My liking towards Ximena Sariñana started when I was a tween and I used to watch novelas with my grandma. I had to be around 11 or 12 and here I was glued to the TV watching the Mexican soap operas Luz Clarita & Gotita de Amor (soap operas she was part of.) Who would have ever thought that some 15 years later I would be interviewing her?
She disappeared from her soap operas momentum and I came across her again when in 2002 I watched the movie Amar te Duele where she played a part and had also written and sang for the movie soundtrack. Well, fast forward to the year 2008 and I stumbled upon her latest facet, a CD titled Mediocre. If you haven’t checked it out I definitively recommend it! She has that jazzy, mellow vibe and her voice is worth listening to live.
Ximena performed at the Red Devil Lounge on May 18th and I was lucky enough to interview her (courtesy of UNION ROCKER) right after her sound check. She talked about her miniseries of acoustic concerts which brought her to San Francisco. Ximena also talked about how excited she was to perform these types of concerts which are more intimate and bring her closer to her fans. She has been working on a new album which is due to be out early next year (and to you all my non-Spanish speaking readers, her new CD will have songs in English.)
Ximena is all about twitter and myspace (yes, she still personally checks it) and is very into writing blogs to keep her fans updated about what she is up to, her time off, the things that inspire her songs and the music she listens to. On her myspace blogs she is known for letting her readers know about specific bands she is listening to at that moment, her taste is very eclectic, from Led Zepellin, Gorillaz, The XX, Little Dragon and even Gustavo Cerati. When I asked her how is it that she decides to listen to a particular band, she told me that she is a very visual person. If she likes the artwork on the cover she is most likely to buy the CD (yes, the actual hard copy, no itunes here.)
She was so sweet to interview and I must say that I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know what to expect, what if she was a mean one like the characters she portrays in her movies and before in the novelas she was part of. To the contrary she was humble and willing to talk to the UNION ROCKER crew even though she had been on the road for the past 8 hours coming from LA. The concert was simply breathtaking, her voice is so gorgeous; I was so pleased to have been there and I cannot wait till her new CD comes out, yes, I will have to wait for almost another year but I know it will be worth the wait.
From her past CD Mediocre here are the songs I recommend: Vidas Paralelas, Un Error, Medicre, Un Error (my absolute favorite), Reforma, La Tina and Monitor (a cover/duet with Mexican band Volovan.)
You have to check out her pages (facebook, myspace & twitter) :)
How many times have you attended a concert and have missed the opening act? Be honest, we all have done it. We wait till the end of the opening act to get to the venue; meantime you are probably enjoying some cold beers at the bar or perhaps barely finding parking.
If you recently attended the Ximena Sariñana concert in San Francisco and missed the opening act, then you MUST read what you missed out on.
I have to admit that I was not familiar with Gustavo Galindo, being the good reporter/ journalist that I am it was my duty to familiarize myself with him. Here are some quick facts about him: Mexican American descent, sultry looks, he performed at the well known SXSW, featured in Latina magazine and under the wings of Gustavo Santaolalla, want more? Well, keep on reading.
Thanks to his go-getter management company Autonomy, the UNION ROCKER crew and I scored an interview with him shortly before he went to stage as the opening band for Ximena Sariñana.
Like with many up-and-coming artists, he was a bit nervous and tired from being on the road coming from the shows in SoCal but was nice enough to talk to me for a bit.
Gustavo grew up in a bilingual household, went from Sacramento and ended in LA, listening from Mexican music, English rock and everything in between. He learned to play the guitar at a young age and slowly but surely is making his way up the difficult music industry. He recorded an LP in 2007 and by 2009, Gustavo Santaolalla had signed him to Universal/Surco.
Although his CD which is set to be titled Entre La Ciudad y El Mar is not even out yet, he already has tons of fans, some who have been following his gigs since when he first started. Let me tell you that he had a huge crowd when he performed at the Red Devil Lounge.
While his fans (and future ones) await the release of his CD, take a moment to check out his music on myspace, follow him on twitter, or "like" him on facebook (yes, he personally replies to the comments) trust me, it will make you regret all those times you missed and opening act. So, now you know, get to the venue early or you might missed out on an awesome performance.
Julieta Venegas came on stage and there was something different about her, there was no famous accordion on sight, such was replaced by a pregnant belly. It was perhaps the “mommy” glow that Julieta Venegas displayed but there was something magical in the air and all the attendees knew that it was going to be a great show. The place to witness this magic was Another Planet Entertainment sponsored Fox Theater in Oakland.
The artist in charge of opening for the night was none other than Ceci Bastida, who like Venegas led the Mexican Band Tijuana NO. Bastida has been collaborating with Venegas since she sang back-up on several albums since 2000. It was only obvious that there was no other singer better suited to join Julieta Venegas in her series of concerts than Ceci Bastida also expect her in Lilith Fair, which will be coming to the Bay Area in July.
The anticipation for Venegas to set the stage was quickly rising until the spotlight captured the essence of her presence, wearing a simple cotton dress with ruffles and her hair up in a bun she was ready to delight her fans with a simply breath taking performance. Her repertoire consisted of older songs such as, Seria Feliz from her 2000 album Bueninvento, De Mis Pasos, Limon Y Sal & Me Voy from her 2006 Limon Y Sal album. She also performed songs from her latest album titled Otra Cosa, one of such songs was Debajo De Mi Lengua.
Julieta Venegas definitely left her fans wanting more, due to her pregnancy, the show only lasted about an hour and a half, but it was absolutely an amazing show. She is definitely one of the most re-known female rockers deriving from Mexico. Expressing her political views she encouraged her fellow Mexican fans to show those who oppose immigration that Mexico is a country of vivid culture which has given birth to legendary icons, which was in the wake of the controversial new law in Arizona.
We will wait and see what she comes up with after she becomes a mom, in the meantime, pick up her new album “Otra Cosa.” The album is available in CD and digital version. For more information about Julieta Venegas or Ceci Bastida, check out their myspace, facebook & twitter and also their official websites: www.julietavenegas.net or www.myspace.com/julietavenegas.
My liking towards Ximena Sariñana started when I was a tween and I used to watch novelas with my grandma. I had to be around 11 or 12 and here I was glued to the TV watching the Mexican soap operas Luz Clarita & Gotita de Amor (soap operas she was part of.) Who would have ever thought that some 15 years later I would be interviewing her?
