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

Hi Emanuel, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I would say that the most important factor for the success of my brand is the commitment to push my own boundaries. As an artist, it is very challenging to remain focused on the one thing that inspired you to become one in the first place. Nowadays, especially in the era of social media, where standards have shifted, artists find themselves having to re-adjust for the sake of gaining followers. For instance, I have never been the kind of person who spends hours on a social media platform, neither am I the type of person who likes to post stuff about myself on a daily basis. But because of the nature of the business right now, I need to step up into a world I don’t feel comfortable in. That’s how much commitment I have towards my art. If I need to evolve in order to succeed, and for the world to experience what I create, then I will.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Becoming a singer wasn’t easy for me. I started late in life, and when I decided that I wanted to pursue music, I also discovered that I had a lot of challenges that I wasn’t aware of. One of them is that I have a neurofunctional disorder that doesn’t allow me to recognize pitch like your average musician. Think of it as dyslexia for musicians. That alone set me even further behind, as I needed to find a way to be able to overcome that limitation. Ultimately, I learned to cope with my disability, if you may call it that, and learn to memorize pitch placement. This, then, allowed me to recognize where my voice should be placed within a certain key. Also, you have the fact that when I started my education, a couple of semesters into my music program, I had to put everything on hold to travel to Mexico to meet the little boy that is now our son. He was born with a rare syndrome and had to fight his way through the first year of his life. I knew that this kid wasn’t going to be able to thrive or even just to survive in the environment he was in. I made a promise to him and to myself to look after this human being. Now he is 13 years old and a very functional little guy, so going back to pursuing my passion is now easier for me, and more rewarding given the inspiration that he provides me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a terrific cook and one of the best hosts you will ever meet, hehe. So, I would probably cook meals every day. I am talking about making my own home-made tortillas, the best guacamole you’ll ever have, and a variety of dishes that draw inspiration from not only my Latin culture but also from places all over the world. As far as places to visit, aside from covering all the unique and touristy places, I would show him the special things about my personal LA: I’m talking hidden hikes, nature getaways, and yes, also restaurants that offer an outdoor, nature-filled experience, way off the beaten path.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are several people who have played an important role in my life and my career’s development. It all starts with family. Though life growing up wasn’t easy, I did have some great examples to look up to, especially my grandmother. She was a force to be reckoned with and the one reason I became who I am today. Then you have those around you. In this case, my husband and our son are my biggest inspiration and most powerful driving force. When I am down, which happens a lot, they are always there to lift me up and carry me through. I draw a lot of lyrics from my experiences living with them. The good ones though, hehe.

Website: www.emanuelgiella.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/giella.emanuel

Twitter: www.twitter.com/emanuelgiella

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emgiella

Youtube: www.youtube.com/emanuelgiella

Image Credits
For Siento 1,2 and 3 Credit Kristin Fairweather,
the names of my dancers are Riatt, Celeste and Aminah (from left to right) and Celeste in the picture of me and her.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.