Tuesday

Entertainment

“Deedar De” Diva – Mayte Garcia

When she’s walking the streets of sultry San Juan, I’m sure people can only say one thing: SHE’S HOT! And it’s nothing but the truth. Mayte Garcia is one of the most gorgeous and down-to-Earth woman out there. She has a sense of grace which surrounds her, whether she’s teaching a belly dance routine, singing, or filming for a movie. Many like to say she’s better known as the former wife of Prince, for all the Desi guys out there, I’d like to say she’s better known as the sultry goddess who danced away in the song ‘Deedar De’ from the movie Dus! She’s sexy, cool, confident, and Bravura Artist had the chance to interview this international star!

So Mayte, is this your first interview with a South Asian magazine?!
I’ve done one, but it’s been a while, so this is exciting; it’s fun!

As a child growing up, was dancing and acting something that you were always passionate about and wanted to pursue when you were older?
Oh yeah. I started dancing at the age of 3; I did classical ballet and belly dancing. Once I started, I realized that I enjoyed it, and I love it. I loved how it made me feel. It was more dancing at first. Once I reached the age of 12, I started doing musical theatre, and wanted to do acting. I studied acting but dancing was always a priority. Also, as a dancer, I remember getting hurt; it made me realize that I love music, dance, and acting. When I was hurt, I started to learn music, but to me my first passion was dance.

How supportive was your family when you first told them that this was something you wanted to do as a career?
Both my parents were very supportive. My mom wanted to be a dancer but her family didn’t allow her to. My mom and dad were both 100% supportive and amazing with me. I couldn’t have done it on my own, like going to class and having them pick me up and stuff. It helps having them support you, especially when you start so young.

If you weren’t involved in dancing and acting, what do you think you would be doing right now?
I would probably be a veterinarian because I love animals. Animals for me are amazing; their souls and their hearts. I’ve always had a thing for animals; I have four dogs…cats…fish! People say, “I’m gonna go to Mayte’s zoo!” Haha!

More than likely, people always label you as “Princes’ ex.” Are you tired of that? How do you deal with people still tagging you as that?
It’s funny; I don’t get it that much anymore. It doesn’t bother me anymore. It is what it is. I’m grateful that I’m able to show my talent. People who know me as his ex wife know that I danced with him before. At first it was something I wanted to hide, but now I cannot deny it. It is what it is and I got to express myself artistically. It had its positives and negatives.

Word on the streets is that you’re an amazing belly dancer! How did you get so good at something which is so hard to master?
I started at 3. Back in the 80’s it was common. YMCAs had belly dancing classes. My mom was a language teacher, so we always had Egyptian friends come over. Being that I’m Puerto Rican and I belly dance is funny. I started at such a young age I don’t see it as hard anymore. I just kept going. I love the sensuality of it. I love the mystery of it.

Besides Britney Spears, who are some other celebrities who you’ve taught to twist and turn their bodies?
That was a brief accident. A friend of mine called me and asked me if I could choreographer something for her video, “I’m A Slave for You.” I agreed and it was great. I never taught anyone after that, but now I’m going to start an instructional DVD. It’s not about looking sexy; it’s sensual and I want to teach everybody, not just the celebrities this art.

Alright, so I’ve also heard that you’re a singer too. Do shed some light on this other talent of yours!
I started singing around 16 and when I started working for prince he had me sing back up on his albums. In 1996 an album came out for me called CHILD OF THE SUN and I didn’t promote it much because we got married. But now I’m working on some music but we’ll see what happens!

In the Bollywood industry, you’re known as the sultry dancer who graced the camera for the song “Deedar De” from the movie Dus. You were obviously the “a mix of Latin American and Indian looks,” that producer, Nitin Manmohan, was looking for. Tell us about that experience and what it was like to work in an Indian film.
Oh man! It was SO Much fun. From the first meeting, I met them here and they swore that I looked like I’m from India, and I was thankful because I barely look like I’m Puerto Rican! When working with them I flew to Canada and we worked on choreography and the shoot was so much fun. They were excited and supportive and it was awesome. I would totally do it again!

Since you were the main girl in the video, you obviously had to learn the lyrics and memorize them. How hard was it? Especially since Hindi isn’t a language which you’re familiar with!
I’m an army brat so I lived in Germany for six years and I learned the German language. I speak Spanish and learned Italian so when i heard the song, for me, it was notes and rhythm and I had the luxury to live two months with that song. They wrote it out for me and we’d stop and they would correct a word or two, but it was a lot of fun. It was a challenge. I loved it. It was a great song. I loved it!

In between shooting, were you able to meet with any of the actors/actresses in the film? Did you hang around to watch them shoot some scenes?
I got to meet Abhishek Bachchan. I got to see them shooting a little bit. I didn’t get to talk to them, but they were very respectful and quiet. It was really nice. They were very polite!

 

“Ego” is currently in production; tell us a little bit about this film and your role.
There are 3 couples and I play the lead actor’s wife; the story is about family and the growing pains of having a child and having a certain income level and it’s about your ego and how it can mess up things or how you can get over it and create happiness. Your ego could ruin you or take you to limitless places. It’s a fun film and I can’t wait to get back into it! I don’t want to give it away!

You’ve appeared on a few television series such as “Big Shots,” “Las Vegas,” “The Closer,” and “Nip/Tuck.” How do you think acting for a TV show differs from that of a movie?
First off, TV is instant. You go audition and that day, or the next day you get the role and it’s another two days for shooting. For movies it takes longer and there are longer processes, it takes longer to come out. Any actor would like more time to prepare themselves but then there’s also the challenge of being spontaneous and working faster. It’s fun both ways. It’s like if you’re dancing and you learned a piece and have a week to work on it and make it prime or perform it that same day – the week helps you more to perfect it, kinda like that.

Do you have any final words for all your fans, supporters, and the readers of Bravura Artist Magazine?
I hope to back over there! I love Asia and oh my God I miss going there. Thanks for all your support and I hope to see you guys soon!