▁F é ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁and ▁brought ▁up ▁by ▁her ▁mother , ▁grand par ents ▁and ▁family ▁of ▁women ▁sing ers . ▁They ▁count ▁eight ▁gener ations ▁of ▁sister s ▁through ▁their ▁mat ernal ▁line ▁as ▁Ind igen ous ▁T us car ora ▁De er ▁Cl an ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁have ▁Black ▁and ▁Scot - I r ish ▁ancest ry ▁as ▁well . ▁The ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁from ▁North ▁Carolina ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁Her ▁mother , ▁Nan ice ▁Lund , ▁was ▁a ▁class ically ▁trained ▁opera ▁singer ▁who ▁tou red ▁with ▁Duke ▁Ell ington ▁and ▁his ▁Sac red ▁Con cert ▁Series . ▁Her ▁father , ▁Juan ▁Antonio ▁C res c ioni - Col la zo , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ma un ab o , ▁Puerto ▁Rico . ▁His ▁mat ernal ▁roots ▁are ▁Ind igen ous ▁to ▁Bor in qu en ▁Ta í no ▁Indian ▁and ▁Can ary ▁Island ▁Spanish / Ber ber ▁ancest ors . ▁His ▁pat ernal ▁C ors ican ▁imm igr ant ▁grand par ents ▁migr ated ▁to ▁Puerto ▁Rico ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 8 0 0 ' s . ▁ ▁In ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁P ura ▁F é ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Indian ▁Community ▁House ▁( A IC H ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁P ura ▁F é ▁moved ▁to ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁and ▁taught ▁and ▁tra ve led , ▁bringing ▁the ▁Se vent h ▁Generation ▁Youth ▁Group