Cristina Quesada

These Go to 11: interviewing Cristina Quesada  

This week we have the youngest person I have ever interviewed. I'm referring to the charming, perennially smiling, ukulele wizard Cristina Quesada. These Go to 11!  

The Pineapple Princess

Hailing from Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, but based in Madrid, Cristina started to develop a fond love for music, learning violin and sol-fa since she was a little child. She also established herself as a precocious artist, being part in theater groups and a local tv program (she is part of 'El Club de Archi' still). At 13 she bought a guitar, starting to play versions of her favourite tunes. But the giant leap forward arrived at 15, when she discovered the ukulele. Her only release to date, a lovely covers 7" EP entitled "Pineapple Princess", came out on Elefant Records during the summer of 2013, hypnotising us with her adorably sweet vocals and the irresistible simplicity of the ukulele melodies, showing her range as composer with her first couple of penned tunes, one sharing credits with Paul Bevoir, plus transforming the Sherman Brothers, Billy Rose and Lee David or Family on an intimate indiepop affair completely of her own. Here we go!

Shared gig, shared Love

1. First record that you bought (be honest)

When I was living in my hometown in Fuerteventura, there wasn't (or at least I didn't know) any place to buy records, so the ones that I had at home were my parents' or otherwise it would be my older sister the one who would buy them, most of the times on the internet. The first record I bought myself was probably 'Tapestry' by Carole King and I think I bought once I was already living in Madrid.       

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!) I think that the first concert I attended was one of Joan Manuel Serrat in Fuerteventura with my parents when I was a child, and the last one Helen Love at Primavera Sound!
     

Then came Céline Dion and things got even worse, much worse...

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)

Sometimes, specially when I'm so stressed with exams that I lose my mind, I've found myself singing along 'All by myself' or doing playback to it like crazy with the music really loud around all my apartment while holding a hairbrush as if it was a microphone. I even pretend to do the final drums part, hahaha!
         

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)
I must confess I am addicted to musical films, so I've been collecting soundtracks for a long time now, but one of the most special one for me is the one of the film 'Melody', (S.W.A.L.K. in the UK).
5. Favorite lyrics (not yours) Everyday I have a different favorite lyrics! Today maybe 'I love you I've a drowning grip on your adoring face, I love you my responsibility has found a place beside you' from 'Piazza New York catcher' of Belle and Sebastian.
           

Macca, Sir with bowl haircut

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
I must admit that I am always a bit scared to meet people who I really admire, first of all because I don't know how I would react! But...thinking about it...I think it would be cool to have a conversation with Paul McCartney!

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
I love the artwork in may records of the 60's. The one in 'Comment te dire adieu' of Françoise Hardy is one of my favorites, but it's really difficult to make up my mind with only one artwork!
   

Demoiselles de Rochefort

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 
I'll say movies! My favorite genres are romance and musicals. Recently I watched again a film that I really loved, 'Les Demoiselles de Rochefort'.

9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of:
I guess maybe 'Secret Song', because it's the first one I wrote myself and when I play it always remember the moment in which I was writing it in my room and it makes me smile.

10. What’s does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)   Doing things with your heart.
 

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Somewhere that's beautiful and sharing my happiness with my beloved ones.

Zillion thanks Cristina!