For Natalia Lafourcade, playing the Hollywood Bowl again is the next step in her storied journey

As a music enthusiast who appreciates the fusion of cultures and genres, I find Natalia Lafourcade‘s journey incredibly inspiring. Her ability to create such profound and vulnerable works while staying true to her roots is truly remarkable.

On a bench, nestled in the Blue Ribbon Garden atop Walt Disney Concert Hall, resides Natalia Lafourcade, holding her guitar. It’s a chilly Saturday in early May, and this Grammy-winning artist from coastal Veracruz, Mexico, is bundled up in a tan coat over a long orange dress to combat the cold breeze. Nearby, two microphones stand ready; she quietly waits for the video team, positioned approximately 15 feet away, to signal the start of her performance.

When prompted, Lafourcade begins strumming the initial chords of “Pajarito Colibrí,” a soothing ballad from her 2022 album “De Todas las Flores” that asks a hummingbird (or anyone listening) to spread its wings and achieve its destiny.

As a film enthusiast, I find solace in those powerful lyrics that echo through the cityscape, silencing the distant city noise. “Everything’s gonna be okay, tiny hummingbird, don’t fear life anymore.” It’s as if they were written just for me, reminding me: “Everything’s gonna be okay, tiny hummingbird, you’re here to bring happiness into this world.”

Without warning, a choir of birds nestled in the trees joined Lafourcade’s music video production for her upcoming Hollywood Bowl concerts (Sep. 6-7) with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, transforming the event into the ethereal, captivating show that her fans have grown accustomed to.

×

Over the past two decades, Lafourcade, now 40, has become one of the most respected and acclaimed artists from Latin America. She’s been a guardian of Mexico’s extensive musical heritage, adding significantly to it. Her ten studio albums have garnered her a record-breaking 17 Latin Grammys (the highest for any female artist) and four regular Grammys.

2002 saw the arrival of Lafourcade with her self-titled first album, a blend of rock en español, pop, jazz, and bossa nova that spawned hits like “En el 2000” and “Busca un Problema.” In 2012, she released the innovative “Mujer Divina,” an album dedicated to Mexico’s bolero legend Agustín Lara, featuring updated renditions of his beloved love ballads. To create this masterpiece, she collaborated with musicians such as Devendra Banhart (a Venezuelan American indie folk singer), Emmanuel del Real from Café Tacvba, and the legendary Brazilian tropicalia guitarist Gilberto Gil.

Three years after the release of “Hasta la Raiz,” an album that showcased Lafourcade’s heartfelt lyrics, came along. The LP’s title track, a tribute to a past lover based on a huapango melody, is often considered her most cherished song. Additionally, the record includes “Nada Es Suficiente,” an electropop cumbia expressing dissatisfaction in a relationship (which translates to “nothing is enough”). This track gained even more popularity when Lafourcade collaborated with cumbia sonidera masters Los Angeles Azules on it; the YouTube version has been played over 2.1 billion times since its debut. Following “Hasta La Raiz,” she released two volumes of “Musas” in 2017 and 2018, a compilation of traditional Latin American songs and original pieces recorded with guitar duo Los Macorinos.

2019 marked the debut of Lafourcade at the Hollywood Bowl. Joining forces with Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic, she captivated the audience for almost three hours through a versatile playlist that ranged from son jarocho to rock en español to cumbia. Among her numerous career achievements, Lafourcade regards this performance as one of her most treasured experiences as an artist. She believed then that she might repeat this extraordinary event someday.

“She stated, subtly hinting at Dudamel, ‘I was as if hit by a bolt of lightning, rooting me firmly to the ground. In that instant, I realized I would come back and discover someone who I could build a connection with.'”

“That evening was truly legendary, ranked among the finest ever at the Hollywood Bowl. With The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix gracing its stage, it’s steeped in history. And on that night, there was Natalia Lafourcade,” remarked the conductor, a Venezuelan native who has deliberately aimed to infuse Latin music into the L.A. Phil’s performances as their leader.

He noted, “It’s an honor for us to interact with her.” Furthermore, Los Angeles is known for its strong Latino culture, particularly its Mexican heritage. It’s significant and essential for a remarkable figure who embodies that Latino identity to perform at the Hollywood Bowl.

In the five years following that unforgettable performance, Lafourcade has released three studio albums: two installments of “A Song for Mexico” (released in 2020 and 2021), which are tributes to her homeland, containing covers of timeless songs such as “Cien Años,” “Ya No Vivo Por Vivir,” and “La Llorona,” along with fresh takes on her own compositions; and “From All the Flowers” (2022), her debut album featuring entirely new tracks since “Hasta la Raíz.”

Titled “De Todas las Flores”, this two-year pandemic project by Lafourcade was born from her time spent at home in Veracruz. With no other options, she found herself revisiting unfinished songs saved on her phone and collaborated with French Mexican musician and producer Adán Jodorowsky, who lived near her in Mexico City. This partnership resulted in Lafourcade’s most personal and introspective album to date. The record starts by acknowledging our solitary arrival into the world (“Vine Solita”) and concludes with a goodbye to a departed loved one named Nicolás (“Que te Vaya Bonito, Nicolás”). Throughout the album, there are songs expressing love (“Mi Manera de Querer”), healing (“María la Curandera”), and surrendering to life’s journeys guided by the wind (“Viento”).

The album was warmly appreciated, garnering Lafourcade three Latin Grammys – for Record of the Year, Singer-Songwriter Album, and Singer-Songwriter Song – as well as a Grammy for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, which she jointly received with Colombian rocker Juanes.

“She expressed that the album felt like an instructor, guiding her through life’s lessons, including those about existence and its transience, recurring patterns, and the passage of time. It also imparted wisdom on patience, tranquility, finding peace in rest, going with the flow, soaring, and letting go.”

After unveiling “De Todas las Flores,” I vowed not to let another seven years slip by without a new album. However, lately, I’ve been questioning this resolve. This year, as I turned 40, the profound query surfaced: “And now, where do I go?” I find it beautiful that I can ponder this question, fully aware of my path thus far.

As a devoted cinephile, I’m currently gearing up for an exciting musical journey. I’ll be joining forces with Maestro Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic for a series of upcoming concerts. Not only will we be performing twice at the Hollywood Bowl, but we also have a date scheduled at the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City next month. This is truly a dream come true!

She expressed that our collaborative efforts have been a blend of merging our unique realms, creating something extraordinary through harmony and fusion, she explained further. For these performances, she mentioned, the playlist will feature tracks that best encapsulate her over two-decade long voyage.

Moreover, Lafourcade suggested that she has started work on several projects which she anticipates bearing fruit by the year 2025; however, these are not yet definitive.

She commented, “I’m not hurrying things along,” she explained. “Instead, I prefer to move at my own speed. It turns out that doing things according to my own tempo has been beneficial for me.”

Read More

• MANA PREDICTION. MANA cryptocurrency
• LDO PREDICTION. LDO cryptocurrency
• TRUMP PREDICTION. TRUMP cryptocurrency
• The end of Superhero TV on broadcast may usher in an era that leaves a generation behind
• EUR USD PREDICTION
• VET PREDICTION. VET cryptocurrency
• SDEX PREDICTION. SDEX cryptocurrency
• VELO PREDICTION. VELO cryptocurrency
• Rob McElhenney reveals Deadpool & Wolverine cameo was cut
• The Repair Shop announces exciting new show

2024-09-03 18:38