Tomasa del Real
Valeria Cisternas, better known by her stage name Tomasa Del Real, is a Chilean singer, composer, and reggaeton artist. She is regarded as a pioneer of Neoperreo, a social-media inspired offshoot of reggaeton. As such, many refer to her as "La Reina del Neoperreo" (Spanish for "the queen of Neoperreo").[1][2]
Tomasa Del Real | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Valeria Cisternas |
Born | Iquique, Chile | 1 December 1986
Genres | Neoperreo, hip hop |
Years active | 2015–present |
Labels | Universal Music, Nacional |
Early life
Tomasa was born in Iquique, Chile on December 1, 1986, to an upper-class family. She studied design in Santiago, Chile.[3]
According to Tomasa, she took on her stage name because she feels her whole life was marked by her skin color, and she thought Tomasa was a way to borrow the stereotype of black women who carry fruit on their head, despite not being black herself.[4] Kids at school used to tease her by calling her Tomasa, but she eventually took to the name because it sounded both masculine and feminine. She said that she feels like "a man but very much a woman".[5]
Musical career
During her time working in Iquique as a tattoo artist, Tomasa's mother bought her a laptop. She would record herself singing and rapping with the Photo Booth application, and began uploading these videos to Facebook and YouTube.[2] At this time, she would tour the continent giving tattoos to people. It was on these tours where she began performing regggaetón at DIY parties.[3] Her reputation as a tattoo artist began growing to the point where customers all over the world knew about her love for reggaetón. Tattoo customers would invite her to record in their home studios.[2]
In 2015, due to growing success and demand as a performer, Del Real closed her tattoo shop, as she no longer had the time to attend to it.[6]
Del Real released her first album Bien y Mal in March 2016. Many of her earliest songs were included on the album, leading critics to note that despite its DIY spirit, many songs have become some of the best examples for the genre.[6]
Tomasa is a self described "reggeatón nerd", and researches the genre daily.[5]
Her album Bellaca del Año was released on May 18, 2018, via Nacional Records.[7]
References
- "5 cosas que tienes que saber sobre Tomasa del Real".
- "Tomasa del Real: "está mal decir que todas las mujeres somos víctimas por ser mujeres"". 15 November 2016.
- "Tomasa Del Real Is Dreaming Up Reggaetón's Future".
- "Tomasa del Real: "El feminismo está mal planteado"". 19 July 2016.
- "When You're In The Mood For Perreo, This Latina Has You Covered". 10 November 2016.
- http://jenesaispop.com/2017/09/12/307930/goofies-goonies-tomasa-del-real-plantara-la-bandera-del-neoperreo-madrid/
- "Omg, a new song by Chilean reggaetón queen Tomasa del Real". The Fader.
- "TDR by Tomasa del Real". Apple Music. Retrieved 2 June 2019.