Natalia Lafourcade: A Song to the Roots of Latin America

Vibrant graphic design featuring singer Natalia Lafourcade amidst a lush backdrop of vivid, nature-inspired elements and colors.

Natalia Lafourcade stands out as a Mexican musician who's really made a name for herself celebrating Latin American folklore. She's been in the music game for over 20 years and does it all - singing, songwriting, and producing. Her music delves deep into the roots of Latino music, going beyond just catchy melodies.


Lafourcade takes her listeners on a meaningful journey through Latin America's cultural heritage, blending traditional sounds with modern influences. Her work not only preserves folklore but also enriches it, inspiring new generations to connect with and value their Latine identity.

Un Canto por México - El Musicalwww.youtube.com

Early Influences and the Path to Latin American Roots

Lafourcade's story begins in 1984 in Mexico. Growing up, music was a big part of her life, thanks to her parents. Her mom, a talented Mexican pianist, and her dad, a skilled Chilean harpsichord player, were her first inspirations. They were the ones who really sparked her love for music.

She didn't just sing; she also learned to paint, play the piano, flute, guitar, saxophone, and even participated in theater and dance. At the beginning of her career, Lafourcade initially focused on pop music. Her first albums highlighted her inclination towards this genre, which was quite different from her later works that explored folkloric music. These initial albums were a period of discovery and artistic experimentation, which laid the foundation for her musical evolution and identity.

Lafourcade's transition to Latin American roots music was a significant turning point in her career. Following the release of her album "Hu hu hu" in 2009, she desired to establish a deeper connection with her audience and the essence of Latine music. This led her to explore and rediscover various Latin American genres and composers, which opened up a new dimension in her art.
Her musical explorations have connected her to the works of iconic figures of Latin American music, such as Violeta Parra, Simón Díaz, Atahualpa Yupanqui, and Agustín Lara, to name a few.

Natalia Lafourcade - Mi Religión (Sesión en Teatro Juárez de Guanajuato)www.youtube.com

Fusing Latine Folklore

Mujer Divina

In 2012, Lafourcade released an album titled "Mujer Divina - Tribute to Agustín Lara." This album is significant as it marks where she began to connect with Latin American folklore. The album serves as a heartfelt tribute to the renowned Mexican composer, Agustín Lara.

In "Mujer Divina," Lafourcade reimagined and updated Lara's classic melodies, blending his traditional essence with her contemporary style. Through this album, she introduced Lara's legacy to a new generation of listeners, showcasing the timelessness and relevance of traditional music.

In this album, Lafourcade teamed up with renowned Latin American artists, like Jorge Drexler, Devendra Banhart, Vicentico, and Kevin Johansen, just to name a few. Each track is a collab, bringing a fresh style to pay tribute to Lara's incredible work.

Musas

Following her highly successful album "Hasta la Raíz," marking a pinnacle in her career, she made a comeback from an early musical hiatus with a series of albums titled "Musas," released in 2017 and 2018.

These albums pay a deep tribute to Latin American folklore that goes far beyond Mexico's borders. They display her musical exploration, ranging from the traditional rhythms of the Caribbean to the southern reaches of the continent. In this diverse soundscape, Lafourcade found renewed push and inspiration to continue her musical career.

The works feature the collaboration of Lafourcade with Los Macorinos, a duo of guitarists who have previously worked with the legendary singer Chavela Vargas.

In these albums, they explore and reinvent traditional songs while paying homage to notable musicians like María Grever, Roberto Cantoral, and Violeta Parra, among others.

What sets these albums apart is their respect and authenticity towards cultural roots, presenting the works of these iconic figures from a fresh perspective while maintaining the essence and beauty of traditional music.

Un Canto por México

In "Un Canto por México" Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Lafourcade delves into the heart of traditional Mexican music. These albums blend genres like Son Jarocho, mariachi, and bolero to create a truly authentic Mexican musical experience.

Lafourcade extended invitations to artists and groups from various regions of Mexico to partake in these albums. Beyond showcasing the musical diversity of the country, these collaborations represent an effort to preserve and revitalize its cultural heritage.

Part of the profits from these projects were put towards helping out the Son Jarocho Documentation Center. This place is all about preserving and promoting Son Jarocho, which is a traditional music style from Veracruz, Mexico. In September 2017, earthquakes hit the region and affected the Center, causing cracks in the main structure of the building and condemning it to demolition.

These albums are a genuine manifestation of her profound love and respect for Mexico's musical roots, and their influence extends far beyond the world of art, making a positive contribution to the nation's social and cultural well-being

Lafourcade's Resonant Influence

Lafourcade has an impressive collection of awards, which includes three Grammys and seventeen Latin Grammys. These awards, alongside others such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, and the Spanish Rolling Stone Legend Award. All these awards are a clear sign that her art has had a massive impact.

While Lafourcade explores more intimate and personal vibes in her latest album 'De Todas las Flores,' the heartbeat of Latin American sound still resonates powerfully in her music.

In a world where the latest trends often steal the spotlight from traditions, Lafourcade's work serves as a reminder that Latin American folklore isn't a thing of the past. It's a vibrant, ever-evolving treasure that plays a crucial role in understanding and embracing Latine identity.

Her impressive success not only celebrates the cultural heritage but also prompts us to think about the value of preserving Latin American musical traditions. These traditions aren't just historical relics; they're a living part of Latine culture and identity.



a woman giving the side eye to a man

Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

Keep ReadingShow less
woman surrounded by colorful illustrations
Image by Sayuri Jimenez.

Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.

Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.

Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.

"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.

For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.

When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”

This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.

The Road to the Boardroom

Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.

Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.

“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.

According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.

“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.

This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.

The Path for Latinas

For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.

When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.

As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.

With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”

flags of latin american countries fly behind performers wearing culturally traditional clothing

Ever noticed how September in Latin America is just one big celebration? As we wave goodbye to summer and avoid winter as long as we can, the streets come alive with parades, music, and festivities. Many Latin American countries celebrate their freedom this month, commemorating their hard-fought battles for independence from colonial domination. Let’s dive into these significant days and understand what makes each unique.

Keep ReadingShow less