Go Away With … Sweet Lizzy Project

Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune
February 18, 2020

Based out of Nashville, Tennessee, Sweet Lizzy Project is gearing up for the Feb. 21 release of their album “Technicolor.” Vocalist and songwriter Lisset Diaz discussed how touring has given her the opportunity to see the world. “I am always on the road with the band, which is really cool,” says Diaz, 28. “I get to know a lot of different places.” Fans may learn more about the group via their website as well as on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Q. What is your favorite vacation destination?

A. I don’t get to spend a lot of time with my family in Havana. Most of the time I go on vacation, I go back to Cuba to see my family. Even though Cuba is famous for its beautiful beaches, that’s not really my thing. I love the mountains and the rivers. One of my favorite trips ever was when I went hiking to the Sierra Maestra, the mountains on the east region of Cuba. This place is sort of an untapped destination in Cuba. Also, you have to try the Cuban food and fruits and vegetables that grow there. I had never tasted anything like that before.

Q. Speaking of food, if you could only pick one place to eat, would you choose a street cart or a nice restaurant?

A. Probably a casual meal at a street cart. It’s going to be faster, so I won’t spend a lot of time waiting at a restaurant and I’ll get to see more of the city or wherever I am on vacation. Also, sometimes, the food you buy at a street cart or food truck has that homemade style that you can’t find at a fancy restaurant. It feels closer to the traditional taste of the local food.

Q. Do you speak any foreign languages?

A. I absolutely love languages. I wish I knew them all. Spanish is my mother tongue. I have been studying English since I was a kid and it has been very useful to me in many different areas of my life, especially music and to read and write scientific papers while doing research for my University majors of biochemistry and molecular biology. I also studied French for four years and I really enjoyed it. I think I do pick up new languages easily, but I believe that being motivated and determined to learn is the key.

Q. Where have you traveled to that most reminded you of home?

A. Well, definitely Miami is like being in Cuba. However, I remember the first time I visited Spain, I went to Castellón de la Plana and all I could think of was the Old Havana with the old buildings, the cobblestone streets and the loud and warm people. I totally felt the connection between my Cuban culture and my Spanish heritage.

Q. Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A. So many places. Traveling the world was always been my dream and getting to know as much of it as possible. Different people, different foods, different cultures. Everything is worth seeing and appreciating. That’s one of the reasons why I love my job so much, because my music has taken me to a lot of places already. Again, I can’t count all the places I have to go, but there’s one place that has always been my obsession for several reasons and that place is the Auschwitz concentration camp. It means the world to me to go there.

Q. When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A. I hate packing heavy suitcases when I go on a trip. So, it’s mainly the essentials — my personal stuff that I take with me. I do take my notebook and my iPad. I love writing my lyrics down on paper. An idea for a song, a melody or some words comes to me at any time and I need to record it or write it down immediately before I forget.

Q. What would be your dream trip?

A. A European tour with just a backpack.

Q. What kind of research do you do before you go away on a trip?

A. Historic places I have to visit, typical food I have to try, and dangerous animals that I don’t want to tick off if I’m going hiking or something.