From Lipstick to Lyrics: Corporate Executive in Beauty Industry by Day, Soulful Singer During Off-Hours, SAVINA Shares Her Singing Talent in Album Listening Party in New York City Tonight

Discover the Music of Bronx-Born Beauty of Honduran Garifuna Heritage, SAVINA.

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Copyright 2025 by Teofilo Colon Jr (a.k.a. “Tio Teo”) for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved. Contact Tio Teo.

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Brooklyn, New York — Bronx Born Singer, SAVINA debuts her debut album, featuring long in development songs promising to entertain and delight.

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This collection of songs will feature a mix of sounds that promise to enchant lovers of R&B Music, Reggaeton, Spanish Reggae, Afro-Pop and other styles of music from throughout the Garifuna/African/American Diaspora.

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Upon listening to this music, it should be clear to music listeners that not only is SAVINA the future of music, she’s the NOW of music. In an Interview with BEING GARIFUNA, SAVINA shared her story with us.

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Born and raised in the Bronx, SAVINA’s (Her Stage Name is from her Middle Name, Savina, which is Latin American for Sabine. SAVINA comes from her Great Great Grandmother on her Father’s side) Mother is a Garifuna from Limon, Colon, Honduras and her Father is a Garifuna from Puerto Cortes, Honduras.

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Every Summer, when school was out for her as a child, she spent the Summer in Limon, Colon, Honduras. So she reps Limon more because of her constant summer trips there as a Youth.

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BEING GARIFUNA – Where are you from?

SAVINA – I grew up in the Andrew Jackson Housing Projects in the Bronx. East 158th Street between Park and Cortlandt.

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BEING GARIFUNA – What brought you to sing?

SAVINA – Family. Just having music in the household constantly listening to Reggae and R&B Music. Non-stop Reggae Music, Non-Stop R&B Music. My family is from Honduras, but I was born here (in the United States of America). So English is my First Language. Unfortunately, I didn’t pick up the Garifuna Language in my household growing up, but I do know certain words.

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BEING GARIFUNA – How long have you been singing?

SAVINA – I’ve been singing since I’ve been in Junior High School. I always tried to be involved in extracurricular or after-school activities.

SAVINA – I was always into School Plays and School Talent shows. Junior High School is when I really discovered that I knew how to sing. As a child, I was always singing around the house with my siblings. It’s six of us and I’m the fifth child out of six. So it was always music in my household. There used to be Talent Shows in my house. My oldest sister, who I’m very close to, she sang as well, and she would always win competitions against me.

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SAVINA – So I would tell myself, Listen, I gotta work hard so that I could beat my sister in music. In Junior High School, I starred in a musical play. We did The Wiz, and they had me play Eveline The Wicked Witch of The West. I had to sing all her parts and everything, which was cool.

(BEING GARIFUNA NOTE) The Wiz is a musical retelling of The L. Frank Baum Children’s Book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of African-American Culture. It played on Broadway in 1975 and eventually made into a Hollywood Movie.

The Big Song for the Character, Eveline The Wicked Witch of The West in The Wiz is the song, “Don’t Nobody Bring Me, No Bad News”. Can you imagine SAVINA Singing that song!?!?!?!?!

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SAVINA – In High School, I went to Jane Adams High School in the Bronx. We had this show called J,A American Idol. The first year I did it, I sang Tamia’s “There’s A Stranger in My House.” Unfortunately, I lost to a girl who sung a Jennifer Hudson song.

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SAVINA – But in Year Two, my Sophomore Year, I sang Mary J. Blige’s, “I’m Goin’ Down” and won FIRST Place! THAT’s when I knew I needed to be a singer, because of the way the audience was cheering, going crazy, slamming chairs, screaming at the top of their lungs for my voice.

SAVINA – At that moment, that’s when I was like, You know what? I need to be a singer because look how everyone is reacting to me. If I can have my High School go crazy for me, I can get the WORLD to go crazy for me. I haven’t stopped ever since.

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SAVINA – So, being the Fifth Child out of Six Children, My siblings were into Hip-Hop and Reggae, so I learned that from them. When it came to R&B Music, My Older Sister was always into the Singers, Monica, Brandy, Destiny’s Child and Toni Braxton. I grew up singing that type of music and I just knew that I wanted to be sing like those artists.

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BEING GARIFUNA – Are there any other Artists you look up to or are inspired by?

SAVINA -Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Hands down, Monica. I LOVE me some Toni Braxton and Celine Dion. I would listen to those women every single day, especially Celine Dion. Oooooh, I LOVE me some Celine Dion! Whoo!!!

SAVINA – I used to go to sleep listening to Celine Dion’s albums as a Teenager. EVERY Single Day, I went to sleep listening to Celine Dion. I would wake up praying that I would sound like her.

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SAVINA – As for music artists of today? Cardi B, The Weekend. My playlist is pretty mixed up but I currently (This Interview took place in January of 2021) listen to The Weekend album and The Cardi B album. I have them on repeat.

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In July 2015, She released a cover of the Whitney Houston song, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”. This cover, Produced by Ronny Fernandez, a Musician and Music Producer of Garifuna Heritage who has worked with popular Bachata Band, AVENTURA, turned this cover into an irresistible Punta Rock-esque version. Listen for yourself.

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SAVINA – I feel like I don’t compare to any other music artist because I’m unique. Being Garifuna , you know, Garifuna American artist singing Talento Catracho (“Honduran Talent” Music Movement in Spanish) bringing the Spanish and English vibes together. I feel like there’s no one else like me.

SAVINA – I KNOW there’s no one else like me because when I speak to my agents, and all these other producers, when I introduce myself and say where I’m from and what I bring to the table, they just look at me with their eyes LIT up like, you know what? You’re right! You don’t exist ever where we can actually make you the next big thing.

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Below is another cover song released in 2016. Here it is a Bachata version of the reggae song, Sorry, sung by Foxy Brown and Shelley Thunder. The song was originally sung by Tracy Chapman and it’s original title is, “Baby, Can I Hold You”. The music producer is not listed in this cover on the Soundcloud Platform.

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SAVINA – And I KNOW how to sing, so they look at me like WOW, this is Amazing. We love your sound. We actually, love the way you write, it’s very catchy. Their thing is, they love how I’m able to write commercial music. Everything to me is all about commercial, catchy music so people can repeat it all the time. That’s my flow.

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SAVINA – I write my music based on experience, so best believe, you’ll see a lot of what I’ve been through in all my relationships, in my music. I just want people to relate to me so that they can say, “Oh Yeah, I been scammed. I been with a dude that cheated on me, etc…”

SAVINA – Music is all about your feelings and how you feel and what you put out there as an artist. And I like to write music that’s relateable and catchy. And music videos that are relateable. As far as the world, I want them to FEEL what I feel and love my music.

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SAVINA – I been through a lot, but since I smile a lot, a lot of people don’t know. A lot of people ask, SAVINA you went through all THAT? They’ll say in disbelief, “No way you been through all that, Savina. I cannot believe it. Look how you are, you’re positive, you smile, you’re well put together.”

SAVINA – I’d respond, “Yeah, you’re supposed to be like that. You’re not supposed to allow NOBODY to take away your sunshine. Yes, I’ve been through dark days around a man, but other than that, my happiness, my joy, came right after I let the Toxicity go.”

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SAVINA – THAT’s what’s important. When you’re able to let go what’s toxic, when you’re able to walk away and start off new, THAT’s when you’ve won. And that’s what I did. I don’t want no man that’s gonna tell me what to do, tell me that they don’t want me to do this and don’t want me to do that. Rob me, steal from me, don’t appreciate me, don’t value me. And then when I say NO! It’s a Problem.

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BEING GARIFUNA – Which Producers and Musicians have you worked with? (Interview is as of 2021).

SAVINA – King June, Kid Valerio, Leaky (American), Carlisimo.

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BEING GARIFUNA – Who Inspires you?

SAVINA – My co-workers, my close friends, my cousins, my siblings. Those are the main people that encourage me. I’m surrounded by support, even down to the musicians and producers around me. I’m just glad I don’t have anyone around me telling me not to do it. EVERYONE supports me and pushes me to the next level.

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BEING GARIFUNA – You mentioned being partly inspired by your co-workers. What do you do for work?

SAVINA – For the last Fifteen Years, I’ve been a Cosmetics Manager. Besides music, Cosmetics, Beauty, Hair, Skin, Nails, has been my thing. Started out as a Boutique Manager for Duane Reade, and subsequently got promoted or advanced to positions with Lord & Taylor, Clinique Cosmetics, Estee Lauder, Nordstrom, and Tom Ford Cosmetics.

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SAVINA explained that at each stop of her Cosmetics Manager positions, her Bosses allowed her to get away and go to music shows or showcases, as long as she took care of her responsibilities. Apparently, she did, based on the many promotions she got. However, her Bosses often asked SAVINA when would they hear her songs on the Radio? Well, 1 Day, they did.

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A post shared by GiftedSavina (@giftedsavina)

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SAVINA – I’m an Independent Artist. I prefer to stay Independent. I am not looking for a record label to sign me. I’m looking to build my own business and brand on my own to see how far I can go.

SAVINA – I fund and finance myself. Thank God I have a good job which enables me to invest in myself so that I can have all that I desire.

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SAVINA – So far, I work with Poster Girl Media in Public Relations. They are my Public Relations and My Agent. I manage myself. I choose to manage myself because I believe in learning the craft and business.

SAVINA – Being that I was a Cosmetics Manager for so long, I wanted to learn how to manage in the music industry and how to take care of myself. So that, when things get too big for me and I do hire a manager, I know the basics. I’ll be able to make sure that this potential manager of mine will do things right. Because I don’t want to be oblivious to anything. I’m big on teaching myself. learning the game so no one can fool me.

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As SAVINA continued her steady climb up, she made more music which included music videos. Private Party, featuring Honduran Artist, El Dollar, turned out to be a success.

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SAVINA also released the ballad, Sorry. Which has been requested frequently by her supporters.

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In 2022, SAVINA released the song, Love Language. It’s music video also earned substantial views.

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SAVINA’s Album Listening Party will take place on SATURDAY, June 21st 2025 at Golden Blue Bar and Restaurant in Brooklyn. It’s a highly rated Haitian Restaurant in Brooklyn.

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Tickets can be bought at this link for The SAVINA Album Listening Party in Brooklyn.

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Being Garifuna extends an “Inebesei” (“Respect” in the Garifuna Language) to SAVINA on her steady grind in pursuing her musical aspirations over the years. To continued success.