Grateful Web Interview with Estrella

Article Contributed by Nick Gumas

Published on 2026-05-29

Blending atmospheric reggae with neo-soul and coastal jazz, Salinas-native Renee Estrella has spent decades defined by creativity and building a style of music and performance that is uniquely her own. Characterized by a level of honesty and vulnerability in her work that connects with audiences worldwide, her influence has reached fans across the globe since debuting her first solo work a few short years ago.

Grateful Web got to sit down with Estrella after her set at this year’s Cali Roots festival in her home neighborhood of Monterey to speak with her about her meteoric rise in the Monterey community and beyond, her evolving identity as an artist and a person, and the communities she has built throughout the years.

Grateful Web: You grew up in the Monterey area and came to Cali Roots for years as a fan, and here you are performing on the headlining stage opening for Ice Cube. Talk us through what this community has meant to you at every stage.

Renee Estrella: I mean, community is everything. The team that I have, my band, I can’t do this alone, and I never wanted to. I’m grateful that I get to share it. This community, this moment, was for all of us. They have been supporting us since we were just small grapes starting out, and they have grown with us, so it’s been a beautiful thing to be able to share that.

GW: Why do you think Monterey has become the natural home for the American reggae scene?

RE: It’s beautiful out here. There is a lot of amazing talent that has come from here, and I think there are a lot of locals here with big dreams, and they’ve made it happen.

GW: You got engaged after your performance here last year. Walk us through why you both thought this was the right place for a proposal.

RE: You’re going to have to ask my man about that one. I didn’t know it was coming. All I knew was we were taking a family photo, I turned around and there were like 60 people and I was like “Oh, here we go.” It was the best moment of my life. I’m grateful to have him here and for his support.

GW: Through songs like “What’s Worse” and “Outta My Control” your narratives emphasize an existential need to constantly examine your own identity. How do you see your own journey with self identification and how do you stay grounded while defining your own sense of self?

RE: It’s been a journey and I think it’s always an evolving one. I don’t think anyone was meant to be just one identity their whole life. You get the opportunity to change, and be yourself, in all these different ways. It’s a beautiful journey and I think that it's really important that we embrace that, and that we allow ourselves and give ourselves the permission to grow and to change. It’s important to find what you love and what you want to do, and to go for it with that passion.

GW: You talk about love and empowerment in your work a lot. Does that journey feel more important as an inward or outward facing process?

RE: I think love and empowerment is necessary inward and outward. You need the right people to fill you with love and to empower you, and you are ultimately the one responsible for giving yourself that as well. The beautiful thing about that is when you inhabit that mentality, those people will come to you too and be a part of it.

GW: You’ve had some incredible career growth over the last few years. More time on the road, more time in the studio, how do you balance giving so much of yourself to taking this career where you want to take it with making sure your family back home gets the attention you want to give them?

RE: It’s hard, but when I am there with them, I do everything in my power to just be present. To look them in the eyes, to express my gratitude, because those are my people. They fill my soul. It's hard to always make time, but to always share that gratitude, you just need to reach out to people and tell them that you love them.

GW: Your fashion choices have always been immaculate when you perform at this festival. How do you see these aesthetic choices as a reflection of the atmosphere you create with your music?

RE: I love fashion. I’m actually a styling manager at a store here in Carmel. I have been shopping at one of my favorite boutiques in Salinas, it's called “Bliss” and they have styled me for Cali Roots the last two years. It’s been a dream to support local, its a woman-owned business. To have that team, and to create that team, I love that I’m creating this local empowering team behind me.

GW: What do you have on the horizon?

RE: I just dropped my newest single, “Higher.” It just dropped yesterday, you can listen to it everywhere. I’ve been holding onto this song for many years, and the message is still the same. I just love that I get to share this with people, because they’ve been listening to me play it live for a long time.