Most listened to Chilean songwriter in the world, Mon Laferte, releases her new album Seis. The album is a spiritual tour of Mexico’s regional music, which was influential on Laferte after moving to Mexico City in 2009. Many of the album’s tracks feature local Mexican vocalists supplementing Laferte’s banada style instrumentals. Laferte herself describes the album as an homage to Mexico, especially appreciative of the regional style banda.
Laferte explains in an interview with Mitu “This album is an homage to Mexico, so it had to have a bit of everything that the country is known for,” Laferte says. “It was very important for me to represent banda music on this album. The truth is banda has always been interesting to me,”
Some of the best music out there comes from combining different styles and genres to make something new. Laferte describes her unique co-nationality as a specific element of her sound in this album. “There are elements I’ve never used in my music before, such as banda, and it would have never crossed my mind to use that sound if I wasn’t living here in this pueblo. I’ve been living in Tepoz for two years, but 14 overall in Mexico. I ask my friends, “How do I sound like when I talk?” And they say I sound weird because I still have my Chilean accent but I talk like a Mexican. I’m like a weird hybrid now.”
A chief example of this signature combination of sound comes from a collaboration with Gloria Trevi to record “La Mujer”. The catchy tune contrasts traditional aspects of banda music with Trevi’s contemporary punch. The duo come together in an epic girl power music video. Although this reviewer is not fluent in Spanish, the tune and the vibes come together to leave an undeniably powerful track.
Laferte also reflects on the shared solitude we have all endured over the past year as a source of inspiration. “The entire writing process was very solitary, bleak and melancholic, because I was like everyone else, just filled with uncertainty about what was going to happen. So I clung onto my music and my guitar because I thought, if the world ends, I at least want people to know how I was feeling. I wanted to sing about personal experiences, past and future loves, the love I have for my mom and other women. It’s an album filled with honesty. During that time, I had nothing else to do but write and sing.”
This candid commentary shines through in a major way on Seis. The contrast between the banda’s traditional melody and Laferte’s topical subject matter makes an awesome listening experience. Whether you’re a Central American music enthusiast or not, Seis has a seriously catchy vibe worth checking out.
Image Credit: https://www.ladygunn.com/music/mon-laferte-interview/
