Karla Mi Lugo Artist Pilgrimage to Paris

Hello everyone,
As some of you know, My name is Karla Mi Lugo I am a traveling street performer.





I started soul searching and traveling about 6 years ago, during this period I have expanded my heart, mind and soul through art,music and performance. Since childhood I have been very imaginative and artistic, it was not till I moved away from everything I knew that I was able to grow and become the artist I am today. I want to travel to Europe, away from everything I know to become the art I am in the future!
7 years ago I left my home in Georgia for the West coast, I have been a full time artist/performer for about 3 years. Still young with much to learn!

I work full time as a street performer, and I also perform with various circuses, festivals, dance companies, jazz bands, and comedy shows on the west coast! I also spend part of the time creating visual art and hosting art shows in the SF Bay area.




Since I street perform, play accordion, sing, whistle, juggle, draw on balloons, and have paint on my clothing, people often think I am from Paris. or they hear the music and say things like:
"ahh I feel like I am back in Paris!"
or"you must be from Paris!"
or "are you French?"

I usually say
"no I am a Puerto Rican accordion player, that is rare!"
or "the man that wrote Dracula never went to Transylvania!"

Some how after living and performing in America this whole time I have developed a very Parisian style, and most days Paris is brought up to me, and now I think about it all the time. Street culture and art is respected and celebrated there! they love accordion, and balloons!





Many of my favorite artist were from, made a pilgrimage to, or performed for adoring audiences in Paris. some of these artists are:
Frida Kahlo
Billie Holiday
Nina Simone
Louis Armstrong
Henri Mattise
Henry Miller
Anais-Nin
Les Twins
Joesphine Baker
Federico Fellini
Marcel Duchamp
Django Reinhardt
Marc Chagall
Spenser Little
James Brown
Carlotta Ikeda
Egon Schiele
Erik Satie
Robert Shields ( This story is especially interesting to me because Robert Shields was offered a full scholarship to Marcel Marceau's Mime school in Paris, but ended up cutting the apprenticeship short because he wanted to find his own style and "pry mime loose from its arty pedestal")

And many so many more! They all go! haha





I am always hungry for inspiration and a have a prerogative to be unique, and find new ways to inspire myself and in turn others. I want to visit Paris where all the greats go, study the art in the museums, watch world class street performers, and to busk on the streets as well! I figure that this will help inspire me to refine my style, or completely pry myself from it, and evolve and grow as an artist and performer!!

I will hope to go for about 3 months, and during that time I would like to book a show in Paris and perform my Billie Holiday Impersonator show for my Birthday, September 6th. This will serve as my European Debut!





If I can make the money I will go for July29-september29.

I will be working very hard to make this dream come true! I would be honored if you wanted to help me! donate to my fund drive! I have many rewards! I will be keeping a diary of my artist pilgrimage and I would love to share it when I get back! if I do come back !





Thank you for reading!

-Karla Mi Lugo