There are over 11,970 artists in the United States, according to career site Zippia, which also notes that 11.4% of them are Hispanic or Latino. As of February 2022, Billboard.com reports that women are still underrepresented in Latin music, but we have seen “small, measurable growth.”
One woman is on a mission to change that and has been making waves. Estani Frizzell is an Irish and Mexican American artist whose Latin music has achieved international acclaim. Though she now lives in Austin with her daughter Sophia, Frizzell was born in San Antonio and lived more than two decades in Los Angeles, where she spent 11 years as a teacher. Over the course of her musical career, Frizzell has participated in world tours, performed on programs like The Tonight Show, and continues to maintain her status as a voting member of the Grammys. She has toured with internationally known 13-time Grammy and Latin Grammy winner Joan Sebastian, and she has been nominated for three Hollywood Music in Media Awards for her own music. She has also earned an Official Selection for Best Music Video by the Montreal International Film Festival, Los Angeles Independent Women in Film Festival, and Toronto International Women Film Festival.
But her work in the arts doesn’t stop there. Frizzell tells LittleThings that her upcoming children’s book, Introducing Sai the Peacock: The Unique Beak, is a metaphor related to her background and life, and the story is an expression of the author’s own efforts to embrace her unique talents and pursue her passions. Frizzell has wanted to write children’s books since the birth of her daughter, and she used her decades of experience as a singer-songwriter to cultivate a story that not only inspires and motivates through its colorful characters but also engages the reader through its rhythmic, musical verse. With its lyrical feel and triumphant narrative, The Unique Beak is an encapsulation of Frizzell’s inspiring trajectory as an artist and mother.
Her own journey in the arts began as a child. Frizzell shares, “I began playing music when I was 9 years old. I was in an after-school orchestra program and began playing cello, although I always loved to sing!” Today, she also plays piano.
She is inspired by “determination and a belief in one’s self," she says, "even when the odds are stacked against the outcome. That is always inspiring to me and makes me motivated and inspired to make my goals become reality as well.”
Music has always helped raise her confidence. “I was really seeking approval from a variety of sources outside of myself at one point in my life,” admits Frizzell. “It is a very difficult place to be emotionally since the wrong people that pick up on those social cues can take advantage of that energy. It can be draining, and the feeling of never being good enough can be overwhelming. The moment I decided to look inward instead of outward, my music, my writing, and my sound felt as if it had finally been released in some way. It gave me the confidence as well to surround myself with energy that is uplifting.”
She believes that identifying the ways in which we have overcome our own insecurities can actually help us achieve our goals. “Knowing that you had the strength to push through something that puts a spotlight on your insecurity or makes it obvious you’re not sure about something is a feat to applaud in and of itself. Sometimes just that thought alone is enough to make someone stay in a position of comfort and status quo and never take risks. When anyone puts themselves in a vulnerable position and can look back and see how those situations made them grow, it naturally builds confidence in knowing you made it through to the other side and succeeded over your insecurities. Each time that happens, our insecurities have less and less of a hold over us and might help others identify with their strengths in their insecurities.”
Frizzell leverages her weaknesses as tools to succeed. She notes, “I find things within myself that scare me or make me uncomfortable. I face those fears, or weaknesses, and find ways to incorporate them into projects I want to accomplish or make happen. It’s not easy, but the want to have your goal accomplished has to be bigger than the weaknesses or fears to not do it. Once I have overcome them, it becomes easier over time.”
One weakness she turned into a strength is being a single mom. “I raised my daughter as a single mother in Los Angeles. We had no family in Los Angeles, so I ultimately had to quit my job as a touring backup vocalist when my daughter was turning 4 years old. I was the only one who could take her to school. Fortunately, I found a private school close by where I not only enrolled her but found work myself as a schoolteacher. I worked there for seven years. It was a perfect situation, given that I was able to be with her all the time and I met families that I trusted and were able to provide care for my daughter when I had to work. I was still singing for evening performances to make ends meet. However, no matter how late my shows ended, I always picked her up and was grateful the families would allow that. I always wanted her to wake up in her bed at home with me.”
The Unique Beak book is also inspired by her daughter, now age 18, who illustrated the book. “Sophia and I laugh a lot and used to make up stories often when she was a child,” recalls Frizzell. “We lived around an area of LA where many peacocks live. I thought it strange to see such regal, beautiful birds out of their element. I would always wonder about their story and why they were in abundance in this one little area. Sophia would wonder this as well. I researched the history and found myself wanting to write about it from the bird’s perspective. From that point, whenever we would see the birds while driving home from school, I would tell her one of them is on tour and the others followed. Of course, I had to bring singing and touring into this story! We went into such long detail about the story that I decided to write a children’s book about it!”
The book has strengthened their relationship, and embarking on the project together has given them new skills for communicating. Frizzell says, “Mutual respect and open communication are such a vital part of a parent/child relationship regardless of age. We’ve always demonstrated this toward each other. Having this project has enabled us to take away the label of mother and daughter and become business partners with a clear understanding of the collaborative effort needed to make this successful. I can’t do this without her and vice versa. I think having that outlook gives us different and valuable ways to communicate and strengthen our bond even further.”
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