Chico Sierra is an accomplished and multi-talented artist whose poems, visual art, photography and music emanate from a desire for, as he puts it, "an open connection between the audience and myself." His music connects elements from acoustic folk and blues with spoken word poetry. We are grateful to share an exclusive interview with and recommendations from the artist himself.
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Please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally and where do you live and work currently? My name is Chico Sierra and I am originally from El Paso, TX. I live in Historic Northeast Kansas City.
You’re a multidisciplinary artist in the truest sense: a photographer, sculptor, poet and musician. What do you see as the main connection(s) between your music and your visual art? There is a need to be genuine with my expression, no matter what the medium. I strive for accessibility. I want to be open, I don't want there to be any mystery about what I am trying to say. Whether I'm painting, singing, speaking or writing I want there to be an open connection between the audience and myself.
Describe a typical day. How you prioritize your work? I prioritize by emotion, depending on the feeling that is currently at the edge of my my mind will dictate the medium, whatever is drawing me in at the moment. It may not make the most sense as far as timing is concerned but it keeps my work honest.
What inspired the collection of songs you’ve shared on Soundcloud? My music has always been centered around themes of love, loss, and longing. It is by far my most cathartic form of expression and which is why I think it tends to be more emotional and raw.
What inspires you about music and art in Kansas City? I love the overlapping artistic communities and the ability of artists to collaborate and learn from one another. There is an openness.
Chico's recommendations from the Johnson County Library catalog:
The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Caramelo by Sandra Cisneros
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe