I just saw her in the Sign o' the times an hour lata and Its like watching the DARK version of Katrine Zeta Jones. I don't I just have this feeling that she's mixed or bi-racial like Mariah and Alicia.

E stands for Escovedo, she's of the Latin persuasion I've met her family, including both her parents and they are not black.

Is it really important ?


Pochacco

Pochacco said:

Have you ever heard of the term "Curiosity"??? LAWD

BTW, thanx 4 the info Supafunkyorgan

Harlepolis said:

She's Puerto Rican, I believe

i remember reading in an interview she did that she called herself a "mutt". if i can find it again, i'll sent it to you.

Sheila's father is Mexican-American. Her mother is African-American/Creole.

Harlepolis said:

Catherine Zeta-Jones? That's a comparison that never crossed my mind...

Catherine Zeta-Jones isn't Hispanic. She's Welsh.

She's part Mexican, African-American, and Creole. I think that sums it up...She's Black.

She's a beautiful human being.

ChimChimBadass said:

She is indeed

Allthatglitters-a MUTT?? Is she like LINA HORNE?? Coz some ppl refer to her as a mutt too.

I got the pic now. If she's a MUTT then she's (black), I have a friend who refer to herself as a 'mutt' too.

I remember the first time I saw Sheila. It was in a Right On magazine and there was a advertisment for Prince's Purple Rain Tour with a small picture of her near the dates. I automatically assumed she was black and never thought twice about it until I heard what the E. stood for. For as long as I have been aware of her, I have known her to be African American and Mexican American. I have seen her participate in Latin events and African American events. For instance, if anyone remember in the early 90's there was a "soul" version of Handel's Messiah done with a bunch of black celebrities and muscicians. All of the participants were black and all were wearing African print clothing. There was a performance on the Arsenio Hall show and guess who was in the front middle shaking a African percussion instrument.Sheila E.

I also, met one of her sisters (the baby one, I think her name is Zena) and at the time I didn't know who she was but as I was talking to her, I kept thinking gosh, she looks like Sheila (you would think something should have hit me considering I was at a E. Train concert). Thinking back on it, I would have assumed she was African American, if I didn't know it was her sister. The same can be said for her older brother Juan E.

In some parts of America, although she is bi-racial, just from appearance alone, Sheila E. would be considered black. In other words, if I may take a line from Spike Lee's "Get on the Bus", "If this was slave day, she would have been a slave just like the rest of us".

Well-stated, Velvet J. I have noticed that Miss E does represent for both ethnicities.

soulflower said:

It's no wonder. We're all part of the same bandwagon...

This article goes a little into her background:

http://www.vh1.com/artist.../bio.jhtml
[This message was edited Tue Aug 27 23:29:13 PDT 2002 by Starmist7]

soulflower said:

This is correct.I have a 1986 magazine interview where Sheila confirms this.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Wrong! Sheila's father is Latin,but her mother is Creole/African-American.

Not to sound bluff but what is a 'Creole' exactly??

Harlepolis said:

Creole usually describes a person of black and French ancestry. Many black people in Louisiana identify themselves as Creole. Creole is also a dialect.

Harlepolis said:

A Creole person is Black and French.

Negroe in Her Blood.She didn't hide Her Idenity or anything She has always been very Up-Front about it.

4 God's sake who gives a shit!! Does it fucking matter!

CocoSweet said:

NO...that means she's a HISPANIC.

For those of you that don't know your history, most Hispanics are a mix of White (European), Red (Indigenous) and Black (African)...this is more typical of Hispanics from the Carribean (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Santo Domingo...) because that's where Columbus did most of his damage.

So if you ask me, the fact that Sheila E considers herself a "mutt" is simply reaffirming the fact that she is a typical LATINA.

Besides, if she were "Black", then Prince wouldn't have shown any romantic interest in her.

PurpleJedi said:

The original question speaks to a much deeper issues that exists in the world, many Black people seek ANY reason not to identify themselves with the Black race and will use ethnicity, cultural ties, nationalism, etc. to remove themselves from the Black race.

Many of you have apparently confused race, ethinicity and nationalism. A person can be Black and be from any country in the world, this does not make them less Black. Mexico is a country NOT a race so just like you can be Black from France, the US, Kenya, etc. you can be Black and from Mexico.

You speak of history yet you must not be aware of the history between the people of Mexico and Africans that were enslaved (YOU THINK THE WAR BETWEEN THE US AND MEXICO WAS JUST OVER TEXAS AND SOME OTHER LAND?)

You also must not know basic genetics, BLACK is the dominant trait, not white so any mix of BLACK and white, white is the recessive.

PurpleJedi said:

I can't believe we're STILL debating this! I have an interview from 1986 (in Rock and Soul magazine) where Sheila HERSELF clarified what race she is.She said that her father is Mexican-American and that her mother is Creole.As Soulpower pointed out above,Creoles are Black people mixed with French ancestry.That's why Sheila refers to herself as "a mutt",but in now way is she denying her Blackness.

I'm amazed at how,when it comes to Prince and his proteges,there is always alot of confusion and rumors about what race they really are.

Creole is no different than a light skinned black person to me. If the white slave master raped a black woman in Alabama or any other state, the end resulting child would be called black.When the same situation happened in Louisiana, the child is creole. The fact the slave owners in Louisiana were mostly from France does not change any facts to me. Most African Americans that have ancestry in this country for over 100 years, I would say have some european ancestry as well. The only difference between us and the so called creoles is their caucasian ancestors came from another part of Europe. Besides, most "creoles" today do not have immediate white ancestry. It has been my experience that many "creole's" procreate with other "creole's" making the end result another light skinned black person. It has also been my experience that many "creoles" consider themselves to be a completely different race than black American, which I have always found to be interesting.

Although I took the long route to make my point, it is in my eyes, Sheila E. is not Mexican American and Creole, she is Mexican American and African American.

*Note* I have always found it interesting that many considered Lisa Bonet, whose mother is white, to be black, but her TV sister Sondra Lebeauf,to be creole when HER nearest white relative is her great great grandfather.

VelvetJ said:

Good point. I was listing Sheila's identity like she lists it herself. Creole is black to me, too. Many African-Americans have European ancestry (because of slavery) and don't identify themselves as something else. A friend of mine is related to Sheila's mother, and she identifies herself as "black."

I came across a book yesterday and it said that Creole means 'of Haitian descent', and that it is used to distinguish Creole from Africans.
[This message was edited Wed Sep 18 18:24:26 PDT 2002 by Starmist7]

Starmist7 said:

Creole = a baby born via white frenchman raping a slave, opposed to any other brand of European derived master.

Why this distinction is made I'm not sure, maybe the child popped from womb fluent in French.