Behind the Scenes No. 2 Interview with Juliana Velásquez

We spoke with Juliana Velásquez, one of the most important artists of the new generation of pop in Colombia, and asked her about her two albums, the relationship between her acting career and her music, the surprises she has in store for her show in Bogotá, and much more. This is Behind the Scenes!

1. Your music has been increasingly successful. What have these years been like behind a project that promises to take the world by storm?

They have truly been years of great learning, but also of planting beautiful seeds. My intention through music is to be as sensible and genuine as possible, and to use my voice to share personal stories and messages, as well as others that need to be communicated and should have greater visibility.

It has been a process of much exploration, of discovering that discourse, that message. For me, artists must have a message behind their music, and not just their music, but their very existence, what they do. You're not born knowing that, and you don't study music and suddenly know it. It's a daily process of discovering it and asking yourself questions. It's been wonderful and perfect how, along the way, allies, people, stories, muses, and moments of inspiration have appeared, allowing me to find that voice, to keep going like a ship full of fuel that never wants to stop.

2. We know that alongside your musical career, you also have a career as an actress. How has the acting world helped you develop your music career?

I think the acting factor has been crucial in my music, and it's a starting point I hold onto very tightly. I've been working as an actress for over 17 years. I have no memories of my life without acting, and that gives you a sensitivity. A very beautiful, very different perspective.

My music, both in its lyrics and in its production and soundscape, is often very cinematic. It has many elements that aren't musical instruments, but rather sounds that tell and narrate a story. I feel that this sensitivity wouldn't exist if I didn't have my acting background.

I'm always asked this, but what I love most about acting is being able to step out of my comfort zone and detach myself from my own mind and body, to experience other realities, even if only for a moment. But what I love most about music is that it's completely me, and that balance of being able to come out and come in has helped me to have a broader perspective on life.

3. At the Estéreo Picnic Festival, we witnessed what Juliana is capable of on stage, a show that was a complete revelation. What can we expect from this reunion with you?

Estéreo Picnic was a dream come true! Without a doubt, the biggest gamble I've ever taken. I feel like we really went all out and seized this opportunity, the biggest live performance opportunity we've had so far. Going all out was the best thing we could have done; the audience connected so deeply, and I fulfilled that dream of being on stage at the most important festival in Colombia. It was completely packed with people who, yes, knew me, but also many new ones. It was a revelation even for us; that day changed my life.

What's going to happen in this new encounter is that we can't fall behind, and when you set the bar high, you get into trouble, but you enjoy it immensely. You're going to find a genuine space, a safe space, where the music and the stories, but above all what it evokes in each person's heart, are the true stars of this concert in Bogotá. I promise you an unforgettable night, a place where it's okay to allow yourself to feel and dream.

4. A Latin Grammy is an award that positions you as an artist that everyone absolutely must listen to. What did this award mean to you?

This award meant many things to me, although I must confess that I'm one of those people who believes that you shouldn't make music to receive this kind of recognition. Despite that, receiving them is extremely important, especially at this point in my career when this Grammy came along. I'm an artist signed to an independent record label, with music that isn't considered mainstream, not because of how it sounds, but because of the themes it addresses.

This award helped me a lot to put my music on the map, but it also helped me tremendously to understand that you can have this kind of recognition and visibility without a huge record label behind you, that important messages deserve to be recognized, and that it's worth dreaming.

5. In your career, you already have two albums, DOS DOS DOS and Juliana, two albums where you explore your soul. What does the future hold for Juliana in the coming months? New music, new shows, what surprises do you have in store?

The surprises are endless, and how beautiful is the concept of exploring one's soul in these two albums. I feel that's exactly what happened. I feel like I explored myself, what Juliana was like in her first attempt to release an album, and in DOS DOS DOS, making an album that I was going to compose from scratch, thinking about everything, I grew as an artist. Many wonderful things have happened since this project began.

That's why so many wonderful things are happening this year. The year started with my national tour, which was a huge dream of mine—to share my music with the world, but especially with my country, and to meet people up close. We hope that in the coming months it will expand to more places around the world. I'm also happy with the release of my song "Narices Frías" (Cold Noses), because making the music you love to make, and being able to make the music you admire, is something else entirely. Salsa is a musical genre that I greatly admire.

Another wonderful project coming up in my life is the completion of my book: Joaquín, Mar Adentro (Joaquín, Out to Sea). It's a book that stems from a story based on one of the songs from my first album, a fictional story where I can include my experiences in San Andrés and Providencia. New projects are coming, as an actress and as a musician, things I can't tell you about yet, but you'll have to stay tuned.

6. To finish, recommend one national artist and one Latin American artist that we should listen to.

The list of national artists I admire and love is endless. I always start with my favorite, Juan Pablo Vega, one of the people who inspires me to make music. I also have to recommend Juli, my best friend, and artists like Laura Pérez, Valeriana, and Monsieur Periné—the list goes on and on.

And then there are Latin American artists I feel we should all be listening to. I'm a big fan of a Mexican artist named Arath Herce and another, who's a friend of mine, with whom I share a song on my album, Humbe. He's definitely worth getting to know.

Interview by Jaime Cortés