Julieta Venegas: La Leyenda de Tijuana

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In her new memoir, “Norteña: Memorias del Comienzo,” acclaimed Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas describes herself as someone who enjoys blending romance with storytelling and imagination.

I met her at Libros Schmibros, a lending library in Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights, surrounded by books from a diverse range of Latin American writers. She was intently looking at the shelves, taking in the many different experiences and viewpoints represented. Now, she’s becoming a part of that history herself, though she didn’t initially set out to do so.

During the pandemic, Venegas took writing classes that initially inspired her to write personal essays. However, she eventually lost interest and returned to her regular job.

“I just wanted to do another record,” she admitted. “I wasn’t really interested in my own memoir.”

She quickly noticed her new songs were starting to reflect the ideas and narratives from her essays. This creative process led to both her debut book and her tenth studio album, titled “Norteña,” which will be released on Friday.

I discovered I was essentially creating a musical autobiography, so it felt natural to combine that with another project I was working on.

These two projects together tell the story of how Venegas became a keen observer of love in pop music. Both are deeply connected to her first love: her hometown of Tijuana and its importance to her personal and artistic development. She explains that she was inspired by writers from Baja California and Tijuana, and that the projects were ultimately a way for her to reconnect with her roots, realizing only later that Tijuana and the region were central to her creative process.

Venegas’s “Norteña” projects capture the tough yet vibrant reality of living in the borderlands, a place she describes as being both far from everything familiar and right next to the United States. Her work offers a glimpse into her family’s life, constantly moving between homes on both sides of the border, and how that experience shaped their identity. She contrasts the lively experiences of growing up in Tijuana – attending shows and having fun with friends – with the impersonal and stark drive north on the 5 Freeway, which felt empty and disconnected from life.

What always stuck with me, no matter where we were, was the music. I remember seeing bands like Mano Negra and the Sugarcubes live, but even something as simple as hearing a street performer do karaoke – often José José, strangely enough, at the border – felt special. But the strongest memories? Definitely my family singing together. It was just always happening, and honestly, the sound of our voices felt as natural and essential to being near the Pacific Ocean as the palm trees themselves.

Venegas often praises her mother’s cheerful and optimistic outlook, and acknowledges her as a constant source of support. She also explains that her mother’s taste influenced her musical shift in the 2000s, saying she ultimately wanted to create songs her mother would love.

One standout track on the new album is the upbeat corrido “Terca,” which expands on a story from Venegas’ memoir about her move to Mexico City. The song, driven by a lively 6/8 rhythm, details a difficult time when she felt lost and questioned whether she could succeed as a musician in the capital. She even considered returning to Tijuana, but her mother encouraged her to keep going, telling her, “You’ve already flown; don’t look back.”

Venegas sees this as a reflection of her lifelong drive to keep moving and evolving – what she calls her persistent way of life. However, her mother’s support is the common element that ties these two pieces of work together.

This Sunday marks both Mother’s Day and Día de la Madre. To celebrate, the De Los staff shared their appreciation for their mothers.

The story is also shaped by her father’s overprotective nature. Venegas describes struggling against his strict discipline, recalling an instance where he punished her and her twin sister, Yvonne, for kissing their boyfriends by forcing them to write out a lecture about the risks of having sex before marriage.

When asked about how her memoir depicts her father as a stern disciplinarian, Venegas describes him as the quintessential Mexican father – a figure who has become more gentle with age. She adds that having a teenage daughter herself has given her a deeper understanding of him. The book’s most touching moment involves her father giving teenage Julieta exclusive access to the family piano, allowing her to practice while her siblings continued with their chores – a gesture that highlights his evolving relationship with his daughter.

Venegas’ parents were dedicated artists – photographers, in fact, a profession now continued by her daughter Yvonne – and they were naturally romantic people. The final song on the album, “Te Celebramos,” is an upbeat norteño pop track inspired by her father’s birthday and the story of how her parents fell in love. However, at its core, the song is about the way music can bring families together. As Venegas explains, she wanted to create something like a personal photo album – similar to the many that filled her parents’ home – a lasting collection of memories and feelings.

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This memoir explains the inspiration behind Julieta Venegas’ new musical direction, and her album “Norteña” shows her truly following her artistic instincts. Even though her last album, “Tu Historia” (produced by Álex Anwandter and a Latin Grammy winner), was her most successful in years, its pop sound didn’t feel like the right path for her music.

She explained that she got so caught up in a particular vision for the project that she didn’t immediately recognize what she truly wanted: to return to Mexico and record the album there, featuring Mexican artists. It took her a while to come to that realization.

Similar to a packed Dodger Stadium, the album “Norteña” features a wealth of Mexican talent, including the band Yahritza y Su Esencia, Meme del Real from Café Tacvba, and songwriter El David Aguilar, who helped create many of the songs. Singer Natalia Lafourcade, a close friend and mentee of Venegas, also joins her for a duet called “Tengo Que Contarte.”

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Of the songs released before the full album, “La Línea,” featuring Yahritza, has gotten the most attention because it deals with a current and important issue. The song tells the story of a migrant couple separated at the border. While Venegas has written about real-world events before – like in songs such as “Explosión” and “Mujeres” – this song is her most direct take on a political topic yet.

Venegas explained she wrote the song to capture the feelings surrounding family separation, emphasizing it wasn’t intended as a political statement. She was also surprised to learn Yahritza Martinez shared a similar personal experience with the topic.

Perhaps the best example of Venegas’ musical style is the song “Volver a Ti,” created with the popular grupero band Bronco. She initially wrote it as a songwriting challenge, specifically envisioning a collaboration with Bronco. After working on it for years, she finally completed the song when she met Bronco’s lead singer, Lupe Esparza, at the 2022 Bésame Mucho festival, and he encouraged her to share a demo.

The standout track is the heart of “Norteña,” blending Venegas’ knack for catchy pop melodies and heartfelt lyrics about love with the traditional sounds of northern Mexican music. It’s the kind of song that really shines when played on an old car stereo – and that’s a huge compliment for a great regional Mexican song.

Ultimately, Venegas consistently returns to Tijuana in her songwriting. She uses vivid imagery to capture both the city’s glamorous past and its present-day allure. This is evident in songs like “Esquina del Mar,” which evokes a longing to reconnect with the city and a loved one, and “Leyendas de Tijuana,” which paints a picture of its vibrant, bustling streets. It’s clear that Venegas has a deep affection for Tijuana, its stories, and its enduring spirit, whether rooted in fact or legend.

The “Norteña” projects are successful because they offer a dual look into the roots of the artist’s creative process. For nearly 30 years, Venegas has been writing love stories – some happy, others heartbreaking – exploring themes of beginnings, endings, and everything in between. She reflects on trying to understand the source of this lifelong passion and how long it’s been a part of her.

With her new album, “Norteña,” the artist is deliberately exploring her roots, drawing heavily on the culture and sounds of northern Mexico. It offers a unique glimpse into her creative process for longtime listeners. She described the album as a carefully developed project, reflecting a new approach where she thoughtfully considers themes and writes songs around them, sometimes even developing accompanying written material – even if it doesn’t become a full book. She anticipates this becoming a standard part of how she creates music going forward.

Venegas quickly looked over the many books in the library, seeming to consider all the ideas they held. Whatever she decides to do next, she’s determined to approach it slowly and thoughtfully.

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2026-05-11 16:32