It’s challenging to be a DIY act, but Strangely Attractive met that challenge in a most unusual way. In fact, they are involved in something called the “52 Week Challenge.” The goal is to make one music video a week for an entire year, using only what they have at their disposal...an iPhone.
That may seem outrageous, but it’s not the most difficult thing they have encountered. Getting their act together presented the biggest obstacle of all.
It started when vocalist Jupiter Amaya moved from Bogota, Colombia to Los Angeles, CA to form a band. Her powerful vocals and exotic look opened doors to many projects. But, after countless auditions with flaky musicians and erratic acts, she almost gave up. Then she answered a Craigslist ad that changed her destiny.
Bassist and songwriter Chris Gongora listed that ad. He had been searching for a singer for almost a year. He didn’t think he was looking for much, just someone who had dynamic vocals, great stage presence, could sing in English and Spanish, and liked the style of pop-rock songs he was writing.
As soon as Amaya sang, Gongora knew he'd found his frontlady. Unfortunately, the rest of the members didn’t fall into place so easily. Numerous configurations evolved until the right dynamic was found, and Strangely Attractive was born.
They released their own English and Spanish album called Soul Control, and began a series of exciting new ventures, including the mixtape, Strangely Attractive 2.0. That created the buzz they needed, and complemented their latest endeavor. To learn more, go to http://strangelya.com.
--By Bernard Baur
