Vincena is shattering traditional stigmas that women ‘must’ abide by to be sure of relational security. The ‘don’t say what you feel, just be pretty’ commandment refers to the generational teachings of women and submission.
In modern times, women choose submission. Women choose who they want to be submissive to. A woman can freely own her power whenever she’d like, according to Vincena.
Double tapping through each photo on her Instagram tells a story of a gypsy woman, hair flowing wild and free. If you want to know what a gypsy woman is, listen closely.
Who is Vincena?
Vincena: I am a young black woman indie artist on a divine quest for freedom. A gypsy woman.
Listening to her speaking voice over the phone is a much different experience than hearing her voice over wax. On the phone she is this mysterious being who is radical yet soft spoken. More like an ethereal being with an authentic soul sound.
She is a steam pot bustling over with new ideas. However, over wax the sister gives us a sultry, contralto vibe, remnant of the early 90s songstress, Toni Braxton.
“A woman who knows her power knows the wealth of a higher womanhood.”
What is your star sign?
V: I am a Cancer. I know they say we’re emotional, but I love that I’m emotional.” She adds, “I’ve come to a full awareness of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is when one can examine emotions, feel them and process them knowing that emotion always comes from a place that can be rational.
Where are you from?
V: Philly—gritty, hard-bodied, very black, creative, edgy, make or break you kind of concrete jungle. However, I was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. We moved to Philly when I was 8. We moved from the suburbs to the heart of Philly. I noticed a major shift but I can shape-shift. I adapted easily. I’m a Chamaeleon-aire.” She chuckles and adds, “What I Iove most about Philly is the undying brotherly love.”
Who influences your music the most?
V: The timeless Chaka Khan. She embodies the tenacity of being every woman. She is eclectic and does it her own way; her songwriting skills—she’s my all-time fave. Brandy, the way she uses her voice, Anita Baker’s tone and Kim Burrell’s runs.
What inspired “Drive By”?
V: My friend Molly and I were kicking it during quarantine, stressing over f*ck boys and talking about how screwed our situations were, so we came up with the idea of making a song about women taking their power back. We want to take control sometimes. Why can’t we be aggressive? Let me pull up when I want to. Women are allowed to pursue men too.
Molly, the producer, started making the beat. So, I was like ‘ight, bet. I just started singing the chorus over and over, until it was an entire song. We wanted something alive, something upbeat! We screamed, “This is it! This is the one” at each other. Funny to say, it all happened over girl talk.
How did your creative process change over the pandemic?
V: It’s still changing. I’m on a constant writing wave, anything from becoming obsessive over visuals to being inspired by conversations with my family and friends.
What else is in store for Vincena?
V: Gypsy Funk, a sonic aesthetic that has yet to be seen, to be heard. I am looking to introduce a new genre, Gypsy funk, melodic sonic soul funk sounds but with a little pop, and folk music. Her inspirations include Chaka Khan, Stevie Nicks (especially in Fleetwood Mac) and Erykah Badu.
I am a proud lead singer of our band, Gypsy Funk. We have a new album that releases in February that we call Gypsy Funk. The brand is Gypsy Funk, the band is Gypsy Funk, and the genre is gypsy funk—a sonic aesthetic.
As we wrap up, Vincena, do you want add anymore comments?
V: I’d like to profess my love for musicians, I want to make sure we maintain the art of musicianship and continue to keep music alive.” I used to play the tambourine in church, so when I’m on stage, I perform with a tambourine. I want our performances to stand out.
She names each member of the band and the roles that they play in the band.
Gypsy Funk will be performing at World Café Live in Philly, the date is TBA.”
“My soul oath to women is to continue advocating for us and our rights to the expression of sex, guiding other goddesses to the wondrous world of women defying societal standards and terms placed on us. It’s okay to be vulnerable, it’s okay to say I love you first.”
What a pleasure it was to interview such a radiant human being.
Check out her new single, “Drive By” Produced by Molly. You can find it on Apple Music, Tidal and Spotify.
The visual for “Drive By” will drop on November 5. Stay tuned!
Check out her social media:
