ELLA ES LA REINA DE LA ROCA ALTERNATIVA

Original, beautiful, and twisted are only a few of the many adjectives that one can use to describe Latin alternative rock star ILe.  ILe, whose real name is Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar, began dabbling in music at a young age.  She began practicing the piano and working on her vocals in elementary school. It paid off because at the young age of 16, she signed with White Lion Records.  She then became a collaborator and traveled alongside the music group Calle 13. On 2015, she separated from the group and announced her new stage name: ILe.  She would then go one to release her first solo album “iLevitable,” which didn’t just surprise me: it utterly floored me.  Having been introduced to her work by Heritage’s own Mrs. Petteys with the poignant song “Canibal,” which had a slightly twisted music video that disturbed some but was also hailed by others, I was compelled to hear more of her work. The best way to describe her music is to call her a “Spanish-speaking Lana Del Rey.” To some, that might be bad thing. Yes, her music is slow and not as entertaining as one might like music to be, but it is majestic. Her vocal talent is the real star of the album. Her voice is as smooth as Kenny G on a saxophone and as captivativating as a Scorsese movie.  Plus, her music videos are rather unique. It’s not like most rap videos where everything feels the same and can be easily copied. Her videos have their own unique feel and are sometimes out-right bonkers. Watch “Canibal” first, and you’ll get a sense on how different the videos are. Her work is always spot-on, and she definitely deserved the Grammy she won for “iLevitable”.  I am most certainly intrigued by this woman’s work and am anticipating any new work that she puts out in the coming future.