Get to Know Rising Music Artist Qbanaa

With her single, “Truth and Desire,” out now, we took some time to hear more from Qbanaa. Read below to learn more about Qbanaa, the story behind her single, and what’s to come.

Hi Qbanaa! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?

Hey! Thanks so much for having me. So, my parents are Cuban, but I was brought up in Dublin, and we pronounce ‘Cubana’ as if it were written with a Q. So, it’s a bit of a lighthearted way of bringing my two cultures together.

What city are you from and where are you based now?

I grew up in North Frederick Street, D1 until I was 10/11, then moved near the beach with my mam. I moved to London about a year ago because I found a place cheaper to live in than in Dublin and to see if I could venture into the music scene alone, but broke my ankle skateboarding, so had to get surgery and move back home to my mam’s house. So, Dublin for now. I’d love to move to the city if it was feasible!

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?

I have wanted to be a singer. There are videos on my mam’s camcorder of me strumming our Spanish guitar and making up songs from the age of 3. But, I left that dream after some backlash in secondary school and my insecurities. Then, fast forward two years ago, I was in the midst of finishing my psychology degree and my (ex) boyfriend (who had just transferred from a music degree to psychology) knew how much I secretly wanted to be a musician, so he did the first step for me and bought me a singer starter pack. It was the best Christmas present ever and changed my life without being too dramatic. All it takes sometimes is for one person to really believe in you to take the jump. We switched career paths aha. I was so hooked, especially after the positive feedback when I started posting on my Instagram. Producer Presley Butler and Mickzart (who I know work with frequently) reached out to me after listening to my covers, and I ended up collaborating frequently with…