Verito Asprilla and the music that defends itself

Although he was born, raised and continues to live in Tumaco, wherever Verito came from, he has a devastating energy that emanates from his core. Of course her flavor comes from her peaceful roots, but she wants to distance herself from that commonplace that makes people appreciate her music more for its humble extract than for her talent. The lyrics of his single So let them dance It sticks easily and in a matter of seconds you are humming “Epe sopo sepe hipi zopo so they can dance!” It is impossible to hear her sing without her chest and neck automatically beginning to vibrate to the rhythm of her flow until infecting the rest of the body. All Afro musical currents in the world converge in his style organically. Nothing seems to be there for free or on loan.

As a child, Verito wanted to be a presenter, “of documentaries or some awards, but to have it staged on stage.” Although she speaks very little about her family and the difficulties she has had to go through, she assures that her mother “did everything possible for her to have a healthy environment.” Her musical beginnings began in Corazón de Arrullo, a traditional folk music group in which she learned a lot from her teacher, Nurys, The Burning Black. Then came a big turning point, when at 16 she covered the song Reachby Mike Towers. In the video, a very self-confident little girl appeared with the perfect beauty of an Alicia Keys and the narrative power of any recognized rapper, singing with flow own and overwhelming: “I will be a singer no matter what happens. Better not underestimate me because I can teach you.”

Then Llorona Records appeared and offered her a contract to record and represent it under their Discos Pacífico label. Verito began to break it and today she is contracted to play on stages as important as Lollapalooza, in Chile, but she has understood that her success is the product of slow and dedicated teamwork, which is why she is not eager to know what is going on. to happen in five years, because he is aware that his musical project does not depend only on his talent. “That’s the beauty of the future, the unexpected.”

In the same way, Verito would not erase anything that she has experienced, neither good nor bad, and if she had the possibility of giving advice to the girl she was, “I would tell her not to avoid anything because everything that has happened to her and is going to happen is part of your destiny”, as well as that it will be decisive that you remain humble – understanding humility, not as the pantomime of showing yourself tinybut as the ability to perceive the real size that one occupies in the world.

Since machismo has had too much of an impact on her life, Verito gives value and echo to the strength of women like her mother. “She is a warrior, like everyone in my community, because that’s how she touched them.” That is why she still continues to take refuge in her lilac world, the name with which she wanted to baptize her album and the color that she adored since she was a child. When she felt sad she would immediately think of something lilac to feel safe and contained, and she wants other women to enter her lilac world and “identify it as a safe place where women always shine.” . “In the world of music there is not room for so many women and when one manages to stand out, the bullshit is on both sides, they don’t give it to you just because they think you’re lucky, nothing more.”

And although, without a doubt, everything in life has a component of luck or serendipity, Verito’s music stands alone: ​​“Only men are supposed to do this, in every corner of the world you will know my name as Verito Asprilla , the one that always makes the mess.”

Like any 19-year-old, he has a long way to go. He says that he wants to study Psychology because he would like to be able to help “so many young people who have traumas that they have not been able to detect,” and that writing is very important, since it helped him cope with the mourning of his favorite cousin.

The truth is that for now he is always humming something in his mind and seems to answer every question as if he wanted to say it by rapping. Everything about her is a constant flow and her spontaneity seems to be, not a premonition, but a certainty that Verito will have a robust and important career. As one of the verses of the song that she made her know says: “I will be the best thing you have ever heard, you will not understand the quality of this sound.” Verito does not position herself as an artist who commands the show because of her humble background or her color. In terms of talent, the black race is on the inside.

*Ecopetrol, Movistar and Fundación Corona support.