Sandra Carrillo: “Laumė” and the Paradox of Iced Coffee in Lithuania
- Tomas Čižmakovas
- Mar 27
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 27
Sandra Carrillo has found not only her place in Lithuania, but also a sound that took shape in her album “Laumė”. This is a conversation about music, identity, and creating across two cultures. And yes, about iced coffee — which, according to her, is often done wrong in Lithuania.
Tomas: Sandra, tell us about your roots — where are you from, and how did you end up in Lithuania?
Sandra: I’m from the outskirts of Barcelona. My hometown is L'Hospitalet de Llobregat — you could say it’s a bit like a “district” 😄 One of the most densely populated cities in Europe. It’s full of hardworking, humble, very real people. Historically, there was a lot of internal migration from the south of Spain, and later immigration from South America, especially from Ecuador, Peru, and other countries.
Through connecting with these communities, I first discovered bachata and reggaeton. You could say that environment really shaped my musical identity.
I came to Lithuania through a volunteering program. At the time, I was working during the day, studying economics in the evenings, and singing in bars on weekends. My life was very intense, but also a bit chaotic — I didn’t really know what I wanted from my future.
So I felt like I needed a pause, a kind of reset. I decided to take a year to figure things out — and that’s how I ended up in Lithuania.
Tomas: Was there a specific moment when you realized you’d stay in Lithuania longer than planned? What made you stay — career opportunities, people, or something more internal?
Sandra: Hmm, good question. I’ve never really thought about it that deeply. It all happened quite naturally. When I started getting more opportunities in music here than in my home country, I felt fulfilled and wanted to stay.
In Spain, I often felt a bit lost, like I wasn’t in the right place. When I moved to Vilnius, everything kind of fell into place. Even though I’m a foreigner, I feel like this is my home too. 🙂
Tomas: Do you see yourself more as a Lithuanian or a Spanish artist, or do you feel your music goes beyond those boundaries?
Sandra: Even though I started singing in Spain, most of my opportunities came in Lithuania. This is where I really learned music through practice — playing in bands, understanding what a solo is, growing on stage. I developed as an artist here, working with many musicians, mostly Lithuanians.
I also created projects in Lithuania, even in Lithuanian, and received support from local institutions.
I love my country, and my Spanish roots are very strong. They show in my personality, my energy, the way I do things. But at the same time, I truly feel part of the Lithuanian music scene, because everything I know about the industry, I learned here.
However, I’d really love to perform in Spain one day and tour the world with my music. ✨
Tomas: You sing in three languages on the album. What does each of them allow you to express or feel differently? And which one was the biggest challenge?
Sandra: I decided to create the album in three languages when I realized I use all of them in my daily life. The funny thing is that sometimes I even catch myself thinking in Lithuanian — with all the mistakes and my accent included.
I felt that each language represents a different part of me and reflects this whole integration process. Of course, it’s much easier for me to express emotions in Spanish. With Lithuanian, I still need more time and preparation — and honestly, your language is not easy for me.
Spanish sounds softer, while Lithuanian feels stronger, so I even went to a speech therapist to learn how to pronounce certain sounds properly. That’s when I realized I hadn’t even been placing my tongue correctly for sounds like “n” or “l”, which was pretty funny.
And the most fun part was trying to rap in Lithuanian, in the song “Nesakyk ne”. For me, it felt like tongue twisters — but the vibe is definitely there. 😀
Tomas: What is your debut album about, and why did it come out only now, even though you’ve been on the scene for a while?
Sandra: “Laumė” is a very special and beautiful project for me, which I had the chance to create together with many talented musicians. They contributed by recording instruments, creating arrangements, and working on the mixing and mastering. The album was mainly created by me and Paulius Volkovas, who played a big role in the production. We used to meet once or twice a week, often working until four in the morning, creating music together.
I focused on melodies, lyrics, and basic harmonies — sometimes just a few chords on the guitar. Paulius would take everything to another level, refining the harmonies and shaping the overall sound. We really shared the creative process, even down to choosing one kick sound out of twenty options for a single track. 😀
“Laumė” is an album about feminine energy, freedom, sensuality, and cultural identity. I wanted to explore what happens when one culture — Spanish — merges with another — Lithuanian. You can hear that on many levels: in the lyrics, in the symbolism, for example the sound of kanklės in the track “Crushhh”, in the melodies, in the polyphonic vocals in “Laumė”, and in the Latin influences that come from my roots.
Interestingly, the project grew much bigger than I expected. At first, I was planning eight songs and a digital release, but in the end it became eleven tracks and was released both digitally and on vinyl.
I had been thinking about creating my own music for a long time. I tried before, but it wasn’t easy. As an independent artist, finances are a serious challenge, and I also hadn’t met the right people yet. Maybe I wasn’t ready either. But when the time came, everything fell into place — I met the right collaborators, got funding, and connected with musicians who believed in the project and helped bring it to life.
Tomas: What convinced you that this album should be released on vinyl, not just digitally?
Sandra: At first, I wasn’t even thinking about vinyl. But once I realized how much work went into this album, everything changed… two years! I used to think I could finish it in six months, haha.
After going through a process like that, and seeing how some artists’ music — especially independent artists — can disappear from platforms because of bots or other issues, I understood that I wanted to have a physical version of the album.
Honestly, if I manage to sell even part of the vinyl run, it will help me recover my investment much more than streaming platforms, where the payout is ridiculously low.
Tomas: What are your coffee habits like, especially in summer? And is a drink like Carajillo still popular in Spain?
Sandra: Carajillo is mostly popular among older men, grandpas, haha. I’ve actually never tried it myself.
Of course, wine is one of the most popular drinks for us. In summer, we often drink it with soda and fruit. We also have a tradition of drinking iced black coffee.
During summers in Lithuania I do get a bit disappointed with the coffee situation. Not all cafés know how to make good iced coffee, so sometimes I end up explaining to the staff how to do it. They usually think I’m a bit strange, but I just really like my iced coffee done right. 😀
Tomas: You mentioned that you often have to explain how to make iced coffee in Lithuania. What would your “correct” version look like?
Sandra: In Spain, it’s very simple. The main rule is never to pour coffee directly over ice.
You need two glasses: one with hot coffee and one with ice. Then you pour the coffee over the ice yourself. That way it doesn’t cool down too quickly and keeps its flavor.
If you make coffee directly over ice from a machine, the ice melts instantly and everything gets ruined. In Spain, we’d call that “guarrería” — basically, badly made.
Tomas: Your album “Laumė” blends many different styles. Where does this variety come from, and what shapes your musical taste the most?
Sandra: I listen to a wide range of artists — both well-known and more underground — from different countries: Spain, South America, the UK, Lithuania. Maybe that’s why my music has so many colors, it’s like a rainbow explosion.
Even if my music starts from a Spanish or Latin flavor, I don’t feel the need to limit myself to one category. Maybe my second album will be R&B or rock — who knows.
Some of my favorite artists include Catriel & Paco Amoroso, Bad Bunny, Raye, C. Tangana, Naika, Free Finga, Kali Uchis, Charli XCX, Daft Punk, and Rosalía.
Tomas: What’s coming up next for you? Where will listeners be able to hear “Laumė” live?
Sandra: At the moment, we’re planning a concert on April 23 at Downtown Piano Lab, where we’ll perform acoustic versions of the album.
On May 7, there will be an album presentation at Estrada.
There are more shows coming in the summer as well: on June 6 I’ll be performing at Lithuanian Pride in Kalnų Parkas, and on June 19 at Oldman Park.
We’re also planning more concerts in Vilnius and by the seaside.
And of course, Tomas Vėjas will be invited, haha.
Tomas: Have you gotten used to Lithuanian winters? And what would you like to wish to readers as summer approaches?
Sandra: No… I don’t think I’ll ever get used to your winters. 😄 And this year they were a bit too much even for Lithuanians, so I’m really happy spring is here.
I wish everyone lots of beautiful, sunny days and a truly warm, great summer. 😀
The album “Laumė” is available here:https://sandracarrillo.bandcamp.com/album/laum
Label: Juoda banga
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