CyN

Though Cynthia Pareja loved music, she never knew she had the ability to sing. All she knew was that music lightened her life and soul. This was her secret passion. My earliest memory of music was singing along with my dad as he played the guitar. But it was an introduction to Mariah Carey's single Dreamlover at age eight that changed her life. I begged my father for the cassette for weeks, which I ended up playing over and over again. Her fascination with Mariah Carey's voice and ability to imitate her eventually became an obsession with music. Her behavior changed as she became more isolated from everything else but music. Cynthia's consumption with music was easily noticed by her father who became concerned with the sudden change in her behavior. But after listening to Cynthia's voice closely he realized that she had a gift which needed developing.

My parents decided to return to Colombia in 1996, in order for me to partake in music education. While I was in Colombia, I attended the Amadeus Music School, ran by her Dads cousin, where I focused on singing and developing my voice. This tenure was pretty short lived as after approximately 14 months, Cynthia's family moved back to New York. The artistic focus that Cynthia had in Colombia quickly faded when she moved back to the United States. Music lessons were too expensive and she quickly had to re- channel her energies into typical adolescent stuff. It was not until age 16 when her Dad brought home a piano that Cynthia refueled her music passion. She quickly taught herself to play the piano, which enabled her to compose her own melodies, and put lyrics to these melodies. To date, Cynthia has written more than fifty songs. This can be quite frustrating sometimes, she remarks, I have so much material it can be quite challenging deciding on what songs make the album. She aptly credits this decision to her management who have enlisted the help of legendary songwriter and R&B legend Betty Wright and Danny P (Joss Stone, The Soul Sessions), both of whom have co-written with Cynthia on her project.

Cynthia contributes her fusion and passion for different types of music, to constantly moving. She went to 12 different schools during her elementary and secondary education. Being born in New York and living in a place like Miami where every culture, nationality, and ethnicity converges, cause you to be aware of different music, sounds and languages. I honestly believe that living in the United States and Colombia helped me to appreciate music from my Hispanic and American heritage. Cynthia says, Music like salsa, vallenatos, boleros, and meringue has a rhythm and beat that flows through my soul, but the R&B, Hip-Hop, and other music forms from the States, excites and even inspires me to sing.

Today, Cynthia's love for music is no longer a secret passion. She uses all of her musical inspiration to create her own unique blend of sounds, on her album. The story of her musical evolution can be best described with her own words. Even though it has been a long journey, experiences have built the charisma that radiates in my music. And I hope that my music will inspire people, just like music has inspired me." ..