R&B Crush: Genie Santiago
Genie Santiago is a singer, poet, and visual artist based out of Boston.
Before we get to today’s amazing crush, let’s chat about Zumix again. They remain closed in East Boston, but they’re working as hard as they can to support their community with remote lessons and student check-ins. One thing that’s come across my feed is a fundraising campaign that some employees and alums started called the Sing a Song/Send a Song campaign. Local musicians have been posting videos of themselves performing a song, donating $10 to Zumix here, and tagging a few friends to challenge them to do the same. Check out some of the videos by searching #sas4zumix on FB and Instagram (or here). If you've got the means and the time, it would be greatly appreciated. Ok! Here’s Genie Santiago!
Let's start at the beginning. Can you give us some background on your come up and journey so far?
My father was a guitarist and singer who specialized in trio music. I am him so his talent flows through me. It's a blessing to be able to do all the things he always dreamed of doing. I wish I could tell you the exact moment this journey started for me, but the truth is my earliest memories involve music. My play time as a child consisted of me putting on performances in my bedroom imagining crowds and lights; so many lights. I wished on every star and every birthday candle for this. During this time of seclusion due to COVID-19, my heart is yearning to be on stage more than anything else.
I grew up pretty poor and never had a stable living situation. In 2017 I finally reached a point where I was financially stable and able to provide a constant home for myself. I decided it was finally time to focus my energy on music. I took all my savings and never looked back. What started as posting a capella covers on YouTube and doing open mics turned into booking my first tour scheduled for this fall. I've been fortunate enough to have so much guidance that allowed me to develop my brand, sound, stage presence, and knowledge of this industry. Looking back at some of my earlier performances from 2017 I cringe a bit. I had no idea what I was doing and it took a lot of work to feel comfortable enough in my own voice and body to really become the artist I am today. Now I curate my own event, the "Sunflowers Concert Series", and co-curate with Weird Folk Fest and other artists. The music I created on my debut EP was me discovering my sound and beliefs. My ideas and purpose have evolved dramatically since then. The new album I'm working on with producer and engineer Mertz is really going to show people who I am and what I'm capable of. I've built a supportive and selfless community around me which keeps me grounded and sane. We share resources, collaborate, and create opportunities for each other. Not once have I ever wanted to give up. I have so much growing to do on this journey and I'm so grateful I get to do what I've dreamed of since I was a little girl.
What are people gonna see when they go to one of your shows?
When people come to my shows they'll see me on stage with my band mates ALGO on the MPC and Tony Figueroa on guitar. I'll most likely be in something flowy, witchy, spacey, or Frida Kahlo inspired. Depends on my mood. I aim to be my most vulnerable self on stage so people feel safe connecting with me. The goal for me is not only to entertain, but to connect through healing music. My current sound is very R&B, Hip-Hop, and serene. I aim to bind community, meditation, healing, spirituality, sensuality, and a little roughness. I encourage crowd participation and I know I've done what I came to do when they're singing along, "Masturbate, Meditate, Manifest, Repeat."
How important is it to connect and collaborate with other artists and performers in Boston? Who would you like to work with that you haven't yet?
I'm all about community and collaborative art. I wouldn't be able to do this without the community I have surrounding me. We are constantly sharing resources and looking out for each other. A lot of the time we work based on trade. I do this for you, you do this for me. That way we aren't going broke trying to make it out here. These are people I trust and love. I trust the events we put together and the spaces we provide for each other. This year one of my goals is to collaborate more with artists of different genres and share stages. It's crucial for us to come together as artists and create opportunities for each other. Especially when gentrification is taking valuable safe and affordable spaces from us. Carissa Johnson, Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys, Lockette, Stormstress, Flight or Visibility, Surefire Cure, and Anais Azul are only a few of the artists outside of my genre I've been working with in order to create dope musical experiences for this world. Genre is such a weird word though. Like what is genre? We're all artists just out here making beautiful music. I would really love to work with STL GLD, Optic Bloom, Anjimile Lightfoot, and The Devil Twins.
What other Boston artists are you crushing on?
I'm not really crushing on anyone at the moment, because I am hyper-focused on my current project. It's all I can think about. I'm reaching deep within my soul and so connecting with Genie right now is where it's at. It's a vulnerable time and I don't want to be influenced by other sounds or energy. I want to stay true to me and what I'm experiencing. So during this time I'll be doing a lot of masturbating, meditating, painting, and writing until further notice.
You can find Genie Santiago at her website, listen to her on Spotify, and see her on Instagram.