Desta French Talks La Linea (London’s Latin Music Festival 2024) Show And More

Chonga mother and Camden native Desta French will perform on Saturday 20th April 2024 at The Jazz Cafe in London as part of ‘Latinas Of London’ for La Linea (London’s Latin Music Festival 2024). She spoke to us about the show and her music: 

You will be performing on Saturday 20th April 2024 at Jazz Cafe for Desta French & Friends: Latinas of London as part of La Linea – The London Latin Music Festival for its twenty-fourth edition. What can people expect from the evening? 

Something totally new. There has never been an all female, all Diaspora line up of UK Latin Artists performing at the Jazz Cafe on the same bill. I really wanted this to feel like a full show also, rather than a series of mini sets by different artists, so it should feel very cohesive from song to song all played with my own band of musicians, who are incredible. 

Expect to discover your new favourite artists and get a feel for a new UK Latin that has been bubbling on the fringes of London culture. Expect some latin classics and an upbeat set, and a really fun  audience! The crowd that come to my shows are genuinely the best, it always feels like such a free safe space. 

When you are songwriting, do you have a specific process e.g. lyrics first?

It can be lyrics, a melody, chords, a section of a song that I would like to sample. It can start over a beat in a studio or a quote that strikes my interest that I turn into a story. Recently, I’ve enjoyed starting songs with guitar chords.

Who will be joining you at the show? 

Firstly, we have Chonga princess Sophie Castillo. She’s of Colombian / Cuban heritage. She blends ethereal pop with Latin sensibilities. Her recent release ‘Call Me By Your Name’ became a viral hit recently and she’ll be playing for the first time with a full band.

JSCA – She blends Colombian folkloric sounds with alternative pop  touching on hard hitting subjects, drawing light on the realities of growing up a first generation Londoner.  She kind of reminds me of a young Colombian Kate Bush.

Milena is out reggaetonera. She’s all about  RnB melodies and has a crazy vocal  range. 

One of your songs is called ‘Into The Wave’. What is the story/inspiration behind the song? 

I was in a futile situation with someone who was not going to be around for a while. This song happened when I was so deeply caught up in that and talks about escaping that headspace. Losing yourself in escapism and kind of accepting pain within the motions of life, even in the good times. 

It’s also the first song that was made from the project I released called ‘San Lazarus’  who was a guy who was raised from the dead and is recognised in both Christianity and Santeria as San Lazaro.

What is your earliest musical memory? 

Lots of Salsa and Merengue at family parties, and falling  asleep and hearing it continue in my ears. Until this day, I find the idea of that soothing.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones? 

I mainly use my voice onstage but I do enjoy percussion and would like to incorporate more percussion only sections in my band set. It’s harder to do for smaller shows but I really  really miss the percussion when I don’t have it.

Do you have any plans to release any new music this year at all? 

Yes I have a release coming out around a week after this show on the 20th.I’ll be playing it on the night for the first time. I also have a few singles to follow and maybe even an album next year. 

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I grew up in Camden, London. I would say it is diverse, raw, punk, weird and used. 

What music do you enjoy listening to? Do you have any recommendations?

I love an artist called Ile. I’m listening to a lot of Dominican music at the moment. I would strongly  recommend a band called ‘ Los Sufridos’.  

How do you look after your voice?

I’m a social smoker but I have learned that I can’t smoke at all before shows or if I have a string of shows. That might sound obvious but it’s taken years to accept. I don’t drink beer or tequila either before shows and I keep honey near. 

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

I want the audience to feel empowered, and feel the love and effort it took to put this together. I’m curating this directly with La Linea and The Jazz cafe with ‘La Chonga’, which is a female lead LatinX platform that I started,  championing Latin  women in the industry, so its a very personal project and is grass roots Latin representation from  every level.  

What makes Desta French happy and what makes you unhappy? 

I’m going to start with unhappiness, so I forget it by the time I’ve finished typing. 

Injustice rattles me deeply. Rudeness and loneliness can make me sad, even though I love being alone. Fickleness and other downfalls of the human condition. 

Connecting with my audience on stage makes me happy, creating music in the studio, cooking for people I love and nice eating experiences, certain  materials and smells and the sea makes me infinitely happy. I’m quite a textbook Taurean in these ways.  Dancing gives me happiness, flirting and creating safe spaces for people to be free and empowered.

Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Baxter PR

La Linea – The London Latin Music Festival 2024 takes place across London from 12th April – 22nd April 2024.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now. 

Desta French & Friends: Latinas of London takes place on Saturday 20th April 2024 at The Jazz Cafe, Camden, London, United Kingdom. 

Event Tickets: https://www.comono.co.uk/la-linea/latinas-of-london/ 

La Linea – The London Latin Music Festival Official Website: https://www.comono.co.uk/la-linea/