It can’t be easy writing the album lyrics, especially after having sung to the tunes of Agustin Lara, one of the greatest Mexican songwriters of all time. But Natalia Lafourcade wasn’t intimidated.
In a telephone interview from Mexico City, Lafourcade—who was born in Veracruz, like Lara—talked about transitioning from her previous album, which won two Latin Grammy awards, to her latest.
“What I wanted most was to make a personal album—make an album that belonged to me,” Lafourcade said. “But when I started working with the music of Agustin Lara, it didn’t feel like that, like making something that was mine. Rather what I felt was that I had to learn from someone else.”
After her 2012 album “Mujer divina — Homenaje a Agustín Lara,” Lafourcade felt she needed to “go back to being a songwriter.”
“Beyond making an album, I had the desire to write good songs. To really making an effort to be a good songwriter,” she said. “Of course the idea of making a new album frightened me … but I also feel that my new album ‘Hasta la Raíz’ has the characteristics of being an album that was produced without much detachment.”
On Friday, Sept. 25, Lafourcade returns to San Francisco to perform songs from “Hasta la Raíz” at the Social Hall SF. The singer assured she put her soul into the new production, but hadn’t put much thought into the results.
“If it works, if it doesn’t … that is out of my control,” she said of the album.
The teachings of Agustin
“One of the most valuable things I learned while making the album dedicated to Agustin Lara was connecting with my voice. I believe that with my latest album, I got to discover my voice, my own voice,” Lafourcade said. “That was really nice. Before I would sing like…I don’t know how to describe it…but it wasn’t me. I couldn’t connect with my inner self. But while recording this album I found my voice, and I did that thanks to Agustin Lara because his lyrics don’t allow you to be a liar when it comes time to sing.
Following her album dedicated to Lara, Lafourcade said she suffered an internal revolution when it came to her singing and songwriting.
Now it seems she is more willing to reveal parts of her life through her lyrics.
“‘Hasta la Raíz’ is an emotional catharsis for me. The songs are mine, they’re my stories, my experiences. They’re also very obvious, very transparent,” she said. “I wanted to record a really personal album. To make something that would allow me to connect with where I’m most vulnerable.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, Lafourcade broke up with her boyfriend during the recording of “Hasta la Raíz.” And if one listens carefully to the lyrics of “Nunca es suficiente,” one of the songs on her new album, it’s easy to tell that someone really broke her heart.
In one verse Lafourcade sings in Spanish: “You will be lost within my memories for making me cry.”
But there are other songs like “Mi lugar favorito” and “Hasta la Raíz”—for which the album is named—in which Natalia explores more cheerful facets, such as being in love and connecting with her Mexican identity.
“This album has a bit of everything. It has moments that are very sad moments and moments where I was filled with joy,” she said.
Mexicana to the root
“We have to show Mexico a lot of love because Mexico needs it,” said the singer, recognizing Mexico’s current sad state. Her home state of Veracruz is one of the states that has grabbed headlines in recent years due to drug trafficking and the murders of journalists.
“I very much believe that music can help and that it can bring great happiness to people,” said Lafourcade.
She expressed that in the future she’d like to write a letter addressing the pain Mexico has endured because of its violence, but hasn’t yet found a way to do so. “I have great concern and I want to talk about these issues,” she said.