Exclusive: Amara La Negra Talks About Giving Back Amid The Pandemic & Collaborating On ‘Ándale’

With a sigh of exhaustion, Amara La Negra clicks open another news article that outlines American concert cancelations as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. 

The Latin pop singer, author, dancer, and actress has been building entrepreneurially since her heydays entertaining as a child star on Spanish-language TV. Now more than ever, the Miami-bred Dominicana‘s ambitions are honed by her innovations within the mainstream — most of which face delays. “I am multi-tasking while I am taking this interview,” she says on speakerphone. “Woo! I’m online reading a coronavirus story that says musical artists may not be able to do concerts until the fall of 2021. That is very scary.”

La Negra‘s fear of the unknown is shared among creative professionals at-large, and quite frankly with the world. Amid COVID-19’s fluctuating stay-at-home orders, triggered unemployment rates, and a global death toll that exceeds 200,000 — livelihoods are threatened on multiple fronts. Even so, Amara La Negra turns to social media in hopes of coping with the mental effects of these conditions, unifying her followers through new music.

“Ándale,” her latest collaboration with distinguished producer, Kevin “Khao” Cates, brought listeners her rap debut and a CashApp-backed viral dance challenge. “Beyond health, this is messing everybody’s money up. I don’t want fans to become overwhelmingly discouraged. Right now, $500 can come in very handy,” Amara La Negra explained.

To her core fanbase, contributions like the dance challenge are habitual. The multi-hyphenate routinely uplifts her supporters through shared affirmations and extends her resources across online platforms, as well as, philanthropically. And while Amara La Negra is arguably known for her distinctness on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Miami, to limit the Afro-Latina’s North American prominence to the likes of reality television figures would be erroneous. The luminary has longtime educated the masses on the beauty of her blackness.

Racism remains prevalent throughout the Caribbean, and amid her doing the complex work of tackling colorism, Amara La Negra remains dedicated to uplifting her beloved República Dominicana. And yet, much of cyberspace still draws upon ahistorical hatred. La Negra‘s social media accounts are often ridden with attacks questioning the authenticity of her Latinidad or the duality of her personality. At the swipe of a cell phone screen, the entertainer can be found either twerking down her follower’s timelines or sharing scripture verses aloud via Instagram Live.

Let’s be honest. If we are saying it plainly, the “What a Bam Bam” crooner’s adaptability is cross-examined because many Top 40 favorites don’t possess that range. The Knockturnal connected with Amara La Negra to reflect on her donation of 100,000 pesos to the Dominican Republic, navigating toward wellness during a time of uncertainty, and her latest release during the open-ended quarantine. 

Read the full story by Bianca Alysse on The Knockturnal.com