Kuky
Una Mami Musical Del Valley

Por Samara Riviera

Muchos de ustedes conocen a nuestros amigos de la comunidad gay/latina, el duo Akwid, que ha cantado en los Latin Pride Festivals y han sido entrevistados para esta revista. Bueno, ahora les quiero presentar a un talento musical descubierto por esos papis cholos. Se trata de una mami mexicana del San Fernando Valley llamada Lucero Rodríguez, pero ahora más conocida por el sobrenombre que se le quedó desde sus high school days en el Valley, Kuky. Kuky is a self-proclaimed payasa with a passion for women anthems. If your in need of a strong woman's assurance then Kuky is the woman and the music for you. I know you gurls will relate to every song in her self-titled debut CD. Her hit song “Ya No” is all over radio and Mun2. You go mami. Not bad para una señorita del Valley. With her blend of Spanish pop, R&B, some hip-hop, and even mariachi, this singer/songwriter chica is sure to be a hit con los gays y una fantasía enorme para las lesbianitas. Y ahora travestis pongan atención porque hay una nueva mamasota musical para imitar.

Samara: So I hear you're a Valley girl. Tell us about that?
Kuky: (laughs) They say I'm considered a valley girl just the way I talk, I speak my English. And they say people from the valley speak like white girls. So, sometimes it comes out where I can go into a white town and people like automatically assume I'm from the valley. It was totally cool growing up here though because there's so many Latino's, there's everything here, negritos, you know, blacks, whites, everything. So it's very diverse and it was awesome growing up here. I got to experience a lot of things. And oh my God you should see North Hollywood now it's like getting so cute. Like Melrose looking. Real trendy, it's getting really cute.

Samara: Tell us Kuky, did you have a lot of guys after you in high school?
Kuky: I had my guys here and there but I had a pretty serious relationship in high school like the last two years. I'm actually still really good friends with my high school sweetheart, we were together for four years. But I didn't have like a lot of admirers but I think I looked a little different. I went through my diferent stages of doing make-up, my eyebrows were more darker, I wouldn't say thin like chola looking but you know? It was cool. Like I said growing up in the valley, growing up with diferent ethnicities it's great cause you learn so much.

Samara: How long have you been singing?
Kuky: I mean I've been singing since I was a little girl, obviously. But really like trying to pursue my career was probably when I turned about eighteen, seventeen around there. I met people here and there. And I did work with Bobby Rolas and Jesús Malverde, which are Latin rappers. And I did little things here and there. But I would say about eighteen years old.

Samara: How do you like to describe yourself?
Kuky: I'm a really easy going like down to earth person. Yo soy de esas personas que you meet me and no matter your ethnicity, where you come from or whatever, yo siempre me gano a la gente. I'm very funny, I'm very sarcastic. I wouldn't say I'm funny, maybe I'd like to think I'm funny. But I'm very sarcastic, bien payasa. And you know I … live my day one day at a time. And thank God it's been great.

Samara: ¿Cómo te gusta describir to música?
Kuky: Well, las canciones que he escrito, la mayoría de las canciones son basadas en experiencias personales, claro le agregé cosas de los chismes de las familias. Cuando me cuentan o quieren advice yo les agrego en la canción para ponerle más picante, ¿no?… a la canción. Pero sí, basicamente casi todas las canciones son basadas en lo que me ha pasado a mi. Dice mi papa, “mi’ja, tú has sufrido demasiado y yo ni un novio he conocido tuyo.” Because if you listen to my album there's a lot of songs on there where I talk about the heartbreak and the cheating and the lies and stuff like that. Not my whole life has been about that, it just so happens that every song that the guys from Akwid said to write, came out that way.

Samara: Speaking of the Akwid boys, tell us about them?
Kuky: They're two very talented guys, I must say. When I met them they gave me music and they said, “we haven't really heard you sing but from the little stuff that we've heard on the CD were gonna give you this track and we want you to write the song.” So they gave me this track and I wrote my first song in Spanish, and I had never written in Spanish. The song is called Mentiras. I met back with them and I sang the song acapella and they fell in love with it. And thank God they believed in me, and they had faith and they always let me be me, which is really cool. A lot of artists get into these things and eventually they're changed by the people they work for or work with. But they're really down to earth, funny guys, really talented.

Samara: Have you had any issues over image control with your record company?
Kuky: Not like major. I mean just the weight. They mentioned it. They asked me, “are you comfortable?” And I said, “no I'd like to lose some pounds.” They recommended maybe like fifteen, twenty. So, I've actually lost twenty pounds since May. And I'm still trying to lose a little bit more. But de todo thank God they haven't been like, “you need plastic surgery or your boobs or something.” I don't know. I'd be nice though.

Samara: ¿Cómo a cambiado tu vida desde que salió tu CD?
Kuky: Todos los días son días maravillosos para mi since that day. I mean every day is like that for me. But since my album came out I feel like it's my birthday everyday. You know how you wake up and say, “it's my birthday today.” And you're excited because all the attention is on you. But it's not only about that it's just that I love the fact that I go on myspace and I get letters and people write to me about their experiences and how they can relate. It's a great feeling to know that somebody is listening and that they can relate to something that happened to you.

Samara: Do you know what the next single is?
Kuky: The next single? I think were going… there's two songs but I think and I would like for it to be Ahora Lloras. Which kind of sounds like a Mary J. Blige beat. And it's kind of R&B, hip hoppy. It talks about, “you cheated on me, you went with this girl and now this girl did it to you and now you wanna come cry back to me.”

Samara: Ever plan on an all English CD?
Kuky: You know? I'd like to but since I was a little girl I always loved singing mariachi. So, I think my next thing would be mariachi maybe we'll throw in an English CD but I'm gonna always try and continue add one or two songs to each album, in English. Cause this album does contain one song in English. It's funny because all the music that I used to write was in English and when I met the guys they're like, “here can you write in Spanish?” And I'm like, “yeah.” But I was totally lying because I'd never written in Spanish. But yeah I hope to keep incorporating one or two songs. Y haber qué pasa. And if people ask for it more, hey why not do an English album.

Samara: Tell us about the Kuky episodes on your myspace profile?
Kuky: (laughs) It was my marketing people. They came up with the idea to have those episodes. It leads up to something. I can't reveal too much but it will lead up to something. That's all I can say about that. I think we keep them all on there, from episode one to the one that is playing now. And I think we still have a few more to go maybe about five. Yeah, check it out. I know it's confusing but it will lead up to something.

Samara: How is dating for a beautiful and succesful Latina such as yourself?
Kuky: (laughs) Dating! To be honest with you I haven't gone out on any dates since everything. It's been a while. I mean I have a lot of guy friends and girl friends and we all kind of go out but I've been definitely getting a lot more attention now being Kuky now but I gotta stay focused to my music because guys are a distraction. I'm a Pisces, I like to love and if I love it's gonna be just that. And it's just too much of a distraction right now.

Samara: If a man told you he was bisexual would you still consider dating him?
Kuky: Ahh, wow! I don't know. I don't know. I guess I just have to be in that position. It depends really on how I feel about the guy. I mean if he really were… being OK with it I mean I guess I would really have to love… and I'd totally respect him for it. But I don't know. I'd have to be in that position. Si lo quiero demasiado you know el amor es más grande que todo, ¿no? El amor es fuerte so, maybe.

Samara: Do you think men cheat because they are weakminded?
Kuky: No, cause see the thing is I don't think only men cheat I think men get caught a lot more easier. I don't think it's because they are weak. I think because… they just… como que no lo piensan o les vale madre. You know? I don't think it's because… if they don't really love somebody or care about that person then their mind just wonders. I don't know. But then again women do it too I think they're just a little more pro about it.

Samara: What can you say to women and gays out there trying to mend a broken heart?
Kuky: Have faith and really like, love yourself. You have to always come first no matter what the situation is, no matter who your in love with if you love yourself, respect yourself first y ten fe y todo va a salir bien. No importa si sea una relación o sea algo de trabajo pero I think if you love yourself and you have faith in God or who ever it is that you belive in, anything is possible. And you will be able to sobresalir sea lo que sea.

Samara: So, what should I tell the lesbians that fantasize about you?
Kuky: (laughs) Oh, wow! I'm… totally flattered I don't know what I would say to them. I mean I'm totally flattered. I think that's sexy! And thank you.

Samara: Any words to your future drag queen impersonators?
Kuky: Oh my God! Just rock the show! Do your thing and just really represent us ladies. Yes, just do your thing. It's awesome. Anybody that would ever do that, like impersonate me. That'd be great. I would love to meet them. (laughs) That'd be cool.

Samara: Any last words para los gays?
Kuky: To all my fans, I mean, gay, straight, whatever, I love every single one of them. And I thank every single one of them from the bottom of my heart. I mean I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the listeners, for the fans supporting my music y que Dios me los bendiga a todos no matter what.

Samara: Thank you so much Kuky.
Kuky: Oh my God! Thank you! It's been a pleasure. Have a good day. Bye.

www.myspace.com/KukyMusic