Liliana Rokita

Latin pop songstress Liliana Rokita was born in Toluca, Mexico, in a home filled with music due to her musician father. At a young age she would sing in the back yard with her cousin for people in the neighborhood, charging them an admission that was rolled back into buying material and clothing for the next show. Rokita started taking singing more seriously at 17 and joined a series of amateur bands. She later married and when her husband got an offer from an American mobile electronics company, the couple moved to Detroit, MI. They soon moved to Saginaw, MI, where a homesick Rokita remained unaware of the city's rich Hispanic heritage for a while. On a night out at one of the numerous local Mexican restaurants, Rokita met the house singer, who over time introduced the couple to Saginaw's Hispanic music scene. Rokita's increased involvement eventually led to her co-hosting the public access television show HMV (Hispanic Music Videos). Her co-host, Ruben Garcia, encouraged her to start performing her own material for audiences, and in early 2003 she introduced her energetic stage show. With a backing band that includes Robert Lee (aka Robert Balderrama) -- a founding member of ? & the Mysterians -- Rokita started a busy performance schedule that culminated in a night at New York City's Madison Square Garden opening the International Music and Film Festival. The singer's debut album, Liliana, was released later that year, with the video for "Caminos Confusos" added as a bonus. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide