Natalia Lafourcade talks alter ego in 'Cancionera', the significance of touring in her 40s
When Mexican musician Natalia Lafourcade turned 40, her alter ego was born.
Lafourcade, now 41, was reflecting on four decades of life and "wanted to have the right things to say to my friends, family and loved ones" at her birthday celebration, she says. "I was trying to think about what I was going to say that night, and I was taking my time to write something, and that week, 'Cancionera' came as an inspiration and as a message – I guess to myself, but also to the world."
"Cancionera," or songstress, is the title track off her 14-track album of the same name. In the sultry and spiritual song, Lafourcade calls out to the "grounding but also very ethereal" songstress inside her. "Always, always sing your truth/ Be woman, the beautiful muse …" she sings in Spanish.
It "has to do with your liberty and freedom and your own persona, your soul, your mind and the way you're doing things in life," Lafourcade says.
Lafourcade, who began songwriting from an early age, launched her first solo album in 2002. In her nearly 20-year career, she has released about a dozen albums, won four Grammys and is the most decorated female artist at the Latin Grammys with 17 wins.
Her follow-up to 2022's "De Todas las Flores," which earned her a Grammy award for best Latin rock/alternative album, returns to her haunting, ethereal and Latin folklore sounds, honoring the traditional San Jarocho sounds of her native Veracruz, Mexico.
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As Lafourcade shares "Cancionera" with the world, she also kicked off the Cancionera Tour − the singer's biggest North American trek since 2018 − on April 23 in Xalapa, Mexico, followed by several sold out stops in Mexico through May, and more than a dozen U.S. cities.
"I feel like I have two children coming into the world: the album and the tour," says Lafourcade. "It's been a dream for me."
The making of 'Cancionera' was 'really something special'
"Cancionera," as Lafourcade's artistic mirror, also brought some levity at a transitional moment in her life. It allowed her to explore the duality of light and shadow, tradition and transgression, and pushed her beyond the conventional.
"The way we created the album allowed me to play a lot with my personality, but also with the alter ego of this character and the different energies that I felt La Cancionera was bringing to the table," Lafourcade says.
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With this project, the singer-songwriter marks a transformative phase of her career − one that continues to honor the intimacy of her voice and the guitar.
"'Cancionera' makes you create," she says. "She's very much like, 'Let's play, let's create, and let's not think too much about it.' That was the way we were making the music … the energy of creating that way was really something special."
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Lafourcade brought a team of musicians together, recorded the entire album in one session on analog tape, and mixed it live with the help of producer Adán Jodorowsky, who also worked on "De Todas las Flores."
"We didn't know in the moment if it was going to be OK, but it was really great to see how every song was taking its own form and personality," she says of the process.
Natalia Lafourcade: Music is her master, the stage is her home
At only 4 feet, 11 inches, the stage doesn't overpower Lafourcade − she takes charge during live performances, becoming a force and giving life to the emotions her lyricism evokes. Lafourcade loves the stage because she gets to lose control, but still trusts that something beautiful will come together, she says.
Whether singing a cappella or accompanied by her guitar to hundreds or thousands of people − at a small venue or an awards show − Lafourcade's performances feel visceral, intense and intimate all at once.
"For me, the stage feels like my house. I feel very comfortable onstage, it's not like I get nervous or weird," says Lafourcade. "It just feels like a safe space to create in a constant collaboration with these energies."
"You can feel the room being fed with people's emotions, with the emotions I'm bringing, but also with what my fans bring," Lafourcade says. "The love that comes with everything creates a very particular energy, and I love to use all that to tell a story."
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And a storyteller she is, through and through. Through her music, Lafourcade paints stories of heartbreak, loss, womanhood, grief and the celebration of life.
In "Hasta La Raiz" ("To the Root"), one of her most popular songs, she sings of her Mexican roots and the deep connection she feels to her hometown. In "Muerte" ("Death"), Lafourcade shows gratitude for permanent endings, which in turn teach her the importance of living life to the fullest. She also dedicated "Que Te Vaya Bonito Nicolás" ("I Wish You the Best, Nicolás") to her late nephew, who died in 2021 after a tragic accident.
"Music is one of my biggest masters and it makes me transform all the time," she says. "For some reason, many times I feel that when I'm comfortable in a song, music is shaking my face and saying, 'Move on, go to another place and try something different and do things differently.'"
She continues: "Every single time, music is confronting me in that way and I love that. It makes me realize I have the ability to change as many times as I want. Music really loves when we can move out of a certain path so her energy can move through us."
For Lafourcade, going on tour and releasing "Cancionera" feels full circle. She's ready to share with her fans music she's been working on since she was 15 years old, when she was still finding her footing in this industry.
"I wanted to do this tour in my 40s to begin this decade, and so far, it's felt like a reconfiguration."
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