Born in the Windy City, Chicago Illinois, Ms. Diana Lucia has lived in many places around the globe from Lima, Peru to Ontario, Alberta and then finishing high school here in Surrey at Johnston Heights Secondary school.
At nineteen years old today, Lucia takes us back to her childhood memories at the age of three or four years old listening to her mom’s retro cassette tapes, “ I was giggling and so excited to hear how it was possible to record our voices. I liked playing around with it a lot, and would see my mom hum and record it.” After discovering the cassette player Lucia started to hum and sing more often and then it evolved to creating impromptu lyrics and melodies while walking around the house.
“It was in grade 4 (9 years old) when I fully finished a song with lyrics and melody, and remembered it long enough to write it down on paper and record it,” Lucia had written this song titled, ‘Running Away’, for a friend who was going through depression. This is when the passion for writing and singing became the start of much more. Lucia found that she loved to write songs that spoke about an issue or concern and would want to ultimately bring awareness and/or create a positive change. This is what sparked Lucia’s passion to make music.
Lucia was again on the move. This time Lucia, at the age of twelve years old made Lima, Peru her new home. There, with the support of her parents she joined the school choir, received vocal lessons, and went on to perform live at various local events from her school, community and church. This led her to self-producing her first set of songs.
Today, Lucia has written about a dozen songs with messages she finds important to share with the world. Despite, having written many songs Lucia has felt very vulnerable sharing her music with the public, “It has been easier for me to do cover songs, and it definitely puts me in a vulnerable position to share my original music in public, but now I am at a point where it’s something I know I need to do, and what I’ve always wanted.” Keep your ears out for this fierce and determined young woman hitting the airwaves in due time.
(Listen to Diana’s full Spotlight interview below where she gets a surprise visit from her biggest fan)
Q & A’s with Diana Lucia:
What artists are your inspiration?
I like to cover a variety of songs but mostly I have covered alternative, pop, and rock music. I grew up listening to Madonna, Michael Jackson and the Gypsy Kings. My family loves to travel and whenever we were on road trips in my early youth, those artists would be on repeat. I absolutely love Queen, P!nk, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and there’s so many more. The energy and emotion felt through their music is definitely an inspiration to me. Another really important inspiration is my grandfather. He is a doctor in Peru but also has many CDs and albums. He loves to cure people and sing to them.
What are you currently doing?
I am a student at Brigham Young University-Idaho, but have taken a semester off to stay home and prepare for a mission, where I’ll be serving abroad for about 18 months. I also wanted to take this time to work on my music before I leave so I have more of a foundation for my music career when I come back.
What instruments do you play?
I play the guitar, ukulele and a little bit of piano. I was self-taught with the guitar and ukulele, and started when I was about 14 or 16 years old. I’ve always wanted to play piano and I took a piano class one semester last year in university.
What high school did you go to? Most memorable high school/post secondary moment?
Lissón (high school in Lima, Peru) and Johnston Heights Secondary School (Surrey, BC). Giving my goodbye speech in Peruvian high school where I realized how far I came – couldn’t speak/write/study well in Spanish and I was failing a lot of courses because I didn’t understand them, however I ended being in the top 3 students in my class by the end of the year because of all the hard work I put into learning. I stayed in the top percentile of my grade throughout the next 3 years and I ended up being a symbol teachers would bring up to motivate other students
What is your favorite hobby or hobbies?
I love to play sports and cook. I’m a fan of activities that get me moving a lot, where I can use a lot of my energy. I’m also a bit competitive so that’s always fun. I feel like cooking is another setting where I get to be creative. And it smells delicious.
Where do you find inspiration in the city?
I’ve grown to be a city person but I also adore nature, so when the two come together, it is such an inspiration. I love seeing the beautiful buildings and parks. Downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park and Granville Island are all perfect examples for me. Even just driving around Surrey during the day brings me inspiration because I can see the wonderful mountains.
Your favorite food?
Peruvian food takes first place. Then I love pasta and sushi. Vietnamese food is also great.
Where your favorite hang out place?
My favourite hangout places are Bear Creek Park and the beaches in White Rock.
Have a listen and follow Diana Lucia on the following social sites:
