Nelly Furtado Says She Feel Latina, We Think She Can Feel Us Anytime She Likes
18 February 2008, 2:30 PM. By Daniel Mauser
Singer we-had-always-thought-of-as-Latina-anyway, Nelly Furtado, told a Chilean paper that she feels Latina:
“I definitely feel Hispanic, I feel Latina,” the Canadian-born singer of Portuguese decent explained. “I have a very very strong connection with my culture. Singing in Spanish and singing in Portuguese is an extension of my love for my culture.”
We think she might also like feeling the money she makes from singing in multiple languages but, whatevs.
Nelly Furtado: “I Feel Latina” [People en Español]
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She has a cuban bf so yea, i think she has a lil latin in her
So here’s my deal: does Nelly get a Latino-pass by saying she “feels” Latina, despite her being born in a non-Latin country and if she does, then why does Jessica Alba not get the same courtesy when she feels she’s not connected to her Mexicaness due to the lack of cultural influences in her life? I think they’re both validated in their views and I’m tired of this Jessica “Don’t Call Me Latina” shit.
@xica_xicana: ahem, if she does have a Cuban boyfriend, then she has A LOT of latin in her, not “a lil”, if you know what I mean…
@realdivas: Well, Nelly hasn’t been blabbing about all sorts of anti-Latin nonsense like Jess has, so yes, she sort of gets a pass…Although I am mildly troubled by Nelly’s stereotypical hoop-earrings-and-massive-eyeliner look, is she trying to pass for chola?
Nelly speaks Spanish rather well. Much better than J-Lo or Jessica Alba. Probably better than a lot of us who read the blog. She pays homage and respects the culture. Respect, sister, respect.
Also, last time I checked Portuguese is a Latin language which is why she speaks Spanish pretty impressively. There has always been a spirit of inclusion towards artists who spea Spanish impeccably (Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazotti and many others). Any one of those artists can claim they feel Latino and have credibility in my book.
I’ve always considered Nelly Furtado a Latina, and when I interviewed her two years ago for the now defunct unChin magazine, she expressed her love of her Portuguese culture, heritage and her enjoyment singing in Spanish. And yes, Portugal is a Latin country because Portuguese came from Latin as does French, Italian and Romanian. Please stop with the Hispanic nonsense. Hispanic was a term dreamed up by census takers during the Nixon administration. It identifies people from Latin American countries once ruled or influenced by Spain. So, Brazilians are Latinos but not Hispanics. Ditto Portuguese. The other two countries in South America that are not Spanish or Portuguese speaking, Guyana and Suriname may be considered Latin American but not Latino…They are Latin American by Geography. And since French Guiana is French speaking, they may be considered Latino. Sheesh!
@cacy: Point well taken, but a few points of correction.
Guyana and Suriname are South American by geography, not Latin American. Haiti is Latin America, but the Belize and Jamaica are not. A few Argentines I’ve met have told me Quebec is Latin America (which following this definition, makes sense, i.e. speaks a Latin language, is in America), but I’m not buying that…
GO NELLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i Wished i was latina too!!!! SO I SHOULD START CONSIDERING MYSLEF ONE TWO!!!:)