Carmen (Ortiz) Collazos exhibited her musical talents at a young age.  She credits her father for inspiring her love of music and one of her best memories is going to the "parrandas" where her father would play guitar.  During High School she sang in the Escuela Superior de Jose de Diego chamber choir and the Masa Coral de Mayaguez, and was a member of her high school's dance troupe.  In 1992 she moved from Puerto Rico to St. Louis and soon became the lead female vocalist of El Caribe Tropical, which has opened for famous names such as Grupo Niche, Oscar de Leon, Antonio Cruz and Lalo Rodriguez.  Salsa is her favorite style of music and her influences are La India, Olga Tañon, Gloria Estefan, and Celia Cruz.  Carmen has a powerful voice, a trained ear, and a talent for being able to spontaneously create new vocal harmonies.