When Mexican pop-rock chanteuse Natalia Lafourcade went looking for inspiration for new songs to write, she went old school. Very old school.
She enveloped herself in the music of the great Mexican composer Agustín Lara, whose classic boleros from the 1930s and 1940s captivated the Spanish-speaking world. His compositions like “Mujer Divina,” “Amor de Mis Amores,” and “Piensa en Mi,” and so many others, are considered classics, even if most young music fans do not recognize its author who died in 1970.
Lafourcade spent time alone listening and exploring Lara’s music.
The result was her 2013 release, “Mujer Divina, Homenaje a Agustín Lara,” which earned her two Latin Grammy Awards.
But the real pay off came when Lafourcade released “Hasta la Raíz” (“Down to the Root”) in 2015, her most stellar recording to date with rich original compositions that highlight her strong lyrics and delicate voice, influenced by the majestic Lara.
“I was looking for something special and distinct from Mexican pop but still connected to Mexico,” said Lafourcade in a recent telephone interview from her Mexico City home. “I wanted to learn more about songwriting so I turned to Agustín Lara.”
“Hasta la Raíz” earned her five Latin Grammy awards, including Record and Song of the Year, and a Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album.
On the heels of that haul of hardware and last weekend’s performance at the Vive Latino rock festival in Mexico City, Lafourcade will make her debut appearance with her six-piece band in Tucson at the Rialto Theatre, Sunday, May 1.
She remains energized and emotional about the critical and commercial reaction to “Hasta la Raíz,” she said. The three years it took her to write and record the album was worth the effort, she added.
“The songs took on a life of their own,” said Lafourcade, 32, who grew up in the state of Veracruz, on Mexico’s eastern gulf coast. Both her parents were involved in music and the arts.
The good songwriter that she is, Lafourcade finds inspiration in her everyday life: her travels, sunrises and sunsets, falling into and out of love. “A little of everything,” she said.
She began writing songs in her teens and by the age of 17, she signed a record deal with Sony and soon after recorded her debut album, “Natalia Lafourcade” which reached the top of the Mexican music best selling list and earned her her first Grammy nomination. Since then she has recorded six studio albums. She also has produced and written songs for other artists, and has recorded duets with other leading singers including Mexican crooner José José, indie rocker Devendra Banhart, Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil and Jorge Drexler of Uruguay.
From her fruitful experience reworking the music of Lara, Lafourcade said she intends to further delve into the music of Mexican and Latin American composers.
