Flavia Abadia (aka Your Girl Flav) has had quite the success in her young career. She’s a sought-out DJ not just in Toronto but around the globe, recently playing in a bunch of Barcelona hot spots. In addition, she’s also an eminent singer-songwriter here in Toronto, having released an EP and a bunch of singles with a full LP on the way! Her recent single “Trumpets” is a huge success and she even travelled all the way to Havana to shoot the video.
Flavia sat down with RX Music to discuss her DJ and music career, a second chance that inspired her to pursue her dream fully, her new single “Vete” and being the first (and only!) female to DJ a Toronto Raptors game.
RX Music LIVE: Thanks for taking the time, Flavia. You seem to be everywhere these days. How’s life going?
Flavia: Life is going well! It’s busy, but I’m happy I’m doing what I love.
RX Music LIVE: I see that you were recently doing some work in Spain. What brought you all the way out there?
Flavia: I was actually DJ’ing in Barcelona. I played in a few different places. I was also doing some photo shoots there. It’s such a beautiful city!
RX Music LIVE: You recently DJ’d at a Raptors game. That’s incredible. Did you get to meet any of them?
Flavia: No, unfortunately I didn’t get to meet any of them. Yeah, it was a game against the Houston Rockets on March 5th of this year, the week of International Women’s Day. It was really cool. I got to DJ the full game and the halftime show, which I actually got to perform one of my songs.
RX Music LIVE: To date, you’re the first and only female to have DJ’d a Raptors game. How rewarding is that, now knowing how the season turned out for the Raptors? That must have made the experience even more special.
Flavia: Yes! I don’t know the words to describe it. It was a really great experience and I prepared a lot for it ahead of time. It was just really wow. I’m so glad that they picked me and that they trusted me with the task. I really hope to do it again soon!
RX Music LIVE: Which came first – DJ’ing or singing? And did one inspire the other in any way?
Flavia: I’ve been singing since I was a little kid. Some of my earliest memories are me on the playground singing to myself and having so much fun. I think I was about 3 or 4 years old. Around 2nd grade when I was in Canada I would make mixtapes, just recording the radio or from CD’s onto a tape. I would give the tape to the bus driver and on the way to school, the whole bus would be listening to the music that I curated on the tape. That was kind of my first experiencing DJ’ing. I started doing it more seriously later on in my life. Actually, after a significant accident I had in 2013, part of my healing process was through music.
RX Music LIVE: Obviously your grandfather is a well-known Colombian actor. Is it fair to say you got the entertainment bug from him?
Flavia: I think so, I really admire him. He’s on my Mom’s side and on my Dad’s side, my grandmother was a piano teacher and a visual artist so I have it on both sides of the family. Unfortunately they’re no longer with us, but I hope to make them proud.
RX Music LIVE: As a DJ, is there a certain style of music you like to play over others?
Flavia: It really depends on the party, the client and the demographic. I just cater the music to the crowd I’m working with. I really liked playing in Barcelona because the crowd there was amazing. There are a lot of Spanish people, of course, and tourists, and I love playing Latin and mixing it with some Dancehall, Top 40, a little but of Hip-Hop. I love that kind of music.
RX Music LIVE: What’s your favourite thing about making music?
Flavia: That’s a great question. I love getting to create something. When you’re creating music out of nothing, I feel like you’re really connected to the universe. It just comes to you. I love the creation process, and I love performing. There’s too much that I love about it.
RX Music LIVE: Tell us about the new single and the inspiration behind it.
Flavia: “Vete” is my second full-Spanish song. It’s a champeta song which is a tropical style from the coast of Colombia. I was inspired to create it after a trip and experience I had there. Sometimes it’s better to have certain people out of our lives, it makes us feel lighter and it’s actually a positive thing. That’s what “Vete” is about. The song is a release and a celebration of moving on to a new chapter after finally saying you’ve had enough. Writing this was very therapeutic and I love that it’s a tropical, happy and danceable song.
RX Music LIVE: You have been granted a wish to open for any artist in the world. Who is it?
Flavia: I think right now it would be J. Balvin. I would love to open for him. He was just in Toronto – I went to see the show and it was great!
RX Music LIVE: Besides the new single, what else can we expect from the world of Flavia?
Flavia: A series of singles and a full album in 2020 which I’m super excited about. I’d also like to tour a lot more and even do a couple of dates in South America.
