Natalia Lafourcade
Biography
María Natalia Lafourcade Silva, born on February 26, 1984, in Mexico City, is a Mexican pop-rock and folk singer, songwriter, and musician. She grew up in Coatepec, Veracruz, in a musical and artistic environment. Her father is the Chilean musician Gastón Lafourcade, and her mother is pianist María del Carmen Silva Contreras. Following a head injury from being kicked by a horse in her childhood, her mother used music for her rehabilitation. Lafourcade studied various instruments, including guitar, piano, and saxophone, and also took singing, painting, and theater classes.
Early Career and Breakthrough
At the age of 14, Lafourcade joined a pop group called Twist. In 2002, at 17, she released her self-titled debut solo album, "Natalia Lafourcade". The album, a blend of pop, rock, bossa nova, and Latin rhythms, featured successful singles like "Busca un Problema" and "En el 2000". This debut earned her several Latin Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. She also contributed to the soundtrack of the Mexican film "Amar te duele".
Musical Evolution
Natalia y La Forquetina
In 2005, Lafourcade formed the band Natalia y La Forquetina, releasing the album "Casa". This album had a more rock-oriented sound while still incorporating pop and bossa-nova elements. It won the Latin Grammy for Best Rock Album by a Duo or Group with Vocal. After the band's separation in 2006, Lafourcade released an instrumental EP, "Las 4 Estaciones del Amor" (The 4 Seasons of Love) in 2007, in collaboration with the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil del Estado de Veracruz.
Return to Solo Work and Folk Exploration
Lafourcade returned as a solo artist with "Hu Hu Hu" in 2009, which received Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations. A significant shift in her career came with "Mujer Divina – Homenaje a Agustín Lara" (2012), a tribute to the iconic Mexican composer. This was followed by the critically acclaimed "Hasta la Raíz" (2015), an album of deeply personal songs that earned her a Grammy Award and five Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year. Her exploration of Latin American folk music continued with "Musas" (2017) and "Musas, Vol. 2" (2018), recorded with the acoustic guitar duo Los Macorinos.
Recent Projects
In recent years, Lafourcade released "Un Canto por México, Vol. 1" (2020) and "Vol. 2" (2021), projects aimed at supporting the reconstruction of a cultural center in Veracruz. Her 2022 album, "De Todas las Flores," was her first album of all-new material in seven years and was premiered at Carnegie Hall. She is set to release a new album titled "Cancionera" in 2025.
Musical Style and Influence
Lafourcade's music is known for its diversity, blending pop, rock, jazz, bossa nova, and various Latin American folk traditions like son jarocho. Her voice is categorized as a lyric soprano. She has cited artists like Fiona Apple, Björk, and Café Tacvba as influences. She is recognized as one of the most influential artists in Latin America, having won numerous awards, including 18 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. Beyond her solo work, she has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Juan Gabriel, Los Ángeles Azules, and Miguel, with whom she performed the Oscar-winning song "Remember Me" from the movie "Coco" at the 2018 Academy Awards.