Femmina Forte’s Journal

Photos by: www.imagebychristos.com

Hair & Makeup: www.StephanieElise.com

Born in Brownsville, Texas, Vela grew up speaking English and Spanish in a rural part of the state. At the age of 10, after her father handed Cindy a family owned saxophone, she took an interest in music. Practicing wasn’t a chore for her as she would often try to play songs for her friends over the phone. Throughout her high school years, she was very involved academically and had won numerous awards in music competitions. Naturally she decided to major in Music Education.

Vela attended the University of Texas in Brownsville and on the first day of class, she knew that her time at U.T. Brownsville would be exceptional. While in school, Vela became lead saxophonist in both the top jazz and concert band. She participated at national and international concerts and competitions in the United States and Mexico, some of which included Notre Dame South Bend Indiana, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Colorado, Mexico City, San Louis Potosi, and San Miguel de Allende. Cindy was also given the opportunity to open shows for legends Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Jose Feliciano.

It was in college that Vela was introduced to pageants. Not having any training or coaching, she went on to win local, national and international titles. It was through such competitions that Cindy caught the eye of photographers who instantly noticed her presence on camera. Magazine covers and ads helped garner attention from directors who wanted to have Vela in their projects. Although Cindy had success in her state’s entertainment industry, she never stopped attending college and in 2003 received a B.A. in Music Education. She went on to become a middle school band director and helped her students win various awards; all while teaching them the importance of education and the arts.

In 2006, Vela left teaching and moved to Los Angeles to continue the work she had started in the film industry. While in Los Angeles, Cindy was personally asked by fashion designer, Ximena Valero, to become the designers fit model. As a result, Cindy was then asked to be a runway model for several of Ximena Valero’s fashion shows.

Cindy recently completed the film ‘Desdemona’ in which she played the title role. A story of a Mexican immigrant who reflects on his actions involving kidnapping a past love for money to bury his American father figure. The film has been selected to appear at AFI Dallas International Film Festival, the International Beverly Hills Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival.
For more information please visit:

www.CindyVela.com
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1822623/
www.myspace.com/cindy_vela