Star Blue, the artist that went from social isolation to musical therapy
Estrella Blue. That’s the name she says is on her birth certificate. Which is why it was easy for her to direct the spotlight to her stage name: Star Blue.
It was only four years ago that she began to have an active role in cultural management in Sonoma County, organizing concerts, comedy nights and open mic sessions in local forums. Now, after overcoming a sickness she has started her own band and published her first EP. And moving forward.
Within a short time coming out of her ostracism she was organizing her own concerts, performing songs that she had composed with a ukulele that her sister Llano River Blue taught her to play, and involving more diverse people into the local cultural scene, creating bridges with the Latino community, lesbian and gay artists, queers, and people with different abilities, becoming an activist for inclusion.
She understands what social isolation feels like. As soon as she left Sonoma County to pursue her cinematic dreams at the Southern California University, Los Angeles, doctors diagnosed her with fibromyalgia, a condition that affects her joints, causing chronic pain and fatigue, and more, made her feel disconnected of her creative abilities
"Soon after that I spent my life without much creativity, feeling physically exhausted and isolated from the community," she said.
In 2015 she got an invitation to an open mic party, where anyone could share their talents, be they musical, literary, comical, even political.
"My life took a turn," Blue recalled. "I felt it was worth living. I started playing ukulele, enjoying the music that others were creating, making new friends. I was less isolated and much more open."
Her activities on the stage reached its peak last year when she formed her own Star Blue Band, releasing her first songs. Although this “folk punk feminist” band as she calls it, closed its cycle in November to give birth to a new punk project, where she will trade the ukulele for synthesizers and continue composing and singing songs with her same line of feminism, social justice topics, accessibility and inclusion, "writing from the perspective of a queer Mexican American woman."
She also recorded her first EP, entitled "Effortless EP", with those first compositions, which you can listen to on this link.
“In this phase, I consider myself to be an activist for diversity and accessibility within the open mic scene and the music and arts scene in Sonoma County,” said Blue.
For her, the ukulele has been a strong healing instrument. She recommended to anyone who wants to go through a musical therapy. "It's easy to play, cheap and creates a good vibe," she said.
The cultural and artistic atmosphere in Sonoma County is rich and diverse, she said. “There is live music all the time, every day of the week, in up to 20 places in Sonoma County. There is a lot, but could also be scrappy and underground,” she said.
One of the places that makes her more pride is the Whiskey Tip, for its inclusion and diversity in the public and among the participants. "It feels like it’s everyone's place and for everyone."
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Reach La Prensa Sonoma’s Editor Ricardo Ibarra at 707-526-8501 or email ricardo.ibarra@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ricardibarra.
