Afro-Latinx Artist Isa Marina Gives Selena’s ‘Como La Flor’ A Soulful Twist [LISTEN]

Isa Marina, an emerging Afro-Latinx artist, is celebrating not only her birthday but also the Queen of Tejano’s special day by releasing her rendition of Selena Quintanilla’s “Como La Flor” on April 16.

With her enchanting power vocals, Marina, a New York-born of Cuban and Dominican descent, dropped a soulful acoustic version of Quintanilla’s 1992 hit. “We may be in quarantine, but I wanted to celebrate my birthday with you in the best way possible,” Marina expressed on Instagram. Thursday, April 16 would have also marked Selena’s 49th birthday.

“To me, Selena means that achieving my dreams is possible,” Marina said in an interview to Golden Oportunidad Music. “It was not common, especially in the early 90’s, to see a brown Latinx woman, with visibly brown features, make it from the bottom up and explode into superstardom at a mainstream crossover level. She solidified for me that eventually with hard work and patience, I could achieve all of my dreams in due time.”

As the granddaughter of famed Cuban vocalist and actress Isaura Mendoza, Marina’s passion for music runs in her blood. At the age of nine, she taught herself the chords to No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom, participated in local talent shows, and was part of the musical theater and choral groups. At 14, she was so inspired by Maria Calla’s performance in Puccini’s Tosca, that she enrolled at The Marianela Sanchez School of Music in the Dominican Republic. There, she was classically trained as a Dramatic Soprano by renowned Opera singer, Marianela Sanchez. Upon graduation, she returned to New York to pursue a career in contemporary Pop music.

In 2018, Marina created and founded her record label, Norwood Entertainment, LLC. via Norwood Entertainment. She successfully managed and embarked on two tours: the Live in NYC Tour (2018), and her True Colors Tour (2019), visiting multiple venues in NYC, Washington D.C., and Boston, Massachusetts.

Marina, whose edgy Latin R&B sound hails from inspirations such as Alicia Keys, Selena, Mariah Carey, and Aaliyah, has released three EP’s between 2013 and 2019.

Listen to her cover of “Como La Flow” below: