Clarissa Santiago was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey,
to proud Puerto Rican parents. Clarissa moved to the South
Bronx as a toddler and was raised by her mother and godparents.
She grew up in a strict household with many responsibilities
despite her young age but learned the importance of education
and spirituality.
Clarissa Santiago began her entertainment
career at the age of 14 as a hip-hop dancer, appearing in
music videos with P. Diddy ("Public Enemy #1 Rock" remix), Missy Elliot
("Hot Boyz"), Shaggy ("Hope"), Pharaoh
Monch ("Simon Says"), Mobb Deep / Lil Kim ("Quiet
Storm" remix), Terror Squad ("Whatcha Gon' Do When
Punn Comes?"), and Da Brat ("That's What I'm Looking
For"), to name a few. While attending Harry S. Truman
High School in the Bronx, she was a member of the drama club,
dance team, and student government. By her sophomore year,
a friend introduced her to the Teen Puerto Rico Pageant where
Clarissa became addicted to pageantry. Soon after, Clarissa
entered the Puerto Rican Day Parade Pageant in 1999 and the
Latina USA Pageant in 2000—her first national competition.
Clarissa developed respect and admiration for the industry
and decided to organize her own state pageant. She founded
Ideal Entertainment in 2001, which helps young Latinas find
a way into the entertainment business. Clarissa's first and
most successful event was the Latina New York Pageant, for
which she was awarded "Director of the Year" for
her 2004 and 2005 productions. She went on to become vice president
of the international pageant, Latina World, in 2005. During
her tenure, New York delegates obtained top five positions
in the international pageant through her training and mentoring
programs. In 2006, Clarissa resigned from the organization
to kick start her own entertainment career.
Today, Clarissa is committed to becoming
the next Latina icon, much like her idol, Jennifer Lopez.
As a model, she has been featured online at King-Mag.com,
60Degreez.com, FashionLedge.com, AllAmericanDimes.com, TheUrbanDaily.com,
and DynastySeries.com, as one of the hottest models representing
New York. Her impeccable beauty and versatility is evident
in each of her photos. For her explosive glamour shots, Clarissa
gives credit to her favorite photographers: Linkz Media,
Hot Sauce, Creative Conduit, Felix Natal Jr., Yohance DeLoatch,
Del Anthony, Mike Scott Jones, and Lefotoaltoegoiste. Clarissa
was also selected from thousands of entries across the country
for a royal experience on the reality TV show, American Princess.
The "Beauty from the
Bronx" battled it out for a dance with the prince, a diamond
tiara, and $50,000! The reality show aired in 2007 on the Women's
Entertainment network.
She is also in the studio recording
her debut album. You may have heard collaborations featuring "Ms. Santiago: The
Empress" with artists William Gone, M.U. Buccs, P. Cannon,
Sam Scarfo, and Frances Elizee, to name a few. If you could
mix J. Lo, Mary J. Blige, and Lauryn Hill, that's what you
can expect to see and hear from "Santiago," as the
guys affectionately call her. Already Clarissa has a music
video to her first recording "Hold Up Now" (Thinkin
Big Productions), directed by Sean Crawford (BET Now, Music
Industry A-Z DVD). She's also been featured on the All Access:
Sugababz DVD. Lately, you can catch her interviewing rap celebrities
on the Web series, Sex Cameras and Hip Hop (SexCamerasandHipHop.com)
from Kraze, creator of All Access DVD Magazine, along with
model, The Erika R. Clarissa Santiago is an official contract
model for Starlett.tv, and maintains a membership driven Web
site,- CLARISSASANTIAGO.COM.
Clarissa has already
set the fashion, music, and television industries ablaze,
and her fire is quickly spreading. She is ahead of the pack with her level
of skill and modeling and acting experience as well as her
ability to pen her own rhymes. It's only a matter of time
before the effects of Clarissa Santiago's explosion are felt
worldwide! Stay tuned, there is more to come from this "Beauty from the Bronx"!
