Corina Interview Courtesy of Freestyle3000.com:

Breathless, is how I'd describe it you're ever to see Corina perform. Recently, I got a hold of Corina performing at Apollo singing "Whispers." The show started off her two dancers Aldo & Scott. Her dancers already showed the potential of the show with hard hits and amazing choreography. Corina Take the stage in black baggy clothes, and showing love for the Bronx. She then gets into the choreography herself and from then on it's a performance that will captivate those who ever see it. "Apollo was one of the hardest things I ever did in my life for many reasons... Their reputation scared me for over three years and I kept putting it off so what you see is an energy to survive."
"Temptation" was this divas most successful record. Her first record "Out Of Control", released in 1987, would break ground her and producer Carlos Berrios. Follow-up singles "Loving You Like Crazy" & "Give Me Back My Heart" would only remain as simple classics. "Whispers" would be yet another powerful song from Corina.
A self-titled album, released in 1991, would be the first and mainly last album we'd see from Corina. After the release of "Now That You're Gone" in 1992, she was released from Atco Records. For a long period of time not a new record was to surface release.
In 1997 she made a remarkable return with 2 new songs. "Constant Craving (I Need You)" on the acclaimed and solely produced compilation "Dance Trip 2000" produced by Latin Rascal, Albert Cabrera. The second which was also produced by Cabrera, a remake of the Nocera classic, "Summertime Summertime," which Corina only agreed to record if she could sing it in Spanish. "Es Verano" would be the product of that single. The song was featured on the "So So Def Bass All-Stars Vol.2" compilation. It gave somewhat hope to many fans for a future single or maybe even finally a new album.
However, something else strongly interests Corina. That is, ACTING. She's been featured in numerous independent films. The question that remains will we ever see a release of a new song again?

When & where you born and raised?
I was born in 1970 in Spanish Harlem.  We later moved to The South Bronx for most of my pre teen years and then back to Harlem.  I moved out at 18 and my Mom is still there.  These places are as real as it gets, I am blessed for having been brought up there.  There is a lot to embrace in these places.  A love for family, culture, food, and well respect.  You learn about these things and you learn to appreciate them more when you are older and away from home.

What was life like for Corina while growing up?
I had a very strict upbringing.  My parents both worked from the time that I was very very young.  I learned to care for the house and cook very early on so my siblings were taken care of.  It's what they had to do to make ends meet and I understood my position in this family very early on.  It's a funny thing because my siblings respect me highly, I have a great relationship with them but it sometimes feels more paternal than brother and sister.  I still feel very much responsible for them and I guess that just carried on and will continue be that way for me.  I wasn't like regular kids, I loved being alone so I could perform for hours in front of my bedroom mirror.  My Mom collected albums and some of my favorite were JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, TO SIR WITH LOVE, and all of her Motown music.  I didn't care much for playing outside and we weren't really allowed to stay over at friends houses so I entertained myself and my siblings everyday.  LOVED PERFORMING!

What's you're favorite type of food?
Latin food?  YOU MEAN THERE IS ANOTHER TYPE :)  I am a great cook, It's something I can truly brag about because most of my friends can't boil and egg!  I also eat a lot of Sushi.
If you could meet anyone in the world who would it be?
Well, I have met Ruben Blades who is absolutely wonderful.  Everyone knows his face but very few remember his name offhand.  It's amazing because he is truly a wonderful artist in every sense of the word.  RAUL JULIA would be that person I would have most loved to have met and worked with!  SO MUCH LOVE in that mans heart, you could feel it when you see his work!  Another person I am absolutely insane about is TIM CURRY!  OH MY GOD, he is most known for his portrayal of Frankfurter in the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW!  I saw it for the first time when I was 16 and I have seen it more than 50 times since.  It would be so much fun to meet him.

What do you do on your free time?
I destroy my computer.  I SWEAR its insane, I can't have too much time on my hands cause I wind up downloading and uninstalling programs that I don't know what to do with and then I lose everything I forgot to save and .... OK I am going ion a tangent here but it's because I just spent the last three days trying to fix it for the fifth time this year because its basically yelling "LEAVE ME ALONE"!
When I am not doing that, I go on nature walks.  I talk to myself a lot :)  SERIOUSLY!  I get the answers to whatever I need in my life when I just ask for divine help.  I also keep reviewing my goals and re-listing them since I almost always reach them all and the way to a huge incredible life changing goal is to set small ones first.
Oh yeah and I sing for my favorite and best friend in the world, who is a wonderful audience member and loves to hear and watch me perform... MY CAT SPOOKY!  Some things never change.

What's your favorite quote?
Anthony Robin's, CANI for Constant and never-ending improvement.
What age did you start singing? Did you do any vocal taring or coaching?
I started singing as soon as I could speak according to my Mom.  However my focus was on PERFORMANCE.  I love the performing aspect of Acting, Singing etc..  I just love entertaining and I have discovered through some of my recent classes that I can do comedy which was a real surprise to me.  I have a very dry humor.
Yes, I have had vocal coaching.. I got a tell you something though, it's got be about the love you have for whatever you do cause when I let the "business" part of the industry get to me, I almost completely lost my voice.  Singing is a very personal and emotional thing for me and when you are really sad and you keep it inside it very debilitating.  I have a lot of support in my life and I learned to weed out the people that didn't have Corina the person in their best interest away ... far away.  I took me back and I found how blessed I have truly been and am.
When did you realize music was something you wanted to be involved, mainly being a singer?
I wanted to be a performer, I just happen o be able to sing well enough to get a recording deal.  When did I know?  I don't remember not knowing.  I live to do art, PERIOD!  I am one of the luckier ones in that no matter how out of the limelight I have been I am able to support myself performing in one way or another whether it be acting, singing.  I am very proud of that.  You should love your job, it makes it easier to get up in the morning.

I also heard you were a professional dancer before you became a singer?
NOPE not me! :)  I hired great dancers and choreographers and they made me look great!  Frank Reyes who recently wrote and directed a film that will be out next year called EMPIRE started out choreographing my shows. 

What did you see yourself mainly doing as an adult in your childhood and adolescent years?
Performing or Lawyer!  I am huge on justice!  I find that everyone comes to me for advice and I must do well cause they keep coing back and I am amazed at some of the stuff that comes out of my mouth sometimes... I Think I would have made a good shrink.  I'm a good listener

Who are your inspirations musically?
Well, I grew up on my moms albums... La Lupe, Millie Y Los Vecinos, Iris Chacon (of course) and groups like the Carpenters, Captain and Tennille (Huge Pop upbringing as well).
What's the story behind "out of control." how'd you land that song and hooking up with Carlos?
My boyfriend met him and introduced him to me.  He was a DJ at a club called L'amour East in Queens and was getting into production.  I met him at a studio one evening, he played what he had and I didn't like the lyrics but the music was cool.  So I said I would do it I f I could rewrite it and he said yes.  Funny thing about that song, Carlos was working out of a recording studio called Synch Sound in Manhattan and it was the place where they had edited the film OMEN so he used some of the sounds from the movie in the song.  Made for great edits.

What was Corina doing before "Out Of Control"?
I worked, went to school and recorded.  I was in many talent contests, and  I won two beauty pageants (YUCK)

Who are you favorite Freestyle artists and songs?
George Lamond - Bad of the Heart and Without you, Safire - Don't break my Heart, Lisa Lisa - Can you feel the beat, Information Society - Running, Cover Girls - Show me, Coro - Fallen Angel, Judy Torres - There's no reason for you to cry, Noel - Silent Morning, Lydia Lee Love - Don't take you're love away from me. TKA - Maria (I was the Madrina of the Puerto Rican Parade one year and they, TKA, were on the Parade Float with me and they dedicated that song to me but instead of Maria, they sang Corina.  Isn't that Awesome?) India - Dancing on the Fire and When you were mine (never released as a single).

What are you're interest in life? What are your future ambitions and goals in life?
I want to return to college and finish this time but I also plan to perform until the good lord decides it's over!  As I said earlier, I am very goal oriented and they change constantly but the bottom line is always consistent ... to always remain true to my heart.  I will go wherever it takes me.

"Temptation" being your biggest record, one of Freestyle's biggest records. What was life like for you around that time? Landing a major label deal?
I just remember crying a lot!  I know that sounds terrible but its true and crying is actually the way I released my anger at that time.  I worked so much it starting to become a job I hated.  I wasn't given an opportunity to really enjoy it cause the record company was more interested in how many adds as they could get and how many publicity performances for radio stations they could get me on.  I am 5'7" and I weighed about 95 pounds cause I was l was sleeping a total of about 20 hours a week and I was always traveling and can't sleep on planes.  I could have dealt with all of that except that the business people I dealt with got off on putting people against each other whether it were true or not for me that was Lisette Melendez.  We had the same producer and two very similar songs, musically and people wanted us to hate each other.  I didn't hate her but it became a problem and real uncomfortable for us to be around each other and it lasted well after it was all over which is sad.  ANYWAY, I hear she just had a baby and I would like to say Congratulations and I send many blessings.

I know you were sending out a special message through that song, which was noted on the 12," now how about the video? What was the plot behind that?
Oh God there was no plot.  IT was like we are putting lots of feathers on you and you will wear Las Vegas type clothes and dance around and I was like I DON'T THINK SO!  I will wear my Big pants and a catsuit (that I made by the way) and We fought about it!  I'm glad I stood up for myself because I think the most memorable scene in that video, as per comments I still get, is the chair scene and purple catsuit.  I had fun doing it.

So what did Corina do between the time after the album Corina was released until "Summertime Summertime"?
I acted and fought to get out of some of the deals I had made that were just not right!

What's the story behind "Summertime Summertime," and landing it on the So SO Def Compilation, was that recorded at the same time "Constant Craving" was for the Trip Hop Dance compilation?
A lawyer friend asked me to do hinm a favor and record it, I SAID NO!  I felt that Summertime was a classic and should stay as such.  They insisted so I got them Nocera and it didn't work out.  After three months of calls I finally agreed to do it if I could do a Spanish version that was completely different from the English and they said yes and the rest if history.  It was in fact recorded about 6 months from the time I recorded Constant Craving.

What was it like working with Carlos Berrios and Albert Cabrera? Do you plan on working with them again or have you?
I've made life long friends in both of them and my personal experiences with them have been worth more in my life than any work we could have done together.  Will I work with them again... Well, Never say Never.

What do you need as an artist?
Space to make mistakes and grow!
Looking back, what's your biggest thrill?
The New York Music awards, I got to perform with a full band and I made a ballad out of WHISPERS which turned out so pretty.

Do you think the Internet is helping dance music and may help artists like yourself?
The Internet is a magnificent way to reach as many people as possible in a very short time but if you want to accomplish anything you've got to help yourself and get into action and use whatever is available and that seems to be the best outlet for that purpose.

What kind of music do you like, and/or would like to sing?
I love to sing along with artist like Marc Anthony, the most beautiful voice I know and Sarah McLaughlin, she is a wonderful writer and her voice is soothing.  I love Classics I listen to a lot of classical music, it's good for the soul.

What did you think of records like Planet Soul's "SET U FREE", Lina Santiago's "Feels So Good," Angelina's "Release Me," and Jocelyn Enriquez's "Do You Miss Me." Do you acknowledge these  song as Freestyle?
I loved that "DO YOU MISS ME" and it was definitely what is referred to as Freestyle.  Jocelyn Enriques is an incredibly creative girl and her show was amazing!  I always took pride in my work and the presentation and am proud to say I had one of the tightest shows around and then I saw Ms. Enriquez and it was back to work for me :)

Since the days of "Temptation" what's your outlook on Freestyle? Would you like to do another Freestyle song?
It's part of my past!  I am proud of my accomplishments and absolutely will be forever indebted to the people that supported me but you grow and you must move on and that is what I have done.  Life is this way, when you graduate high school, that's it, your out and you may go to college or get a job ... whatever works for you.  I love music and will forever do it, what it will be categorized as... a lot of love, I dislike putting things into neat little boxes, it's just too easy that way.  People should open themselves to a little bit of everything there is a whole other world out there and when you take a little bit of this and a little bit of that you will be amazed at what you get.

After all these years there are still many Corina fans, what would you like to say to them? Can we expect a new single?
Like I said, Never say Never.  Just so they know, I have never stopped recording I may even sell my songs on the Internet and you will be the first to know.  Tell them I love them and I want to thank them for touching my soul and allowing me to share my experiences with them.

Do you have any personal advise to those who are trying to get a break-in the music business?
Listen to your heart, It will always tell you what the best thing for "YOU" is and always remember that what works for one person will be different for anther.  KEEP YOUR DREAMS ALIVE AND NEVER GIVE THEM UP BECAUSE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

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