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In many ways, Yolanda Perez is stuck between two worlds. Those differences have come across in the music that seemed to parallel her real life as the American-born daughter of traditional Mexican parents.
During a recent interview, the 22-year-old singer was a much different person than she was in 2004 when we first talked. She still has the bubbly personality, but this time she seemed much more mature and elated to be in a different phase of her life.
Last year, one of Perez's highlights was having a baby, one of the most significant moments of her young life. She chose to keep the father's identity unknown. It only led fans to speculate.
"People thought at some point that I didn't know who my baby's father was," Perez said. "I wasn't sharing information on him, so they began to question me."
It was the beginning of many talks with her family and her record label. Both wanted the best for the young crooner, but they were wary because the father was her boyfriend, who is African-American. Most people didn't even know she had a boyfriend, but those close to Perez wondered how fans would react to the pregnancy and the father's race and how it might affect her singing career. Her father expressed concern that some Latinos from traditional backgrounds would be uncomfortable with an interracial relationship.
Perez often would tell journalists she was single and living with her parents. This was the safe way to approach stories about her life and a career that got an extra boost in 2004 when she received favorable reviews for the album "Dejame Llorar" ("Let Me Cry").
The single "Estoy Enamorada" ("I'm in Love"), the bilingual norteno-and-rap track, resonated with many Latino families because the song was about an overprotective father, but done in a tongue-and-cheek way that caught on.
Southern California radio stations often played the single. "Dejame Llorar" peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, thanks to the single, which featured a bilingual Perez clashing with a Spanish-speaking father figure played by Los Angeles radio personality Don Cheto.
"Dejame Llorar" reached No. 7 on the Billboard regional Mexican airplay chart and established Perez as a promising singer who could do more. Her label was counting on it. Her current album is "Aqui Me Tienes" ("Here You Have Me").
When it came to her baby and boyfriend, Perez felt the pressure from her family and her record label to maintain the sweet image of "La Potranquita" ("The Little Mare"), a nickname her father chose. Today she is much more at ease discussing topics close to her heart, especially when it comes to her nearly 1-year-old daughter, Mya Milliani.
She spent most of 2005 learning how to be a mother, but she also kept dodging questions about her boyfriend. After plenty of rumors, Perez talked about her boyfriend with music writer Josh Kun.
Not everyone was supportive. A male fan wrote to Perez that he was no longer going to buy her music.
"More than anything," Perez said, "I felt sad for him. He said that I was his favorite artist in the world and that I could have had a baby from a white guy, Asian guy, but why did it have to be a black man? How can a person be so closed-minded?"
Somewhere between trying to be a recording artist and living a fulfilling life, Perez figured out that she could only be herself. That was reflected in the profile that Kun wrote.
Kun's profile on Perez for Los Angeles magazine looked at the challenges of a singer trying to make her way in the music business while being influenced by her parents' traditions and growing up in the United States.
"I wanted to learn more about Yolanda as a Latina who grew up in Southern California very immersed in ranchera music or the banda world," Kun said. "It became clear to me that she is one of those people who has the potential to be emblematic of her generation. She has Mexican parents, but grew up having a suburban life. I was frustrated that no one in the English-language world knew her."
Since the story's publication last year, Perez has been featured in publications and television programs in English, something that validated her. She also received a call from a producer asking her to read a script for a film.
"Since talking about my personal life, things have changed," Perez said. "Girls approach me all the time, and sometimes I think they're going to say something bad, but then they tell me they've had similar problems at home and they start telling me their life story. That makes me happy."
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(c) 2006, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.). Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.
