Zayra(I)

Creativity and independence have characterized the career of this stunning Puerto Rican musician. Zayra was born on December 11, 1974 in Guayama and raised in Arroyo, Puerto Rico as Zayra Álvarez. Her parents are Luis Álvarez Cruz and Ana Dones Torres. A graduate of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez with a BA in Industrial Engineering she worked for a time at Boeing and later Nokia. She was discovered in Dallas, Texas and became an active participant in the local music scene. She recorded the original version of her album Ruleta in 2004 which was later reissued in 2006 following her participation on Rock Star: Supernova. She is best known for this era, where her unique stage presence and interpretation of songs got her noticed by many. Zayra presented her album Baby Likes to Bang in 2010 with indie label Brando Records. Not content to be just a singer, she is also a lyricist, composer, guitarist, dancer, and producer. A true indie artist; Zayra has also worked as an actress, director, illustrator, jewelry designer, video writer, makeup artist, interior designer and as the photographer for Blue October. Aiming to shatter the stereotypes of a Latina, she has recorded in both English and Spanish with a repertoire that includes Latin Alternative (Digo No), pop (Por Siempre), and EDM (Liquid D). One of her biggest musical inspirations is her fellow Puerto Rican rock musician Draco Rosa. She is married to Paul Nugent. They have one child.

After releasing a concept album 50/50 under the name Nena Catalina in 2022, Zayra is returning to her original name. On October 11, 2023 her new single Memorias y Silencio will mark the start of another artistic era.