Nina Raquel
Marina Del Rey, Los Angeles
I know Nina Raquel because of Javique. I filmed her brother, Javique, in the Industrial Canal in New Orleans for Season 5. After he’d finished singing I asked him if he might happen to know some musicians out west. “My sister lives in LA and she’s an artist…” I reached out to Nina and she said she also wanted to sing a song in a tinyboat. I love this part of tinyboatsession. One musician leads to another and it seems like it's all supposed to unfold this way.
Nina writes, records, performs, and rollerblades. We met at Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey. She wore a big furry pink coat, dark diamond-shaped glasses, and her instrument was her voice, augmented by a track on her phone and purple microphone. We rowed away from Mother’s Beach and out into the main channel with a flurry of activity. Rowers were out in their shells, and sailboats were finishing up a race. Nina sang songs about different types of love, and in between some sea lions decided to join in.
I love getting to share the water with these musicians. Their music is all so new to me, and when we are in the boat I can show them their backyard from a little different perspective and make it a beautiful trade. Instagram: @iamninaraquel