Russian Red
Lourdes Hernández
AT HER NEW VENUE 'THE RUBY STREET' IN HIGHLAND PARK, LOS ANGELES
Lourdes was once a full-time singer and songwriter known as 'Russian Red'. She toured her 2008 debut album, I like your Glasses, and two more albums followed in 2011 and 2014, giving her an opportunity to collaborate with well-known established musicians. Music allowed her to travel both professionally and personally, and she garnered a huge following of fans in Spain and around the world.
Now, based in Los Angeles, she is seeing things with a little more objectivity; perhaps she has matured, but is now searching for new ways of feeling creatively fulfilled. Guided by an innate desire to broaden her outlook, and with no real ties, she is putting herself up for acting roles as well as other fun artistic adventures.
Her current project, The Ruby Street, is a labor of love in all senses. Lourdes and her boyfriend Zach, have purchased a church in the up-and-coming Highland Park neighborhood in Los Angeles. They have transformed it into a beautiful event space for multifarious creative endeavors. The Ruby Street can accommodate all kinds of projects, and will surely attract input from the couple's interesting circle of connections, and their accompanying artistic visions.
The church's impressive stained glass windows have been left untouched, coloring the light that flows into the space, adding to the eccentricity, yet elegance, of this unique venue. The church interior is vast, and can easily be adapted to suit different requirements. With meticulous remodeling undertaken, the site has been elevated to compete with equivalent spaces in Los Angeles. Lourdes has kept the interior original organ and two pianos, each of which is surrounded by red and blue lights, adding to the psychedelic magic of the place. Outside is a large patio with a deck that leads to a garden. The outdoor bar project, with its accompanying landscape, will undoubtedly contribute to making The Ruby Street one of Highland Park's most alluring destinations.
I can tell that Lourdes' determination will only bring on good things, and in the way that she agrees to collaborate with creative individuals in both Spain and the U.S., she will continue to be exposed to new experiences in her search for endless inspiration. There is clearly an abundance of talent surrounding her. Lourdes is eager to keep exploring, in the same way that she is eager to talk to me about her dreams, and even her excitement for an upcoming trip to Spain with beloved scruffy dog, Chula, found in Albacete, who is lucky enough to go everywhere with her!
Photos by : Elizabeth Beristain