by Max Miller
It’s the evening of November 24th and Katriana Huguet, better known as Kat Dahlia, is taking the stage at World Cafe Live.
“Philly was an amazing show,” Dahlia recalls. “The venue is beautiful and the people were awesome. Everyone seemed like they were having a good night, so it just made the show that much more fun. I love reacting to the crowd, and it was a well-spirited crowd.”
But this moment, and the whole tour surrounding it in anticipation of the release of the Miami-based singer-songwriter’s debut album My Garden, almost never happened. Early in 2014, Dahlia realized something was wrong with her vocal cords.
“I noticed a change in my voice. I wasn’t feeling at my top game. I went to a doctor, and three doctors tell me I have a cyst,” Dahlia says. “One of them tells me I may not be able to sing again, and another tells me I may need surgery.”
With this grim pronouncement hanging over her, Dahlia decided to take a six month break from singing in hopes that the cyst on her vocal cords would heal without surgery.
“It was very frustrating. It got me in a very bad emotional slump,” she says. “It was tough for me, but ultimately it really tested me. I think everything in life, especially those challenging times, can really break you or make your character. Thankfully, I didn’t give up — I got really healthy and was really disciplined with how I use my voice.”
Dahlia’s perseverance paid off. She has to warm up her vocals for an hour before soundcheck and an hour before the show each night, and she has had to make major changes to her lifestyle, but her voice is back and, she says, stronger than it was before.
“Unfortunately, my instrument is completely attached to my body, so I have to make sure that my body is okay so that my voice is okay. So I don’t drink. I don’t eat certain foods. I sleep for a good amount of hours each night,” she explains. “It’s not like what my lifestyle used to be like, but ultimately I am happier. I’m doing my job, which I’m in love with. I’m in love with my career and I’m in love with my fans and I’m in love with music. I had this vision of this nightmare of having it all taken away, and it sucks, so I’m happy my voice is back.”
Her fans are presumably happy, too. Even though My Garden doesn’t drop until January 13th, her early singles have struck a chord with a large audience on YouTube. The video for “Crazy,” one of My Garden’s defining cuts, has more than 4 million views. Released one year ago, the video for “Gangsta” has found even more success — a whopping 15 million views.
“It feels great to just think that all the music is obviously reaching out to people,” Dahlia says. “That says something. That’s what every artist strives for, right? So hopefully that’s what I’m doing, and I’m excited about it.”
If these videos are any indication, Kat Dahlia may have a bright future ahead, in spite of the obstacles she’s overcome. She shot another video for My Garden’s title track last month that is sure to follow-up the success her other singles have found.
“Music videos are really important to me. I like to be involved. I like a story to be told, and I think it really paints a picture for the music. I’m really into movies and storytelling, and I feel like music videos can do that,” Dahlia says. “It’s an experience every time I make a video, whether I have $10 to make it or a humongous label budget. There’s always so many stories to tell and it’s always fun to do.”
Kat Dahlia’s debut, My Garden, is out on 1/13 on Epic Records. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter (@katdahlia).
