Paola “Palola” Prato Martinez, a young Venezuelan born singer, songwriter and senior at the University of Miami majoring in music and communications made her New York Fashion Week debut for Idol Jose Group’s runway.
“I create music to make people feel seen, to feel loved,” Martinez said.
She performed for the show “Everyone is Fashion” by designer Idolfredo Hernandez. Hernandez found out that Martinez was from Venezuela and reached out to Martinez’s dad asking about if she would like to perform at Hernandez’s show.
They wanted to give light to new and upcoming artists from their home country.
“He got a hold of my dad and it happened,” Palola said. “I got the opportunity to sing and to see a different side of the industry.”
Palola mentions how it is not easy to perform, especially on how everything is a mental preparation process to avoid overthinking and do her best, regardless she is proud of what she put out there.
“I got the opportunity to actually present my music and present myself alongside one of my friends who studied at the University of Miami with me, Joe Colwell,” said Martinez.
“He’s also a singer and a songwriter, and we’ve known each other for a while now, so I felt very comfortable being beside him.”
She started to see fashion from a whole different perspective and that it is something she is open to doing at another point in her life.
“Fashion is great,” Martinez said. “I would love to work in it in the near future again.”
To represent the University of Miami is an honor, but for Palola is much more than that.
“I knew that whatever I was putting out there came from within and I was giving it my 100%, and that even though it is a big responsibility to represent the University, or even a country,” Martinez. “I was there for a reason and that my music is my way of showing people empathy and vulnerability and I feel like everybody needs that.”
Music has the power of helping people find answers and give new perspectives into the world, and that’s Palola’s mission.
Palola’s best advice for new artists who want to join the scene is to have patience, empathy and dedication.
“You just have to prepare yourself every day. You have to practice a lot when it comes to music. You have to sacrifice a lot, but it pays off. Patience is key.”
You can find her music on all streaming platforms as Palola and follow her journey on social media as @palola_music.