Mila La Morena - Chicago Womxn in Art

	By Cristina Rodriguez, Reporter, The Real Chi

I first heard of Mila La Morena when their music video “Cabron” was released on YouTube. I was immediately hooked to the musical styles she used in her work. I could hear Boledos, 90s and Modern Latinx influences in their music. While Mila La Morena was still attending Columbia College they were performing and making a name for themselves in Chicago. They are an influential artist for Latinx musicians. Mila La Morena is a fusion of r&b, Latin, and alternative. She incorporates all the genres she grew up with to tell her story of being Latine in the US, with heartbreak, and queerness. They have been performing in Chicago since 2018 and songwriting since the age of 5. 

Today, we will be asking Mila La Morena about their artistry, inspiration, being creative during the COVID-19, the safety of artists and her experiences in the Chicago music scene. 

How would you describe the Chicago music scene and what about it inspires you?

“I would describe the Chicago music scene as badass, honestly. I feel like every respective genre has a grit to it that I just don't see in LA, and you see it a little bit in New York, but the attitude is just so different in Chicago. No matter what it is, even if it's pop, it's like you know, aggressive and powerful. I mean everyone in it is so hardworking and it inspires me. We don't have as many resources as New York or LA, but people are still striving, working hard and working with what they have.”

Unfortunately, a lot of folks (especially BIPOC queer folx) find themselves in uncomfortable situations when it comes to something as simple as creating art. Have you ever felt this way as an artist in Chicago? What kind of advice would you give to young queer BIPOC Chicago artists, who are looking to collaborate with other people?

“Yes, I definitely have, there have been, I mean obviously the music business is very Caucasian and in Chicago in general the majority is probably Caucasian. So just working with a lot of event promoters and stuff… people have just, I guess, made little microaggressions on the Spanish and ask weird insensitive questions about my dancing, my genre or what I'm saying. My advice would be to realize what you're doing it for and you don't owe anyone an explanation. For the longest time I felt like I had to translate my name Mila La Morena to Mila The Brown Girl like I felt like I had to tell the room what morena means and now I just say who I am and that's it. If you get it, you get it and if you don’t, you don’t.“

How do you feel about the safety of queer BIPOC artists in Chicago?

“I fortunately have always felt safe, but i know that is not the case in a lot of situations for queer BIPOC artists in Chicago. Unfortunately, a majority of them do not feel safe. In general I think queer BIPOC people need to be protected in general. There needs to be more resources for them and especially for artists. It’s already so difficult to be an artist, to be able to fund yourself and be your full self in front of an audience. Even though Chicago is a liberal city, mostly, there's still not as much safety as there should be.”

How has the pandemic affected your music as well as the music community in Chicago? What motivated you?

“I don't know if the pandemic has affected my music as much as my worth ethic. I mean I think I've been exposed to so much more music during the pandemic. If anything it definitely made it more difficult to have the motivation to work on it, because for me performing and seeing live performances was a lot of my inspiration. It was difficult to keep my creativity going. What motivated me was knowing that music is my purpose in life, so I knew that I still had to keep pushing.”

How would you describe your overall journey as an artist and do you see yourself leaving the city?

“Just in these few years it's been crazy like I dont think I'm anywhere near the same artist I thought I was when I first started. Style, attitude, musically, I'm just a completely different person. I'm very transparent about bringing who I am into my artistry and music. I think my journey has become being more honest about who I am.

I would love to live in Mexico for a little bit. Everytime I go there it feels like a second home to me and I feel like I owe it to myself in this lifetime to explore what life is like and how it would be to live there. My dad currently lives in Mexico City so I definitely always question how my life would have been if I lived with him or if my parents ended up staying in Mexico. I owe it to my artistry to find out how my music changes if I let myself be inspired by other places.”

What have been some of your favorite Chicago venues/events to perform at and why? What venues/events in the city would you love to perform at and why?

“Obviously, Green Mill, the Green Mill is gorgeous. I mean it's so timeless. It was an honor to play there cause it's actually my dad’s favorite music venue in the United States, so I thought it was just an honor to be there. I loved playing at Pilsen Fest and Mole de Mayo because there was a big stage and I had space to dance. It was just incredible. I would love to do more outdoor concerts. Indoor venues that I would like to play in are Thalia Hall or Aragon Ballroom because I think they’re really beautiful and I really love the atmosphere of them.

What are your top three favorite restaurants in the city and what do you order?

“Alright, so the first one is probably Yuzu Sushi & Robata Grill because I go there so often. The specific things that I order from there are Breaking Bad Roll, The Sea Smoke and Dragon Ball. 

The second restaurant would be Butterfly Sushi and that one has INSANE calamari and then it's the Drunken Noodle that I get. It's crazy. They have good prices, and really good drinks. Third restaurant would be Mild 2 Spicy, its an Indian restaurant, and I get Vegetable Samosas.”