RIMEL: Tita, Shely, Melen and Letty. Photo: José Guzmán
Letty was always the musical one. Singing at family events and bonding with her father over the norteño style of music that they had grown up with in Chihuahua in northwestern México. Then, one day out of the blue Letty’s father took her and her two sisters to the music store to pick out some instruments. After being tempted with the accordion, Letty settled on the guitar, Shelly with the accordion, and after having the snare drum on the wrong side of the kit for the first time through, Melen fell for the drums. What started out as three girls with no real idea of what they were doing slowly transformed into an empowering group knocking down society’s barriers.
RIMEL is not your average group by any stretch of the imagination. The name itself, Letty explained, is very feminine (meaning mascara in English) and doesn’t identify with any particular genre of music, a symbol for their eclectic taste in music.
As the eldest sister, Letty was born in Chihuahua while her two sisters were born in Chicago where they would all grow up together. What has transpired is the formation of an all female group that fully embraces the multiculturalism of today’s society, which they are a direct reflection of.
“It was fun starting the band especially because none of us knew what we were playing,” Letty said. “But we did it with excitement and anything you pursue with passion is a form of empowerment.”
And the sisters have stayed excited and passionate. Not only is the regional and norteño Mexican music scene predominantly male driven, but Mexican culture has long been dominated by an air of machismo, a strong or aggressive sense of masculine pride. RIMEL has attacked those barriers head on and have used their own diversity to appeal to a wide demographic of people.
“We’re just trying to show young people that it’s awesome to embrace both cultures and express them through your art,” Letty said.
Though any commitment must start with oneself. Contrary to many other Latina artists topping music charts and frequenting radio stations, the sisters in RIMEL will not exploit their bodies or play narcocorridos, and they are firmly rooted in these beliefs. Everything that these women do comes with a strong message that aims to empower.
“Tratamos de enfocarnos más en el arte, la música, el mensaje de la letra,” dijo Letty. “Una gran cantidad de nuestros temas trae un mensaje de superación, empleando esta como el motor de la vida diaria del latino. Las cuatro integrantes trabajamos duro y queremos lograr hacer una marca en el ambiente y tenemos las mismas metas musicales.”
What’s more is that the three sisters are not just focused on how they present themselves to their audience, but also on what they decide to put into their bodies.
“We became vegetarians over a decade ago to achieve a healthier lifestyle,” Letty said. “También en México en el rancho, nos encariñamos con los becerros o los pollos por ejemplo, y luego se convertían en nuestra cena, y eso nos causó tristeza.”
While Mexican culture has traditionally relied heavily on using the land to harvest beans, corn and chili peppers, the presence of the Spanish introduced new meats and cheeses that found their way into everyday meals. Today chicken, beef and pork are staples of the Mexican cuisine. Despite the fact that vegetarianism and veganism are growing in popularity around the world, it is still quite uncommon in México.
“Although vegetarianism is becoming popular particularly in major cities of Mexico, it’s still quite uncommon,” Letty said. “A veces nos da pena no poder comer ciertos platillos que preparan pero lo bueno es que un arrocito con frijoles y aguacate en una tortilla nos llena el estomago y quedamos felices.”
Since the beginning these sisters have always been about taking the extra effort. Whether it’s mastering the art of playing music together or making sure that their bodies are taken care of, the sisters have a message to be heard. And it’s a message that many people in Chicago can relate to.
“Estoy orgullosa de haber nacido en Chihuahua y haberme creado en Estados Unidos,” dijo Letty. “I feel like I have the best of both worlds. Also, a lot of our audience can relate to this scenario, being that they grew up in this country with a Mexican upbringing as we did.”
“We grew up with the Mexican and American traditions and feel that it is an important part of our music,” Letty said. “If it wasn’t for our father, we would have never loved norteño music as much as we do. Podemos estar escuchando algo muy regional mexicano y luego algún tema de rock clásico americano.”
2015 was a whirlwind of a year for Letty and her sisters with the recording process and adding a fourth member to the group. Over the course of the last year they worked with a number of talented musicians and grew tremendously as individuals and as a group. With plans to release a full length album and tour more extensively along the west coast and México, it seems RIMEL will be extending their message of empowerment across the continent.
“No se va a dar de un día para otro y hay que aprender a hacer las cosas con mucho esfuerzo y respeto como todas las mujeres funcionales en la sociedad,” dijo Letty. “Like so many other women in our community, we are working very hard every day with enthusiasm for the future.”
“Rimel es un proyecto que viene desde abajo y queremos demostrar con hechos de que se pueden realizar los sueños trabajando.”
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Parker Asmann is a 2015 graduate of DePaul University with degrees in Journalism and Spanish, along with a minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. He is currently residing in Chicago while focusing on issues of social justice and human rights. He is a member of El BeiSMans Editorial Board.