My life has always been inspired by music and art in all their shapes, even before I was born. One May night, with two months left for my birth, my parents were listening to good old music with a warm coffee, when a song called "Donna" by Ritchie Valens started ...
"Oh, Donna, Donna, I had a girl, donna was her name"
Eventhough it seems hard to believe, my name (Dhanna) was inspired by that song because this song, to my mother's ears, when Ritchie Valens sang "Oh, Donna. Oh, Donna" ,sounded like "Oh, Danna. Oh, Danna", and she decided, as well as my father, to called me Dhanna.
I am not sure if my name's origin have something to do with this, but I consider myself completely addicted to music of the last century. Janis Joplin is such a strong vice for me. Actually, all the music of the 60's is my addiction; perhaps this is thanks to my love for freedom... or maybe my love for freedom is thanks to my music taste.
I have always thought that music is the language that bring us all together, that magic ship capable of transport us to any time we want. Along with theater, I love theater so much that I cannot decide which one is my favorite in the whole world: Theater or music?
My life have been surrounded with art since I was born. My grandmother of my mother's side is an actress of theater and television. Her name is Romelia Agüero, she is well known in my home country Venezuela. My grandfather, my mother's father, was also actor of theater and television. My mother too. My uncle too. Certainly, what is said about "the art is carried in the veins" must have some truth because if you did not see this coming I am theatre actress too. Specifically, musical theater. Yes, I also sing.
There is no moment when I feel more free, and more myself that being on stage. It does not matter if it is big or small. It does not matter how many spectators I have in front of me, I simply enjoy everything about this: the nerves minutes before a scene, the butterflies in my stomach, the applauses... felling vulnerable in front of dozens of strangers. All those things make me want to be on the strange the rest of my life. It amazes me how something that last so little can make you feel something so eternal.
Here is a little part of my musical presentations in which I play Ursula from "The Little Mermaid".
I try to live my life with calm. I enjoy afternoons in font of my window watching the beautiful landscape while Bob Dylan is on as background. I love being at home. I live surrounded of a stunning forests between mountains that give me the best sunrises and sunsets on the earth. I'm sure nowhere in this world I will find such a magic place like my home. With nature everywhere I feel full and happy.
In my home you can breathe a lot of peace and love. I live with my parents, and eventhough I am only child, I have never felt the lack of siblings well I have 24. Yes, you did read the amount right. I have 24 siblings. But let me tell you, these aren't common siblings: each one has 4 paws and a tail. "How is this possible?" Let me explain it to you. My father has dedicated his life to rescue street animals. I inherited the artistic vein from my mother, but from my father I inherited his big love for animals. At home we have a total of 15 dogs, and 9 cats; every one of them with its particular story, one saddest than the other, however, everyone with a happy ending. My mom, my dad, and I are dedicated to save abandoned animals or in danger. We take care of them until we find them a new home, but in most of the cases we can't find a family, so those ones end up staying with us. And that's how we accomplished the insane amount of 24 pets! I definitely had a privileged childhood. While a lot of kids were begging their parents to buy them a puppy, I was always full of beautiful animals that never doubted on giving me all their love. Sometimes I ask myself, who saves who?, if us to them or them to us.
As it was expected, after being raised with animals everywhere, I leaned to respect the Mother Nature. Since I was a little girl my parents taught me every kind of life (for how small it is) deserves respect, and that I can't end anyone's life, not even with the one of a insect. That must be the cause I developed so much awareness about injustices: I do not stand wars, murders, or destructive criticism.
I am a supporter of the idea the world would be a better place if we start to accept each other, if we let everyone to be happy in their way. For me, all the people have the same rights, regardless of their religion, race, social status, education, or sexual preference. We all deserve to be able to be whoever we want to be, and do whatever we want with our own body and mind: believe in whatever we want to believe, love whoever we want to love, dress as we want to.
I know that for this to happen, it still needs time; the humanity has still a lot to learn. Possibly in this life I won't be able to know a world without war or hate, but I hope I will in the next one. Sometimes I feel a huge passion to change the world: Violations, murders, destruction of the environment, homophobia, racism, negativity... all those things provoke me indignation. I know I can't change the entire world by myself, but I do what I can from my little universe to make this world a healthier one.
I am of those who think we are here for a reason, nothing is coincidence, and life is about a series of lessons that help us to evolve, and make the best of us. Maybe it's for my dreamy tendency, I'm not sure, but I like to think Good triumphs against Evil, although most of the times the world says otherwise.
In my twenty years I haven't lived much, but enough to know what I want to do and achieve in my life:
1. Write a book
2. Keep doing theater
3. Keep singing
4. Create a foundation to help animals in need
5. Be happy.
Those are my five principal goals. They might sound simple, and nothing out of the ordinary, but it is what a really want to do with my life (for now). I want to learn from every experience: learn from the good, from the bad , enjoy the good things; learn from my mistakes and correct them. Stop being so stubborn, and stop demanding myself more that I can. And finally understand why I am here, understand why I was born in the late XX century instead of the beginnings... oh how wish I was born in 1942 like my grandfather, and see the beginnings of Rock n' Roll, as well as live the time when music shouted freedom, and not just money.
One of the things that torment me the most is the fact that I was born almost in 2000. No one has any idea of how much I want to own a Time Machine, and just for one second go to Woodstock festival in 1969 to enjoy three days of peace and music; to enjoy the performances of Janis Joplin, Joan Baéz, Richie Havens, Joe Cocker, and the rest of the fans. From my point of view, no era compares to that one. I spend most of my time reading about it, about events that occurred; the majority in relation with musicians of that time. I'm obsessed with knowing about that music, about the history behind those songs, the groupies, the bands, I'm curious from nature, what else can I say.
In fact, I have more desire to know about the past than the future. I'm more passionate to know what happened that what will happen. If I had the chance to travel in time, I would definitely go to the past, I think it is there where all the answers are hidden, and in some way I feel that knowing the past is key to know the future. In some place in the past is the answer to a question that everyone has asked "Who am I?".
Honestly, I am still not certain who I am, and I have no idea who I will be, but what I'm sure is that I am closer every day to find myself. Meanwhile I'm happy acting, singing, writing poetry, loving, and reading; I'm happy with myself.
Welcome to this little part of my life!
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