Rising Stars: Meet Karen Larrea

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Larrea.

Hi Karen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My passion for music has been since I can clearly remember. As a child, I wanted so badly to be Marie of Donnie & Marie and would sing into a Donnie and Marie microphone that I received for Christmas one year. I have two older siblings and I was exposed to more mature musical artists than the majority of kids my age. As I went into my pre-teen and early teen years I became obsessed as many young girls did to the phenomenon that was the boy band Menudo. I would spend hours upon hours singing every song I could and dreamed of performing with them one day.

In my teen years, I was in an all-girl trio called “Carrousel.” We were signed to SonoTone Latin Records, which was the US subsidiary of SonoGraphica Discos in Venezuela. We toured throughout North, Central and South America and had success with our first hit, “Tu Solamente Tu.” Those memories where amazing and I wish I could have bottled up the feeling of the gift we were given to play along legendary artists such as Celia Cruz, Willy Chirino, Emmanuel, Marc Anthony (this when his genre was just Salsa), Ray Ruiz, Juan Luis Guerra y 440, Luis Miguel and yes my dream of sharing the same stage as Menudo became a reality in the DF, Mexico.

I cherish every moment I was given. Eventually, the trio split up and I accepted an opportunity in South America and became a spokesmodel for Coca-Cola and FIFA World Cup Soccer; it was an amazing experience but came back home after a year due to falling sick and almost losing my life. Once back in Miami and my health regained, I started my music career back up as a solo artist and was blessed to have Superstar Icon “El Caballo Negro” Johnny Ventura as my musical Godfather and produce music for me, I would have to say the highlight was staying at his house and sharing time with him and his family, one of the afternoons we went into the studio and recorded a demo with Juan Luis Guerra who is equally a legend, this all before I was 20!

Like so many others, I fell in love and ended my career in which I was just getting noticed again but choose to marry and start a family. Years went by, I raised my family (I have two amazing children) but music has always been the motor that makes my heart run and I knew I wanted to get back into the business but not as an artist but to create and manage. In 2013 I started managing artists and I began working with DJ Citizen Jane, she was a local Miami DJ and not known at the time outside of South Florida. I worked extremely hard on her career and took her from small Miami clubs playing to 50 people and built her career to the top female Circuit DJ playing for over 40,000 and headlining the most important major festivals including the largest one in the world in Sydney, Australia. I fought the battles against that she is a woman and could not possibly headline and hold the event down and I proved them wrong. My biggest personal validation was this past January securing and negotiating Citizen Jane for the Modelo “Fighting Spirit” advertisement campaign during Covid no less, it definitely has been a cherry on my whip cream knowing my hard work as her manager was worth every battle for her career, I am a complete Mama Bear and make sure my artist are taken care of.

I also work with some major festivals in booking artist for their events, I have built festivals from conception to reality and also been “head of talent” handling all artists at the festivals as well. Right now my focus as a music manger is to the up and coming female singer, songwriter, producer RVCHL (pronounced Rachel). She has been hands down one of the most talented singers to come across in a very long time, she is an incredible talent in all areas, her voice, her writing skills and her creativity as a producer, she is what I call Platinum as an artist, there are no smoke and mirrors with her, RVCHL is a real deal with no autotune. The goal is to take her to the top in the Spanish Language market and cross her over into the English market.

With the dedication and faith that I have in her and our incredible mutual respect of working together as manger and artist she is going to go far globally, I am working on securing her to a major recording label and lining her to collaborate with some of the biggest established Latin Artists on the charts now. She is going to be huge and I already know she will be one go the top artist that will be coming out on the market. Covid may have delayed me a bit but I am laser focused for 2021, there are so many I want to be able to work with, not just artists but colleges in the business as well. I am growing my artist Management company mpm day by day and am proud of what I have been able to accomplish with no formal training just pure drive, determination, my best teacher has been from the best by observing and studying those I look up to as managers such a Walter Kolm, Juan Diego Medina, Amy Thomson and Rebecca Leon, I consider these to be the best in our business. .

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road at all but that drives my determination. You have to really believe in your product which is your artist and make sure you are able to show who you need the vision you see and get them on your artist’s bandwagon. I always say for every 10 no’s in a contract I will get one yes and the majority of the time that one yes is the most important deal of that moment. For me there are no closed doors because remember every building has windows!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in Musical Artist Management. My reputation is pretty impeccable and I am known for my determination. I am a huge protector of my artists and will always get the best performing time slot, deal, publication cover, etc. You have to be their biggest cheerleader. I think what sets me apart is my loyalty to the people I work with I would not operate another way.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
For us in the entertainment world the Covid-19 Crisis brought us to a dead stop and to our knees. A important lesson was that we have to always prepare for something like this going forward. For me I had to rebrand myself and spin off a division within my management company mpm and offer “Certified Covid Compliance Officers” for movie, video, tv and photo shoots for entertainment. We all had to learn how to stay afloat in a different way.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.mpm-florida.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpmentertainment/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mpmentertainmentflorida/
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karen-larrea-8353651a2

Image Credits
Keans Llamera Photography – Studio Pics mpm management – All others