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Karina Nistal does something rare, musically speaking. She lives up to her own hype.
Karina Nistal -- vocals
Alfonso "Noe" Espinosa -- bass
Robert "Bob" Lemos -- drums
Michael Jay Phillips -- trumpet
Kathy Kupelian -- flute, sax, additional vocals
Luis deLuna -- backup percussion, vocals
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Track #1
Sabrosura, 2003
Goodbye EP, 2004
Sweet Spot Compilation, 2004
Red Moon, 2002
La Pussa, 2005
Tracks from the Waxx Compilation, 2001
Space City Grooves Compilation, 2004
Progressive Tranquility Compilation, 2005
Housetown Sampler, 2007
Nistyle, 2007
Nistalgia, 2010
Ask any singer to describe influences, style or overall sound, and soon enough, that most common of buzz words — diverse — is bound to be uttered.
The hype, however, is often just that, relegated to a few adventurous flourishes in between the drone of pretty standard stuff.
Houston artist Karina Nistal talks the same talk.
"I wanted this huge fusion," she says of her sonic hopes. "I wanted that edgy, electro, breakbeat, drum-n-bass, dancehall, Latin kind of sound."
But Nistal does something refreshingly, perhaps astoundingly, different. She delivers on that lofty goal.
Her full-length debut disc, Nistyle, is a beguiling, bilingual blend of retro grooves, party jams and urban attitude. It was released in September on the local Starlight Beats and Breaks label.
Nistal went through the usual dance class and piano lessons combo as a child. She began writing songs at 12 years old, influenced by the rock and hip-hop music favored by her siblings.
Heritage also played a pivotal role in her musical development.
"My Cuban background was salsa, Afro-Cuban jazz," Nistal says. "My Mexican background was mariachi, . . . Spanish rock, Spanish do-wop.
"We didn't do the Tejano thing. My mom was like, 'Oh, no.' "
Before she found her solo flavor, Nistal hooked up with the Rebel Crew, a local hip-hop/breakbeat collective fronted by producers Joe B. and Lion808. She spent the late '90s "B-girlin', hip-hoppin' " as a Rebel Crew dancer.
The group toured overseas, and the exposure earned Nistal some singing gigs. She showcased her sultry stylings on several compilations and single releases, including Sabrosura, a modest club hit.
Nistyle reflects and charts that growth. Nistal wrote the tunes from 2001-2005 and showcases hip-hop (Viviendo), hypnotic club cuts (Intrigue), inspired reggaetón fusion (Trabajalo, Muchos Chavos) and Middle-Eastern rhythms (Back to Bombay).
Lyrically, she calls herself a "sucker for love." (Pat Benatar's Love is a Battlefield is a favorite.) But Nistal ultimately hopes to uplift and inspire listeners with her musical hybrid.
"I do try to write about really positive things. People need it. People need reinforcement. They need encouragement. They need motivation," she says.
"Every day's a new chance. That's one of the messages I try to spread — besides love, love, love."
-- Joey Guerra | July 25, 2007
Joey Guerra