Meet Elisa Garcia | Musician, Dancer, Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elisa Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elisa, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
I’ve had the privilege of staying home with my daughter (now three) since she was born. It has been the greatest sacrifice, but also extremely rewarding to see her growing up. This, my time dedicated to her, has been the most important thing I’ve done as a parent. The physical, mental, and emotional stimulation I have given her daily will be something she will value for the rest of her life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was born in Uruguay, immersed in the sound of tango and other Latin American music. Since young, I’ve had an affinity for the arts, from singing and dancing to drawing on my bedroom walls. At the age of eight, I moved with my family to Colorado. I loved singing and sometime during elementary/middle school, my school choir wasn’t enough, so my parents drove me an hour away once a week to attend a private children’s choir. I got to travel and perform in parts of Europe as well as Disney World and Sea World with this group. It wasn’t until after graduating from CU Boulder that I returned to my childhood passion and started pursuing singing as a career. Around 2010, I co-founded a Pan-American band, NuMundo, and we wrote original songs inspired by Latin American rhythms as well as some Americana. This opened up the world of performing and taught me how to play as a group. It was thrilling to play on the same stage as Devotchka and the Gypsy Kings! For personal reasons, in 2013 I moved to Singapore. Here, I spent the next three years playing with different groups and exploring all kinds of music including salsa, jazz, samba/bossa, fado, and Latin American folk music. There I met my now husband, Leo (a chef and percussionist) and we decided to move back to the states. Currently, I’m focusing more on playing Latin American folk music from Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, down to Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and play with my trio which includes Leo as well as Venezuelan pianist, Victor Mestas.

As a dancer, I’ve studied modern, African dance, Bellydance, Tango, Salsa, and Brazilian samba. I took several months in 2013 to study with Rosangela Sylvestre in Brazil, who focuses on her own technique that includes ballet, modern, orixa, and elements inspired movements. I’ve also taught Samba workshops, performed in Colorado and Singapore, and have been a Zumba instructor since 2009. I’m starting to work with 3rd Law Dance/Theater in their Dance for Parkinson’s program and hope to start a Spanish-speaking class.

Another passion of mine is art and in the past years I’ve focused on creating a (mainly) abstract body of work in watercolors. I love playing with different effects of watercolors and creating stunning and strong contrasts using color, soft and hard lines, filled and empty space. I currently have several pieces at the SassaBird Fine Art Gallery in the Santa Fe Arts District.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Actually, my husband’s brother is coming in from out of town so we have some things planned like visiting Vail and Colorado Springs to show him the Garden of the Gods, Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. But closer to where we live, we love going to where there’s live music… St. Julien hotel and Caffe Sole in Boulder, we’d take him to walk around Pearl St. In Denver to see the RiNo district and grab a coffee and food at the Denver Central Market. I love brunch and enjoy The Huckleberry in downtown Louisville.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, who have always been supportive and drove me around to choir practice and other lessons. My grandparents, who instilled a love for art and creativity. Larry Stephenson, who reignited my passion for singing live. The members of my first band, NuMundo – Kailin Yong, Daniel Ondaro, Brett Bowen – who pushed me as a singer and songwriter and really introduced me to the world of performing, creating and recording. My husband, Leo Munoz-Corona, a master percussionist who is always supporting my path.

Website: www.monaelisa.com

Instagram: elisa.garciarevello

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisagarciarevello

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/elisagarciarevello

Image Credits
Chris Leising, Cees Van Toledo, Suigion Anderson Gunawan