Cindy Vela
Born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, Cindy Vela is an actress, model and alto saxophonist.
Vela attended the University of Texas at Brownsville and became lead saxophonist in both the top jazz and concert bands. She participated at national and international concerts and competitions in the U.S. and Mexico and opened shows for legends Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Jose Feliciano.
It was in college that Cindy started modeling and appearing in local commercials, yet continued her schooling and received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. She went on to become a middle school band director and helped her students win various awards, all while teaching them the importance of education and the arts.
Vela moved to Los Angeles to continue the work she had started in entertainment. As a print model, she can be seen on covers and spreads for magazines and in international print ads for major companies. Recently, Cindy collaborated with artists George Yepes, Maria Kane and Retna to help create works of art using her image.
As an actress, Cindy has appeared on stage, television and film. Stage works include Father of the Bride, Let the Eagle Fly and The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, the latter of which was written and produced by award winning author Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451). Cindy worked on a pilot with directors Robert Ben Garant and Tomas Lennon of Reno 911 and she later played the title role of Desdemona in the award winning film 'Desdemona: A Love Story'. Cindy created controversy with an internet video called ‘Exhibit B-5’ aka ‘Girl Dies’ directed by Project Greenlight winner Kyle Rankin which had millions searching for answers to her life and identity.