Salina was born and raised in South Texas, where a mixed world of top 40 hits and Tejano music wafted out of the local radio stations.  Selena y Los Dinos was the talk of the town, and when Salina was given an old mix tape (an actual one from the 80’s) of classical pieces, she was hooked.  She spent hours in her room delicately straightening the precious ribbon of tape that always got stuck in the tape deck. 

Her dedication persisted when, after surviving a trauma to her right eye, she spent many lonely hours on the road, going from one eye specialist to the next.  Throughout her childhood, the reality of living without her right eye had psychological and physical implications.  Salina was constantly taking precautions to avoid infections and spent most of her time indoors.  Eventually she found classical music to be a form of therapy and comfort.

When she was 8 years-old, a music teacher fell in love with her voice and pushed her to use it.  The stage soon became a haven, as she traveled to competitions and won awards throughout the years, both in singing and acting; she excelled at comedy.  Yet, at the same time - though many don't notice - Salina can be paralyzed by stage fright.  She even lost her voice upon learning she was a candidate for top soprano vocalist in Texas at 17.  Convinced she no longer had a voice, she dropped out and was heartbroken.

Almost fourteen years later, her classical vocal coach affirmed that she still had a voice – a near three-octave range.  “The day I found out it was all due to some psychological paralysis,” she says, “was the day I wrote my first song.  It was terrible, but I was crying happy tears for at least a month.”

Picking up a borrowed guitar, Salina started writing the songs she said she’d never share with the world.  She still plays it safe with her voice, writing in her lower range, focusing on deeply personal, folk-inflected tunes - stories about the human condition.  NEW DAY COMIN’ is her second album release; an EP of six songs that have been described as beautiful, hypnotic, evocative, and stunning. 

Although clearly her own talent, Salina has been inspired by an aggressively eclectic catalog of influences: “Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Tori Amos, Lila Downs…” she ticks off. “I love listening to Sissel, a Norwegian soprano. And I love Eminem. I listen to everything."

You can expect Salina to continue experimenting more with her vocal range and writing style for years to come.  Currently, she can be found traveling, touring her new music, collaborating with fine artists, and writing.