Diandra Interviews Tita: Everything Is In Your Head
My mother once told me that the best songs have a little bit of despair and a touch of joy. They understand that life is a balance, and that light and darkness, on this earth, never escape each other. For instance, “I Will Survive” is the power anthem for moving on from a relationship, but yet she is leaving because things got toxic and love turned into mistreatment. For Tita and her debut EP, Todo Es Mental, depression and joy are in a permanent state of dance with each other, which means her music wants to lift you up from feeling down while not avoiding the fact t that you are down because you feel you have no emotional legs to stand on. In our interview, we discuss what makes Tita stand.
Diandra: Do you see the music world changing with this pandemic?
Tita: Yes and for good! Now, you can’t just sit and wait for change. You have to make it. Imagine if we didn’t have the technology we had today, this would be so hard. For example, if I want to make music I still can. I can still be creating. We have all the tools we need, and if we really like what we do, then you can still do it. Now, we can see, more than ever, that it is not about lack of time holding us back as much as will. We have the time; so what is holding you back is excuses.
TITA – Me Quedo Con Lo Bueno [Video Oficial]
Diandra: Why call you EP, “Todo Es Mental?”
Tita: My music is like a rainbow. I like that it has a dark side. I couldn’t be “Rainbow Pop” and everything is perfect. This EP is a mix of things: melancholy, happiness, grateful, and confusion. I like to make a sad song that is groovy and a happy song that is chill. I want it to have balance. I can be “rainbowish” so I work with a producer, who is a genius, who helps me make it dark.
It is a mix of feelings, which is why the name is “Todo Es Mental.” Everything is in your head. In Guatemala, we say “Todo Es Mental” for like when someone is cold; “Oh, the cold is in your head, get warm!” It comes from this belief that, with your mind, you can change everything. Of course, I know that there are things that can’t change.
Diandra: What is one song that really captures that happy/ sad dynamic?
Tita: My first song, “If you’re okay, I’m okay,” is about wishing well to the people that are no longer in your life. At one point, you had feelings for this person, but now that they are not with you so you wish them happiness and that makes you feel good. It is a mix of being sad and happy; sad they are not with you, but happy that they are happy with someone else. Like, life happened. The title came from my mom who was reading a book of the same title and it just felt like empathy.
Diandra: What do you feel your music adds to the conversation about mental health?
Tita: It is a subject I do not discuss as much as I like, which who does? This record means everything to me because it is what I feel. When I started releasing my songs, so many people wrote to me about how they feel like I feel. For example, “En Mi Mente” is about thinking negatively and letting your mind play tricks on you instead of seeing the positive. It happens all the time: worry. You start thinking will people like me or will they listen to me?
Just reading how people identified with my feelings gave me the hope to create. It is a reminder that I am not alone. Music is not just about sharing the great but also sharing the bad. It is about sharing everything, and, nowadays, it is really hard to find what is real to a person because of social media.
Diandra: Do you have a song dedicated to social media?
Tita: I have a song called “Almas De Cristal,” and it is about the fakeness and the desire of everyone to be right. In perspective, nobody might be right. Everything is subjective and everyone has opinions. I feel like this generation, Generation Z, are labeled the “Crystal Generation” because we get offended by everything. We have to be so careful in what we post because of the fear of being labeled or labeling. You shouldn’t have to think so much to give your opinion. Social Media is crazy and affects your mind.
Diandra: What is your favorite childhood memory with music?
Tita: My sister would record me dancing to Disney movies and my favorite shows. I owe it to Gaby that I still have them. I love all the times we played together; her asking me to go on stage with her.
Diandra: What Disney character would you be?
Tita: Alice from Wonderland? I don’t know. I have to think. I grew up with so many 90s cartoons, and they were created by someone who really understood childhood. Now, I see they weren’t just for kids.
I really liked Arnold. He is so passive and peaceful. To be honest, maybe, I am more like Helga. I like him, but, maybe, I am as crazy as her. (she laughs) I admire people that are calm because it is really hard. Everyone is so stressed and angry. You know what, I think I’m Spinelli from Recess. She is tough.
Diandra: So wrapping things up, what do you feel this EP represents about you?
Tita: It is really hard to start anything from scratch, and I want people to identify with feeling. You can feel anything and it is normal, and I want people to remember that, sometimes, we don’t know what we are doing. It is okay to feel lonely and just go through the feeling. It is funny because I made this EP a year ago, and I am happy that it is coming out now because it makes sense. I hope that it gives people understanding. It has so many vibes and moods; each song is really different from the other. So there is something for everyone.
