SAN ANTONIO – Few stories resonate more in Military City, USA, than that of a local musician who is both a veteran of the music scene and the military.
Carla Fikes, known on stage as Carbonlily, embodies this unique blend. Her sound is a vibrant mosaic of soul, jazz, and R&B influences inspired by artists like Emily King and Allen Stone.
Fikes' music is a reflection of her personal journey, emphasizing growth, community, connection, and family. One standout track, “Live Simply,” was penned for her sons and serves as a heartfelt guide to living a meaningful life.
Her musical journey began over a decade ago in San Antonio, but her passion was ignited while touring with the Army.
“I was a part of the 2003 Soldier Show, which is a tour that goes around the world. It’s troops entertaining other troops,” Fikes recalls. “It was really cool because, you know, we just got to do what we loved and I was in the military at the same time. I had a lot of fun there, built a lot of good relationships with my battle buddies there, playing music and just serving my community that way.”
Fikes describes her songwriting process as spontaneous and driven by inspiration.
“I’ve often written songs and lost songs because I write them on whatever medium I have in front of me at the time,” she explains. “It’s just when it comes, when I feel inspired, when something is on my heart, when I’m in transition in my life I oftentimes am led to write and just share my story in my heart.”
The vibrant and diverse music scene in San Antonio has been a significant influence on Fikes.
“I think I had an idea about what music would be like here in San Antonio, but I’ve made friends and connected with musicians who are all over the spectrum because I think we have a lot of different things that influence the music culture here in San Antonio,” she says. The city’s rich Latin culture and eclectic musical styles resonate deeply with her. “It’s diverse, and I like that. It represents the uniqueness that is San Antonio, so I guess it’s puro San Antonio to be super eclectic and diverse.”
Over her twelve-year career, Fikes has witnessed the growth of San Antonio’s live music scene.
“You can go into any place now, and you might see a little jazz trio. It’s not just on the River Walk, right? It’s not isolated to some of these places that we know of as music venues like on St. Mary’s Street,” she notes. “It’s really cool to see our city embracing local talent and local musicians and making that a staple, like a mainstay for travelers and hospitality.”
While she acknowledges the need for more opportunities for local talent, Fikes is optimistic about the progress being made.
“We are improving. We have SA Creative, who’s doing a lot of things (and) initiatives for musicians and talent, too. We’re on the road to that, but we could always use more support for the local arts.”
Looking ahead, Carbonlily is excited to release an album in 2025 featuring the songs she has shared with audiences. Her journey continues to inspire as she remains a vibrant part of San Antonio’s evolving music landscape.
For this SA Vibes set, Carbonlily performs “Sideways,” “Live Simply,” “Push Play,” “Higher Ground,” and “Cosmic Girl.” She’s joined by Gonzalo Mateluna on lead guitar, Joey Blackman on bass, Rob Cockfield on keys and Armando Aussenac on drums.
You can catch Carbonlily at the McNay Art Museum at 6 pm on February 26 and at Las Palapas off of Loop 1604 and HWY 281 at 7 pm on February 28, March 14 and March 28.
KSAT also asked Carbonlily for a few local music recommendations! After you check out their set, they recommend you listen to Elise Road, Aaron Stephens, Nina Rodriguez and Michael Alanis.
You can find more information and music from Carbonlily on her website, Instagram, and TikTok.
Special thanks to River North Ice House and their team for hosting this SA Vibes!
About SA Vibes
San Antonio is well-known for its culture, but the local music scene has always seemed a bit hidden.
Unless someone takes you to a local show — at venues like The Lonesome Rose, Hi-Tones, The Mix, Paper Tiger and 502 Bar — chances are you’ll never even know our music scene exists. That’s what made me decide to launch this passion project that we’re calling “SA Vibes.”
My name is Valerie, and I’m a video editor at KSAT. I’ve been attending local shows for over a decade, and I want to put a spotlight on the great talent that San Antonio has to offer.
Each month, we’ll be releasing a new “SA Vibes” video across all KSAT digital platforms and our YouTube channel, showcasing a local musician performing live versions of their songs from music venues around the city and the KSAT garden.
If you’re a San Antonio musician and would like to be a part of this project, please send information about your next show to our SA Vibes email. (We can only feature original music because of licensing.)
