I am my hair : Musician Fabian Hernandez

Photo credit: Alma Garcia

Name: Fabian Hernandez

Age: 38

Location: Miami Beach, Fl

Occupation: Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Model

Last month, while in Miami, I got a chance to meet with Colombian native and Sony ATV musician, Fabian Hernandez. 

Now when I saw his amazing hair, you KNOW I had to chat it up. I immediately knew he would be a great fit for my "I am my hair" series.

also...uh dreads á la Lenny Kravitz?.....How much cooler can you get?

amIright??

With his new single "Home" out later this month, the self described "folk/pop/a bit of everything" musician, sits down and gives a little insight into why he is his hair.

BoifromIpanema:  I'm so glad I got to finally meet you! Your hair is awesome man. Can you tell me a bit about what inspired your style?

Fabian Hernandez:  Just trying to be organic I guess. I had an afro for a while but it started dreading.

 I kept combing out but...[my hair] just kept on knotting.  I was telling a friend about it, when he said "seems like you are having control issues in your life, aren't ya? " And I was like "whattt????" because he was completely right.  My friend suggested I either cut it all off or let it be....and well, I decided on the latter. 

BFI: Did that experience help to ease you control issues after all?

FH:  Ease them yes, resolve them, no hahah

BFI: What's one thing you've always wanted to do with your hair, but never had the courage to do? 

FH:  Shave it all off. 

BFI:  I just had a birthday last week and the day before, I decided to do an emotional haircut.  I ended up shaving half of my head. Luckily my stylist refused to cut all of my hair off and I'm definitely thankful she did.  Have you ever done an emotional hair change like that?

FH:  DEFINITELY YES.  After a break up that was much needed I decided to cut off all of my hair.

BFI:  Was there any lesson learned from that incident?

FH:  Yes tons, I became a musician. hahaha

BFI:  Have you ever been teased about your hair as a child? 

FH:  Yes growing up with really a pain in the butt. I got teased a lot about the texture. So when I was older, I tried bad relaxers, I tried clipping my own hair. 

BFI:  So would you say that loving and embracing your hair was something you had to grow into?

FH:  Yes, I grew into loving it. 

BFI:  Alright, now let's talk about the music.  Your new single "Home" comes out later this month! That must be exciting? Can listeners expect something different from this music in comparison to the music you have released in the past?

FH: It is a bit different. I would say that my new stuff is more rock driven and has more of a Latin/Colombian feel to it. In saying that, I think it is a cohesive sound. I still am staying true to my style. It's just a bit of an evolution.

Well readers, there you have it!

To get all of the latest updates and to hear the new single "Home" make sure to follow Fabian on Twitter @FabianDH and on Instagram @FBNDH.

If you enjoy these "I am my hair" posts and would like to see more, leave me a comment letting me know. Or, you can tell me what you love or hate about your hair!

.....and now I leave you with a nice little Fabian Hernandez playlist.

Enjoy,

ttyl

  

BoifromIpanema's Summer-time Shenanigans

 So with summer quickly approaching, everyone is getting ready to hit the beaches.

 There's nothing like some good music to get the beach party and those summer-time shenanigans started.

 Here is a playlist of some of my favorite Latin artists and songs both past and present.
 Gonna definitely put this playlist on this weekend :D

What are some of your favorite beach/summer songs?

Happy summer y'all!

 

All opinions are my own.  Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.

Bidding Adieu

Last hour before my birthday.

 Thank you 22. You treated me well.

 I made mistakes and learned, I loved and lost (too many in my opinion but that's not up to me). 

 I grieved, I rejoiced.

 I traveled, I worked.

 I rode boats, planes and trains.

 I made new friends and found family. 

 I rekindled relationships.

 I made memories that will last forever. 

 I created and I destroyed.

 I had highs and lows.

 I cried.

 My heart broke. 

 I felt pain. 

 I witnessed suffering but I experienced love.

 I laughed.

 I saw new life begin.

 I attended weddings, baby showers and birthday parties.

 I went to hospitals and funerals.

 I fought for what I believe in.

 I made poor choices.

 I gave into pressures. 

 I discovered myself as an artist, musician and dancer.

 I struggled with my mind and found confidence in my spirit.

 I triumphed and failed.

 I found purpose and made efforts to seek God's plan for my life.

 I doubted and believed.

 I felt betrayed and alone but I was lifted up by the ones who loved me.

 I gave.

 I was broke...no bounty but God provided.

 I auditioned and went to castings.

 I was rejected and redirected.

 I performed.

 I strummed my guitar and caressed the keys of my piano. 

 I sang and wrote music.

 I whispered and said things I can't take back -- I spoke words of encouragement.

 I am thankful
 for those who have been there for me-
 for those who have tried to break my spirit -

because it has shown me that in life there will be storms and trials, false friends and unexpected allies, but how you cope with them reveals the purpose and plan for WHO YOU ARE and who YOU CAN BE. 

thank you 22. 

adieu 

Se Habla Música: 2013 Billboard Latin Music Awards recap

¡¡¡¡¡VIVA LATINO!!!!   

This past Thursday the stars descended upon Miami for the annual Billboard Latin Music awards.  Now being the total music junkie that I am, I was super excited for this awesome music event! I have had my Billboard Latino CD blaring in my car for weeks in anticipation.

No cares given.  

It's amazing because, no matter the region or countries of origin, these kinds of awards bring together the biggest stars of Latin music onto one stage to celebrate the music that makes us who we are as a people!  

And I'm always down with that!

Not to mention the amazing live performances and touching tributes. If you missed it, here's a quick recap of the festivities and winners:

~Brazilian artist Michel Teló took home the award for Song of the year with his hit (and my personal favorite) "Ai Se Eu Te Pego".

~Also nominated for this award was Don Omar for his collab with Natty Natasha for the song "dutty love".

~Though not a winner for Song of the Year,  Don Omar had a major night scooping up a total of ten yes, that was TEN, Latin Billboard awards including Latin Rhythm Album of the Year and Latin Rhythm Artist of the Year.

~"Fast&Furious 6" co-stars Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesle made an appearance announcing Don Omar's Victory as Male Artist of the Year........ but can we just be honest and and talk about how Vin Diesel's speech was super weird and awkward??!  I mean, he seemed to be having some technical issues with the height of the microphone.  Luckily, Michelle Rodriguez looked so stunningly elegant and spoke so eloquently that I nearly forgot the uncomfortable two minutes leading up to that moment.  

~I guess you could say that the night's biggest winner was the late Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera who was killed in a tragic airplane accident in Mexico late last year.

~Jenni Rivera was awarded with six Latin Billboard awards and nominated for ten awards, including two nominations for Album of the Year and two for Mexican regional album of the year.

~The honors continued pouring in as many music stars and industry professionals payed a warm tribute to the life, music, and legacy of Jenni Rivera.

Other winners included Jennifer Lopez, Prince Royce, Maná, Shakira and many more.

For a full list or winners and nominees, check out the Billboard official website.

If you like this post, don't forget to share it and leave me a comment!  I'll be choosing one lucky reader to receive a $25 dollar Target gift card as well as a copy of the 2013 Billboard Latin Music Finalist CD filled with tons of great música to get any party going!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.

I am my hair

Name: Jeshua

Age: 22

Location: Los Angeles, California

Occupation: Dancer,  Vocalist, Musician







When I was young, I had really curly hair.

When I was just a toddler the ringlets looked cute, and my mama left it long. As I got older, I got a "proper" boy's haircut, meaning short and cropped on the side with a slight quiff on top.

I would say I wore that hairstyle for my entire childhood-adolescent years.

The first time I really noticed that my hair was different than the other boys was on picture day of my 6th grade year. All the boys in my class were wearing their hair in spikes (an ode to the early 2000's) and naturally, at that age, I wanted to look cool like all the other boys in my class.

I asked the grandma of one of my friends to comb my hair like she had combed her grandson's.
She agreed and pulled out her gel, spray bottle and comb.  However, when she put the products into my hair and began "spiking" it, my hair immediately became very course and thick and almost matted.

                              Nice.

She then let out a little chuckle and told me that I "didn't have good hair for spiking" which immediately gave me a slight complex.

Because that's exactly what a 12 year old boy wants to hear, right?

I mean, it wasn't bad enough that I was the ONLY Latino boy in my class, slightly overweight, glasses-wearing, super socially awkward and way too self-aware for my age.

Now I added to the list..."weird hair".

You see I didn't hear the "for spiking" part, all I heard was "you don't have good hair" which in turn was translated as "you're not good". It may not seem like a big deal for some, but when you are already teased and out cast for being different, it just seems like another leaf in the pile.

But that's all a story for another time.
   
Anyway.

I went through my teen years fighting against my hair. Keeping it short, straightening it, and gelling it to death attempting to keep puffiness at bay.

In high school, I attended a private school that was very conservative and a bit repressive when it came to any sort of artistic endeavor...or individuality for that matter.

 I mean, they didn't allow us to dance at all because they thought it would lead to sex....really...not joking. No school dances, no talent shows. Nada. We weren't even allowed to talk about it...lame.

They were adamant that boys hair be no more than three inches long on top and the sides could not cover your ear or touch the collar of your shirt in the back. Let me tell you, they were vigilant when it came to the enforcing of these rules.

It wasn't until I graduated from high school and got myself away from ignorant, small-minded people, that I really discovered who I was as an artist/dancer/ musician/performer.

That's when I decided to let my hair be free. It was sort of a metaphor for all the junk I had carried around for all those years and a sort of rebellion to the ones who thought long hair was only for hippies and drug addicts.

I guess I kinda saw it as a way to say "hey, look! I have long hair, I am still a good person, I still love God, I don't steal, I have manners."

It was a polite middle finger to the world, I suppose.

So, four years later my hair is long and natural and I love it and I have no intention of cutting it anytime soon. Funny enough, it has kind of taken on a life of its own.  From my arsenal of hair products to all the attention and stares I receive, I have come to realize that I am my hair.


Last week I had the awesome opportunity to meet the WONDERFUL chica from DailyCurlz.com. We were both rocking the big curls in Miami! Check out her blog and YouTube for great tips, product recommendations and tutorials for curly hair.  Connect with Daily Curlz on Twitter and like her page on Facebook!

"I've had enough! This is my prayer, that I'll die living just as free as my hair. I've had enough, I'm not a freak. --it's all the glory that I bear.  I am my hair"