Los Angeles-based actor, dancer, voice-over artist, singer and writer Burgandi Trejo Phoenix stars in the new Netflix series, ‘Spirit Rangers’. The animated series is created, written and performed by an almost entirely Native/Indigenous team. Burgandi, who has Indigenous (Yaqui) Mexican and Spanish roots, uses her voice in the industry to campaign for the accurate representation of Mexican-American women on and off-screen. She’s appeared in Snapchat’s ‘Relationship Goals‘, YouTube’s ‘Labeled‘ (Atlantic Records) and ‘Love in the time of Corona’. An accomplished voice artist, Burgandi has brought numerous characters to life on Nickelodeon and Disney+. She’s the brand ambassador for Talentboom, founder of The Actor Toolkit on Clubhouse, and owner of the blog ‘My Feisty Life’.
Q: What is the most successful project that you are known for and why?
A: I am very proud of my most recent work on ‘Spirit Rangers’; an awesome new animated show on Netflix! Created by Karissa Valencia, a Native, (Chumash) woman, written by all Native writers and stars an almost entirely Native cast- I am honored to play the Squash Spirit sister in ‘The Three Sisters’ episode. In this episode, singing sisters Corn, Bean, and Squash, with help from the Spirit Rangers teach kids that although change can sometimes be scary it is a normal part of growing up! It also teaches them the importance of these three sister plants in nature, how much they all need each other to grow healthy and strong, and other valuable lessons.
Q: Can you tell us more about the Native American Heritage month video you were recently part of in November?
A: The ‘Spirit Rangers’ Team put together a great video wishing everyone a “Happy Native American Heritage Month”- I loved being part of this fun video with so many talented humans coming together to celebrate! And even though Native American Heritage Month is over now, I encourage everyone to celebrate and acknowledge the existence of all Indigenous communities worldwide every day! It is up to us to educate/re-educate ourselves, pay homage to whose land we occupy, and uplift and support people and organizations who are fighting to protect our people, our children, and our sacred planet. We must be respectful of one another’s differences and how vastly culturally different we all are. And while we don’t all look the same or have the same lived experiences, we are still here; we DO exist, and our lives matter.
Q: Who is your inspiration and why?
A: I am inspired by the work of Linda Ronstadt, Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Salma Hayek, Joy Haro, and Danny Trejo, just to name a few. They all lead with light, love, and compassion and are proactive humanitarians who use their art to make a huge difference in the world.
Q: How do you combine your acting and social awareness?
A: I am a passionate advocate for human rights, animal rights, and planetary rights and I love using my platform on social media, within my writing, and in my work, to encourage others to join me in taking meaningful action. As a Native/Indigenous, (Yaqui) and third-generation Mexican American from Tucson, Az, I am on a lifelong journey of reconnecting with my familial roots and I acknowledge how privileged I am to be able to reconnect. I honor my ancestors and the ancestors of all of those who came before me. I am so grateful to be able to be part of and to witness in my lifetime, so many beautiful people using their voices to uplift BIPOC communities, evoking meaningful and impactful change for generations to come. I am very proud of who I am, and where and whom I come from. I don’t take any of it for granted.
Q: Burgandi, can you tell us what are your recent film or TV projects?
A: I am so grateful to have brought numerous characters to life on Nickelodeon and Disney+ and to my voice in the industry to campaign for the accurate representation of Indigenous/Mexican-American women on and off-screen. You can see my most recent work in the new Netflix series, ‘Spirit Rangers’, I’ve also appeared in Snapchat’s ‘Relationship Goals‘, YouTube’s ‘Labeled‘ (Atlantic Records), and ‘Love in the time of Corona’. I’m the brand ambassador for Talentboom.com, founder of The Actor Toolkit on Clubhouse, and owner of the blog ‘My Feisty Life’ and I have some exciting new projects coming soon!