Amara

AMARA LA NEGRA IS READY FOR GLOBAL DOMINATION, BUT THE STAR OF LOVE & HIP HOP MIAMI KNOWS THAT HER PURPOSE IS BIGGER THAN JUST ENTERTAINING THE MASSES. SHE’S HERE TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT COLORISM AND GIVE AFRO-LATINOS THE RECOGNITION THEY DESERVE.

- Taiia Smart Young

AMARA LA NEGRA gives the crowd too much sauce on the SXSW Radio Day Stage hosted by Alt.Latino. In the videos online, she’s dancing in silver, gliery thigh-high boots and a matching fringe bodysuit created by Miami’s Valentino Omar Designs. Every single whine is a celebration of curves: hips, booty, and boobs. And her signature Afro—the one that is a constant topic of conversation for everyone with an itchy Twier finger—is a bouncy cloud of curly perfection. It’s rocking and swaying with her every move. All the while, she’s delivering energetic vocals on “Sé Que Soy” and “What a Bam Bam” and making bold declarations (in Spanish and English) as she sings “Learn From Me.” She brags: “I am your leader. I am your queen…you beer take a seat.” The audience is here for the effortless fusion of hiphop, reggaetón, Brazilian funk, afrobeat, and dancehall.

Amara, 27, was preparing to take the throne back when your prima was learning to share her snack in pre-K. Those who just joined the entertainer’s social media fan club as a result of her breakout role on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop Miami (LHHMIA), soon discovered that Amara, born Diana Danelys de los Santos, began her career at age four. That’s when she started competing in beauty pageants, modeling and landing highprofile gigs. Check Amara’s Instagram timeline for vintage footage of her on Univision’s Sábado Gigante. You cannot miss her. She was the only Black girl in the mix.