instead integrate virtual backgrounds and contributions from her fans.
Tres. In the genre-busting music video for “Yo nunca te quise,” Kablito confronts stigmas surrounding women and their sexuality, especially towards pleasure. The singer talked about wanting to represent a different type of sexy, one in which she didn’t have to wear revealing clothing to be confident and sensual. The aesthetics of the video juxtapose religious imagery, dreamlike sequences, and the curious worldview of a young woman sitting on her bed.
Cuatro. When asked how she feels about being called a “Latinx artist,” Kablito hesitated before saying she feels like it is a term that is used more by US-based Americans than the Latin American community at-large. Identifying foremost and proudly as a Latina, she shares why that identity fits her and encourages others to define their identity on their own terms.
