Diandra Reviews It All- Interviews Gabriel Y Diana: Singing And Acting

Performing at the Latino Film Market, which goes from July 27 to August 2, Diana Pou and Gilberto Gabriel, or rather Gilberto Y Diana, are SO TALENTED. Their songs were made for romantic radio; press play, let the easy breeze hit you, and hold your lovers hand as if the sun never left because they made you smile. Both actors, they understand that music is always a performance, even from before you actually perform. You have to have a vision of life when you make a song about it, and, in our interview, we discuss how they saw that vision in each other.

Diandra: What qualities do you most appreciate in each other as artists?

Gilberto: I am most appreciative of Diana’s discipline when it comes to practice, rehearsals, and any type of meetings. Also, how she masters the hustle and the way she is able to network and maintain relationships with people in the industry.

Diana: I’m in awe to be working next to such a creative mind like Gilberto’s. He’s such a non-stop creator and is always looking to innovate and be original with the content. His mind has no limits; so it becomes very fun and easy to do what we love the most.
Gilberto y Diana – Manos sin pena (Video Oficial)

Diandra: Describe the moment you knew you had to become a duo.

Diana & Gilberto: We knew we could possibly become a duo since the very first time we sat together and decided to rehearse a song by Alicia Keys and Maxwell called “Fire We Make”. It was fire!, it was posted on Instagram and the feedback we received from people made it clear to us.

Diandra: You both have been actors in El Repertorio. What was the most inspiring role you have been able to play? What did it inspire?

Gilberto: I had the chance to play Amer in the play “Exquisita Agonía” by Pulitzer prize Nilo Cruz back in 2018. That role inspired me to embrace the person I am, all that makes me unique, and use it in my favor. I finally understood back then that whenever I get cast for a role, it is me and all my qualities who they are hiring to play the role.

Diana: I had the honor to play María Teresa Mirabal in the play “En el Tiempo de las Mariposas” by F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for Outstanding Achievement in American Literature, Julia Álvarez. I was born in the Dominican Republic, and to be able to put myself in the shoes of one of the sister’s who opposed Trujillo’s cruel dictatorship made me understand how important it is to be a woman who fights for her rights. It inspired me to lift my voice higher and be an independent woman.
Gilberto & Diana (Live) – Concierto en Cuarentena

Diandra: What does music mean to you? What does it bring out in you?

Gilbertont; a system that would judge you for the words you say and how you say them. I often listen much more than what I say, unless, I am making art. Fortunately, I can say it brings out lots of love.

Diana: Music means everything to me. From a very young age, I knew music was going to be my path. It’s my way of ventilating my feelings, of expressing anything my heart desires, and my way of connecting with the world. Music brings out in me absolute truth. My lyrics are often about real emotions, love and struggles about being an immigrant.

Diandra: How do you see acting as similar to what music expresses in you?

Gilberto: In acting you have to embody someone and become that person; give him/her yourself to communicate something. Having been so involved in acting I see myself approaching music the same way. It becomes similar in the sense that you have to give yourself to the song and create a character to interpret the song. Not always, you go through the circumstances of the song in real life, but somehow you have to find how you understand it and relate to it so then you can make listeners connect to what you are saying.

Diana: Whenever I approach a character, in acting, I think of it like music. What is the character’s style, vocal sound, what’s his/her rhythm or pattern, or when is the character allowing him or herself to be silent. This gives me a lot of information at the moment of crafting. I do the same when interpreting a song. I try to find all the specificities of the style and connect it with the story that is being told, to then be able to put myself in the shoes of that role.

Diandra: What is one play or film you would love to transfer into a song? Why?

Gilberto: I would love to transfer the film “The Mask” into a song because, apart from being one of my favorite movies of all times, it has a clear message about the power there is, in us, when we allow ourselves to not be inhibited because no one will judge us as ourselves but as the person we become when putting on a mask.

Diana: I would love to turn into a song the play and film “En el Tiempo de las Mariposas” because, aside from the fact that I had the honor to play one of the sister’s that was murdered opposing Trujillo’s dictatorship, it is very clear that back in those days women were not allowed to speak up. Women where not even allowed to study and have a degree, to keep them silent and submissive. Even today we are still struggling with that fact, and not many women are brought up to be free and independent. I would love to be a strong advocate to encourage more women to fight for their dreams and rights with my music.
Pancakes de Avena (Official Audio) – Gilberto Gabriel & Diana Pou

Diandra: What is your favorite childhood memory with music?

Gilberto: I remember being in kindergarten and seeing a group of 25+ kids, all doing the same thing, because a song would tell them to do so. I knew there was something powerful linked to music and the way people reacted to it. If you could get 25+ kids to clean up a room in 3 minutes with a song, what else could music do?

Diana: I have so many good childhood memories with music. Music has always been a very important part of my life, but if I had to choose my favorite memory was at the age of 3 years. My grandfather gifted me a toy piano. I never used another toy but that piano. Took it with me everywhere I went. Even slept with it beside me. I kept playing and playing it non stop. At that very young age I knew music was going to be my path.

Diandra: What has been your most fun memory as a duo?

Diana & Gilberto: ur most fun memory, as a duo, has been to be part of the Malumas band at the MTV VMA’s in 2018. It was definitely an unforgettable experience that inspires us to be better and will continue to do so every day. Being part of a show watched by millions of people and being in front of the most important and influencing artists of our times was really fun.

Diandra: Singing to love, what has music taught you about relationships and romance?

Diana & Gilberto: Music was the first thing we shared with each other when we started dating. Love moves everything in life. We believe that anything we do, we do for love. Music has taught us that love is simple: “say what you mean, mean what you say”. Something we consider to be very romantic is to share letters. In our songs, we try to sing love letters to each other and that’s one way for us to keep the romance alive.

Diandra: If you could pick 3 songs that most embody your personality, which would they be and what traits do they show?

Gilberto: 1) “Don’t worry about a thing” by Bob Marley, 2) “Jungle” by Drake and 3) “Condolence” by Benjamin Clementine.

These three songs, respectively, show: patience and calmness, protection or defense of my emotions and the one person I share those with, and bravery.

Diana: 1) “Samba da Benção” by Bebel Gilberto, 2) “Bailar Contigo” by Monsieur Periné, 3) “Amour, T’es La?” by Banda Magda.

I love cultures and languages, and I’m also a very happy person. I’ve always said that I’m a walking Bossa Nova, because I love the upbeat, rhythmical sounds and the romance behind the lyrics of that particular style. These songs all share that trait. Love is the strongest energy that exists, and it’s very important for me to express and connect with all the possible ways of musically define what love is and represents.

Diandra: How has the pandemic inspired you as artists, and how have you seen your goals change since it began?

Diana & Gilberto: This pandemic has showed us that we are capable to make art and music on our own: to rely more on ourselves. This whole situation has inspired us to learn and search for solutions to the problems that we face in our process instead of giving excuses that stop us from keeping creative. We have had the chance to sit down and specifically plan what we want to do next, step by step, and our goals are clearer now.

For More Information on Diana & Gilberto Click Here.