Today we’d like to introduce you to Viridiana (Sisster) Dimayuga.
Hi Viridiana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I was born and raised for the most part in San Diego, CA. Being so close to the border my life has always been a bilingual life in both speaking and Music. Music has been in my life since I was six years old. I started with the Trumpet when my Dad started taking lessons for himself and then teaching me everything he would learn. It wasn’t until I was nine years old that I found out that I could sing. From them on I was part of singing competitions and any music events I could find either at school or outside. When I started playing the guitar, that’s when I started writing songs. I was about 15 years old when I wrote my first song, which led to me writing many other songs and being nominated as the best musician in my school district.
This led to me being accepted to one of the most prestigious music schools in the world Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. I then graduated and kept playing the local scene in San Diego and Tijuana in local venues such as The Manhattan to The House of Blues and The Music Box. I started working on a self-titled EP with producer John Avila, bassist of the 80’s band “Oingo Boingo”. The EP was heard by someone in Universal Music Publishing in the Latin division and that led to me being invited to write music for TV Series and commercials.
In 2019, I moved to Mexico City to promote my EP and it was one of the most difficult and rewarding experiences of my life. The Global pandemic has changed the music industry and as of now I’m just trying to make the best out of it by finding new ways to promote my music.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. But I’m ok with that, because it has made me into the artist I am now. The bumps along the road can definitely inspire you to create something different. Some of the struggles I have seen along the way are mainly due to people not understanding what being an independent musician is. Such as sacrificing being with your Family, investing all of your money with little to no return, staying up late, working odd jobs to sustain the lifestyle of a musician. When you talk to people about what you do, many times you find yourself even avoiding the subject because it’s almost like you’re speaking a different language. I’ve learned to surround myself with people that support what I do and think alike.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Before anything else, I am a Singer-Songwriter. I have been doing this from a very young age and I don’t see myself doing anything else. I am also a music producer. But being an independent musician means that you have to do so much more than just creating. You have to be your own manager, you have to do your own business deals, budgeting, tour managing, promoting and many more things all by yourself. It can be difficult at times when you’re working at a cemetery answering phones while trying to meet your deadlines for your next gig. I actually do work at a cemetery. I would have to say that what I am most proud of is that I haven’t given up! I know it’s something so blah to say but in this industry, a lot of people give up as soon as they feel like it’s more than just making or playing music. And that’s totally ok, but it really takes a lot of discipline to be passionate (as Lady Gaga would say) and that’s just it, every year I am thankful that that passion has not gone away, and if it does for a moment I’m able to find it again.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think the most surprising thing right now is that I work at a Cemetery. I used to not want to talk about it because music is my main priority. But it makes me smile every time I tell someone that I work at a Cemetery because their eyes get really big. But the reason I work here is because the people that I work with understand what I do and support me and my music career.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sisstermusic.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/sisstermusic
- Facebook: facebook.com/sisstermusic
- Twitter: twitter.com/sisstermusic
- Youtube: youtube.com/sisster
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6d7Gn9vZrwwN9gBnKHzdzF?si=scPQXJvqSDS6znQk8IBHWA
Image Credits
Mitzy Martinez Gabriela C Walther Julio Novoa
