dímelo @reggaetonconlagata
In "Dimelo @," La Nueva Link speaks with different Latinx creatives / professionals to highlight their contributions, work and get them on your radar. Up next, LNL welcomes a force and Reggaeton historian Katelina “Gata” Eccleston.
Katelina Eccleston is a Reggaeton Historian and Entrepreneur. She founded her bilingual multimedia platform Elumina Media in 2015 with the objective of amplifying stories two languages at a times. Her words have been featured in Rolling Stone, Vibe, Nylon, Cassius, La Mega Radio, etc. Currently she is writing her Untitled book on the evolution of ‘El Movimiento’ and when she isn’t discussing musica, she’s a creativa press-on nail artist.
Name: Katelina “Gata” Eccleston
Title: Entrepreneur, Reggaeton Historian
Company: Elumina Media
Side Hustle: Press On Nail Artist via Eluminanails
Location: Boston, MA
Social handles: @reggaetonconlagata | @enlatinidad | @eluminamedia
LNL: The days have been heavy, from COVID-19 to the racist crisis that plagues our country. ¿Cómo estás?
K.E: I am holding on. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been sad or a bit hopeless lately. Hearing reports of people who look like me get murdered by the police is triggering , especially as a survivor of police brutality myself. I’ve been practicing self care.
LNL: How have you been taking care of yourself and your wellbeing during this time?
K.E: Taking breaks. I forget how much I do because I’ve been doing it for so long. As a survivor of Police brutality myself, the constant reports of the increased amounts of Black people killed has been triggering. I hate taking breaks because I am not wired that way, but doing cardio and plugging out has truly made a difference for me.
LNL: In your Op-Ed for Remezcla you touch on the lack of response from artists in El Movimiento Latino in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, what has this moment and the silence crystallized for you?
K.E: This moment has crystallized the fact that although in Latin America, we like to stress class as the primary issue—there is still a long road ahead of us in regards to our collective understanding of racism, colorism and xenophobia amongst our favorite artists. The mistakes published by some artists spoke volumes. It reminded me just how big of a juxtaposition we have as a movement from Spanish Reggae to Reggaeton Pop.
LNL: What has been your biggest lesson you’ve learned about your latinidad and the workplace/industry?
K.E: Although at times it feels like I’ve been redlined from certain spaces, there are truly amazing people out there who truly are rooting for me. The biggest lesson is to not cave into others' perception of me, but to stick to my best sense of self. I feel like if I caved into what others thought of me i’d lose myself—and in this industry you can only thrive if you’re confident and self assured.
LNL: Switching gears a bit, how do you tap into your creativity and has that been impacted during this time?
K.E: Everyday I set up a to-do list and I allow myself to do whatever I’m inspired to do off of that list, allowing my energy to guide me. Because I am operating everything on my own, it is the most productive way for me to function.
LNL: Ideally, how would true allies handle this moment? And how can folks in the music industry do better?
K.E: True allies can make a donation, pass the mic to someone who knows how to better address these issues, protest to bring in larger crowds, and ask themselves constantly as they move forward “Am I making space for Black people at this table?” — especially as it comes to collaborating with Black artists since pop is derived from Black sounds.
LNL: And although joy feels odd right now, when it comes to your career, what are you looking forward to? What’s next for you?
K.E: I’m looking forward to publishing my first book on History of El Movimiento. I’ve been writing it for three years, I truly believe it’ll help to put certain nuances into perspective. I am looking forward to taking the first steps in order to open up Elumina Media’s office.
LNL: What’s your mantra / your favorite dicho?
K.E: “Cuando es para ti, ni aunque te quites. Cuando no es para ti, ni aunque te pongas” because it reassures to me that my path is mine and what is meant to be will come when the time is right.
LNL: Period.
Learn more about Katelina “Gata” Eccleston and support her work aqui.