Sharon Portilla is a singer and songwriter from Mexico. She delivers progressive music, primarily singing in Spanish. Sharon is the vocalist of the band Blind Hex, and also has an up and coming solo career, as she recently has been busy releasing and working on her first singles as a solo act. We had fun interviewing Sharon, asking her about her solo music, her band, and many other things.
Hello Sharon. Really glad to chat with you. How are you doing?
My pleasure, thank you very much. I’m happy to be sharing with you.
You have recently released your first solo singles. What kind of music should our readers expect if they go check these singles right now?
Well, my music is fed and inspired by very different influences such as world music, pop, folk, classical music, electronic music and also has lots of digital effects, among other things.
So I would invite them all to prepare to listen to a musical “hybrid” full of emotionality.
You’re also in the band Blind Hex. How would you introduce your band?
Blind Hex is a Neo Symphonic Metal band that Federico d’Empaire and I founded this year. Federico is also a Producer, multi-instrumentalist and mixing engineer. Blin Hex fuses symphonic metal with electronic music and Nu-metal elements. We both like to experiment with all musical genres.
To get our readers to know you better and from a different point of view, how about we play a little imagination game? I will give you a scenario in an alternate universe and ask you a question about it. Ready?
Hahaha! Sure! I love games. Ready!
In a universe where you received a call from a series production company asking to use ‘Hypatia’ as the theme song of a series, what would you expect the genre of the series to be?
I would definitely think that they would use the theme in horror, suspense or sci-fi series. (Hahaha) I would love that!
In a universe where you have a tattoo of your favourite lyrics from a song, what would the tattoo say?
I would choose a part of the lyrics of one of my favourite Evanescence songs called “Snow White Queen”. So my tattoo would say: “Soon my love, you’ll see You’re just like me”.
In a universe where the currency used is the person’s sense of humour, how rich would you be?
Nice question. I would probably be very rich some days and also have my scarcity moments.
In a universe where you’re the queen of a country, what would be an interesting law you’d make?
I would invent a law called “The R Law”. Respect for any living being. Respect above all. Respect for all of us.
In a universe where you’re the Statue of Liberty, but instead of a torch you’re holding an object that represents your personality, what would you be holding?
I would be holding a crystal ball! With a thousand colours, cosmic dust and snow on the inside.
In a universe where time travel is possible, what era would you love to visit and see?
Hard to answer. I’ll start with Ancient Egypt. Then, probably the medieval inquisition in 1184, southern France. I would also be excited to know the Nordic maritime towns when Vikings emerged in the 8th century.
Thank you for playing, Sharon! Have you ever been treated in a sexist way? How would you face sexism and what advice would you give to young people who face any kind of discrimination?
“The R Law”, remember? (Hahaha) Well, yes. I have been treated in a sexist way, and also have been protected from it. You see, I believe that sexism is a culture and education matter. Being a woman or a man does not make us stronger or weaker. Respect for the other person, regardless of gender, is what should be taught. These values are learned from home. It is difficult to make another person see that he or she’s acting in a hurtful or sexist way if he or she’s not aware of it, so encouraging youth to be empathetic to their surroundings and others is a great way to start. Being a woman, in an environment that is sometimes very hostile, is not an easy task. We continue fighting to be respected and included.
What is your most treasured music-related moment from when you were growing up?
I remember one time when my Dad carried me in a baby chair on his shoulders. I can´t remember my age but I do remember the song “Open arms” from Journey was playing somewhere. I never forgot that moment.
Thank you for the interview Sharon! It has been a real pleasure!
