once in josefita monserrate de sellés elementary school, she joined the school choir and the handbell choir headed by evangeline oliver. also, she began to study piano at the puerto rico music conservatory. ileana inherited her voice from her mother and her grandmother, flor amelia de gracia, teacher and composer, who is also featured on the back cover of calle 13's self-titled debut album. at age 16, as a second year high school student, her brother residente picked her up one day after class and asked her to sing "la aguacatona", a song he had written for a demo he was working on with her brother visitante. she began to take private singing lessons with renowned puerto rican soprano hilda ramos and then additional vocal studies with cuban singer gema corredera, member of the group gema y pavel.