Marisabel

Marisabel Un Vida de Amor “Most of my songs come from heartbreaks and wanting to be in love,” she confesses. “The theme of my music, my art, my life…is love. I don’t know anything else.” Through the prism of experience and expression, an artist creates. Marisabel’s journey is the stuff of novels. She had a privileged upbringing, born and raised in Central America, surrounded by the magic and materials of blood and entitlement. “My mother is a princesa, royalty,” she says. “She was taken to R...

Marisabel Un Vida de Amor “Most of my songs come from heartbreaks and wanting to be in love,” she confesses. “The theme of my music, my art, my life…is love. I don’t know anything else.” Through the prism of experience and expression, an artist creates. Marisabel’s journey is the stuff of novels. She had a privileged upbringing, born and raised in Central America, surrounded by the magic and materials of blood and entitlement. “My mother is a princesa, royalty,” she says. “She was taken to Rome from Panama when she was 13 and grew up there. My mother’s grandfather owned the national newspaper, La Estrella de Panama and the lottery. My father, Dominador Bazan, was Vice President of Panama and the Ambassador of Panama to Washington D.C. He was killed in a car accident two years ago. They had a national holiday to remember him. My father was an engineer, a businessman and a politician. He brought many great things to Panama. The people loved him.” Marisabel loved him, too, but their opinions on her professional calling often differed. She has never followed the path her parents envisioned for her though she did make the effort. “They sent me to the University of Miami to study advertising and have a career in business,” she recalls. “I graduated with a degree in Advertising and Theatrical Performance but I never intended on doing the nine to five. No way. My heart was in music and dance. The arts. Because I grew up with a nanny and a chauffer and never had to worry about anything, I was free to explore very young the things that inspired me. When I was 10 years old, I went to a school of dance called Activa-T. I loved it way more than regular classes. It was the most creative time, doing shows, modeling, dancing. Being on stage was my thing. It is where I come alive.” Regardless of her family’s wealth and influence, Marisabel is not Paris Hilton, living off seven-figure stipends and gallivanting about Hollywood like a reckless fiesta girl. On the contrary, she lives in a one bedroom apartment on a not so great street, drives a 35 year old Mercedes convertible with torn seats and a busted radio and receives virtually no financial support from home. “I have begged sometimes,” she laughs. “My mother would like me to return to Panama and work at an advertising agency but in her heart, she knows I am born to perform. She’s the one who made me take piano lessons when I was a kid.” Behold that voice in a cache of new songs that portray an artist in the throes of evolution. “Estare Bien,” is an infectious, bouncy, driving dance track that Marisabel calls a ‘chant about being well, no matter what. Like, I don’t have money for coffee or to fill my gas tank, but I’m well.” With the playful “Ayayai” she is toying with words and emotions. And of course, love. “Ayayay" is like a silly expression that reflects how nervous you are when you’re meeting someone new or going out on a date and you can’t say exactly what you’re feeling so it comes out ‘ayayaai’, more a tingle, like butterflies.” “Estoy Enamorada,” written for Marisabel by noted Panamanian singer/songwriter, Alejandro Lagrotta, is musically right out of the 80s Blondie Parallel Lines disco-infection period but its her Spanish lyrical delivery that elevates the track to incendiary heights. “Estoy enamorada/Quiero buscar dentro de tu corazon/Pa’ver si hay un poquito amor para mi.” Translated, “I’ve fallen in love/I wanna look inside your heart/To see if there’s a little love for me.” Simple yet archetypal in theme. “You know when you’re in love and you want the whole world to feel you, to go ‘yeah yeah yeah you’re in love?’”, asks the bonita balladeer. “That’s what that song is. When you’re so caught up in that impossible feeling of connection that you start laughing and crying for no reason by yourself.”Dios solamente sabe, or as the great Brian Wilson once sang. God only knows. An artist with worldly attraction, Marisabel has already made some waves overseas. “I was signed to Universal Music France for a duet called”2Sweet,” she remembers. “I recorded a single called Bomba Latina with a female artist named Bengy. It did very well in France, Spain and other countries.” She admits it was cool to have success abroad but her goal is to enchant audiences in the whole world. “My entire life, I’ve felt I had something to show every time I performed, no matter where. Growing up, I would hide in my bedroom, turn up the music so loud and sing my heart out. To no one! But I imagined I was in a big arena with thousands of people. I can still see that very clearly in my mind. That dream.” Marisabel is poised to soar on the merits of her talent and an indefatigable passion for music. She paints for fun and catharsis, but music is her life force. She has an animated, engaging, charismatic, even intoxicating stage presence. Her hypnotic personality, positive attitude and authentic heart have attracted the people into her life that are now helping her manifest the dream of pop stardom. “I have always tried to be a good person and I have never meant any harm to anyone,” she says. “I love people. They are so diverse and magnificent. I can get screwed sometimes because I’m too trusting and as far as relationships go, well, I’m an idealist, always searching for the perfect love. I guess that’s why I’ve never had a boyfriend for longer than a year. But I can’t sit still. I am a seeker and a lover and for that I will never apologize.” Vaya chica! Lonn Friend Website: http://lonnfriend.com