Mexican-born jazz singer gives new life to "La Llorona"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso. Photo: Shervin Lainez/la reserve records
A jazz vocalist from Mexico is giving a new romantic and modern spin to the Mexican folklore of La Llorona, a crying female spirit who is said to take children.
The big picture: The song's release on Friday, ahead of Día de los Muertos, comes at a time when Mexican families in the U.S. face anxiety of immigration raids and racial profiling.
- "La Llorona" by Lucía takes a ghost story into a song of female strength, grief and identity.
- It's a traditional tune that is often part of Mexico's Day of the Dead repertoire, typically sung at festivals, vigils, and performances celebrating remembrance, but this year it carries a different meaning.
Zoom in: Lucía's interpretation, released by New York-based la reserve records, transforms a song with deep roots in the Mexican state of Oaxaca with traditions in her state of Veracruz.
- However, she includes her own lyrics, partly written by her mom, and blends traditional marimba with modern jazz influences, including saxophone and piano.
In an interview with Axios, Lucía said her version complements the present moment that Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans face in the U.S. amid mass deportations and allegations of racial discrimination.
- "Well, definitely, it's a very painful moment for a lot of people," said Lucía, adding that she is seeing emotional responses from Latinos at live performances.
- "They were reminded of people who are living in Mexico right now and they're not able to see ... like the whole situation that's going on."
Context: It's the latest song by a Latino artist tackling themes of separation, pain, and suffering amid heightened political tensions.
- "Donaltron," released this year by Davicito59, Junior Caldera, and LuxorMaster, is a viral plea in the reggaeton and hip-hop genres about deportations. Davicito59, whose real name is Claudio David Balcane, was later detained by ICE, which supercharged the song's protest meaning.
- "Ilegal," also released this year by Emiliano Aguilar, denounces mass deportations announced under President Trump and defends migrants' dignity. "The wall is not enough/the people always cross," the song goes.
- Pedro Rivera's "La Injusticia del Inmigrante" is set to a more traditional song, which narrates scenes about undocumented immigrants in the U.S. facing raids and family separation.
Zoom out: Born Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso, Lucía was the 2022 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner and earlier this year released her debut self-titled album.
- She currently lives in New York City's Harlem neighborhood and performs in jazz venues across the country.
- Lucía told Axios that "La Llorona" focuses on heartbreak and human suffering, resonating with her personal experiences and coping mechanisms.
- "I'm all about the heartbreak songs where you can just let it all out, because I think that's like the moment where you should."
The intrigue: The jazz label la reserve records is no stranger to allowing artists to make music with political overtones.
- It allowed Greg Bryant and Paul Horton of the jazz duo Concurrence to release their ambitious "Indivisible" LP last year, which tells the story of how highways like Interstate 40 upended communities of color in Nashville.
Go deeper: Jazz duo takes on how US highways hurt Black communities
