Meet Angélique Cinélu: Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter aka Cinélu

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angélique Cinélu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angélique, as a parent, what do you feel is the most meaningful thing you’ve done for them?
I am a mother to an amazing 3yo little girl. I spent much of the earliest parts of her 3 years in awe – I am still in awe of her. I am in awe of her bravery, her smarts, comedic timing, facility for languages, rhyming and her musical ear and more than I could type. To the point, like all parents, I would just gush about her and these attributes. It wasn’t until my aunt stopped me one day and said, ‘well she’s just like you. you were exactly the same’, that it hit me. I had transferred and imprinted onto my child, but to the extent that I hadn’t left anything for myself. I thought that was a disservice to both she and I. So I made a decision to honor me and through that I honor her. I can support her more if I support myself. I can celebrate those wonderful things even more if I celebrate those things in me first. I think my change in thought has elevated me as a person and as a parent. I allow my daughter to be my mirror, an untarnished view of myself, and intern the love quotient has gone up to heights I didn’t think possible.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My day to day has been songwriting and/or vocal producing for other people. I’ve been wanting to put out my own music for quite some time, but in 2020 I finally made the commitment to myself. Being in quarantine really forced me to assess my career trajectory and my personal goals. I realized for me to go beyond what I had already achieved I needed to take some risks. Nothing is as risky as putting out music independently. It wasn’t easy. I started with songs that I had already written and really loved and then created a concept around those. I have always been a very diverse and dynamic songwriter, weaving in between genres. I wanted to honor that in the work that I put out. My first EP ‘Sync I’, came out October 2020. It’s a very dramatic and cinematic group of songs and was led with the music video and single Ghost.’ My next Ep, ‘Sync II’, will be all Bossa Nova and Latin Jazz. The first single and video, ‘Guadalupé’ is dropping February 19th and I am so excited! Everything about this project is colorful and sensual. It just feels good. Bringing these concepts to life has been difficult, but making the commitment and setting dates has kept me on course. The response has been great and most importantly I feel accomplished.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First, I wish my best friends were here! We generally do the same things all over the world, eat and shop. The shopping can be specific to what is going on in life, say if someone is moving, having a baby, an event etc. Italian food is always on the list and LA has great Italian. The musts would be Terroni, Pacé, and Osteria La Buca, also L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele. One of the besties lives in Bermuda, so she has no interest in our beaches, but a good dose of nature is always in the cards, so a nice hike. I like Ocean and Canyon View Trail near Malibu. If my friends are staying for a week then we have plenty of time to run down to Palm Springs and hit the outlets to shop. I know it’s not in Los Angeles, but one of the huge perks of living here is the proximity to places like Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and even San Diego. A really great day trip is so easy. I’m also a big vintage shopper and I have been trying to push sustainable fashion on my friends, so a trip to Melrose Ave and Magnolia Blvd would definitely be in order.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My biggest supporters have been my fiancé, Brian Kennedy and my spiritual brother, Curtis Richardson. Both of these men have supported me immensely through my creative journey in a business that is not known for men supporting women. Brian is a pianist, composer and producer. He has worked with some of the biggest names in music, creating some of their biggest hits. We met through music and with all of his accomplishments he has always used his influence to bolster and celebrate my talents. Curtis is essentially responsible for my introduction to music as a career. I met him when I was very young and green and when everyone saw a girl who could sing and dance he saw a songwriter and a producer. I am forever grateful for that.

Website: www.mscinelu.com

Instagram: @mscinelu

Twitter: @mscinelu

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_sl2Agjk1QPbpZ2FmB3OFg

Image Credits
Photo of me in black blazer photo cred: ASH