My Secret Project

I have been thinking for quite some time about performing a number to this band. See, not only the song but the bandmates are extremely important to me they are my surrogate big brothers and have watched me (literally) grow up. I cannot thank them enough for all of the experiences and I learned so much about performing and being an artist, couldn't have picked a better person than my older brother.
Thank you and much love

Little Sis
Natalia

Orbit - Mayday(Embassy): http://youtu.be/14j7NaZRNxk

Answering the Race Debate

This is a topic which truly hits home for me and for some it has actually been a debate and questions surrounding it. Also, over the past couple months I have been getting some "hate" regarding the race issue and being a performer I come across transcending stereotypes, prejudices and misconceptions from a great deal of people.
  I also think that as part of our society [and human nature] we feel more comfortable "labeling" others and if someone does not fall into one particular category it makes us question entirely our society. We live in a very black and white culture...literally and for most people a person almost has to be one or the other.

So this brings up the debate about my heritage and some have even criticised me on the notion [you know, the whole "delusional" thing lol] about my ethnicity. Well, the only way I can describe it is this way:

My family is alittle bit like the singer Shakira [her family is Lebanese but she was born and raised in Columbia] so it was almost the same concept. My sisters and I were born in Thailand a small suburb so to speak of Bangkok. Culturally, my Dad was Ukrainian and my Mum was Native American; my Dad because of his work with the US government and the military my sisters and I were born there. My sisters are much older than I am 12-15 years older so they decided to remain there and attend college; they've lived in Thailand much longer and if fact consider themselves Asian and Thai. There had even been questions about myself as to whether I do the same and not necessary.
 
I think most of this is because being the youngest I came to the United States when I was still a baby for the most part [about 2 years old] so I have very few memories of Thailand unlike my older siblings. They feel more comfortable there and with Thai culture and I have respect for that and I can understand it must be difficult coming here different language, adjusting to a difficult culture people don't realise how difficult that is. I saw this with my sisters and my relatives who are from Ukraine and Eastern European.

 So racially what do I identify as? I identify myself as a human being first and foremost and I feel more connected to my Native heritage I've been lucky to have parents from two amazing cultures and histories but yes I do feel more "Native" if people want me to fully disclose. Yes, I do speak and read Russian and Ukrainian, I am an Eastern Orthodox Christian but racially, I identify as Native.

Some people want to criticise this and that is fine, people will always have their own opinions and I cannot make people see things from my point of view and vice versa. I do know many will try to market me as African-American etc and it doesn't offend me but does it feel uncomfortable somewhat because it is not who I am as a person, instead try to "market" me as a human being. I think people make race too much of everything a person is talented, they're talented and I think continuing to label people with race only divides us even more.

Promote humanity instead of race. Think it can be far more effective.