VIP No.5 / 2023 Interview with Mónica Giraldo

We spoke with Mónica Giraldo, one of the great female voices participating in the second edition of the Cordillera Festival. She told us about how her feminine perspective connects with her music, her Latin American sensibility, and much more.

1. To begin, you define your music as stemming from two paths: one rooted in Colombia and the other that travels through the sounds of the world. How do you bring these two paths together in your music?

The musical foundation that unites these two paths is my guitar, my voice, and what I call “the feminine perspective.” With this foundation, I bring together several elements. The first is the context in which I live, which is Colombia. This leads me to Andean and Caribbean rhythms, sounds of strings and wind instruments that travel throughout the continent and originate in Colombia.

The second, “The Feminine Gaze,” is about observation and introspection, which connects me with singer-songwriters from many parts of the world, such as Marisa Monta from Brazil, Feist from Canada, and Mafalda Veiga from Portugal. These are people who, through their observation, know how to name life beautifully, and where the guitar connects us. This is when music has no limits, and the connection with other worlds enriches my songs.

2. Speaking of your arrival at the Cordillera Festival and this gathering of Latin American sounds, what does it mean to you to be Latin American?

To live in a place of immense cultural and geographical richness. To be a Latin American from the tropics is to be Andean and Caribbean at the same time. It is to be part of a place in the world that is constantly changing and evolving. A place in the world that we are defining as we go along, and that music helps to build.

3. In 2021 you released your last album, “Hubo un Tiempo” (There Was a Time), and we haven't heard anything new since. Are you working on anything new? What surprises do you have up your sleeve?

Music is a constant journey. I've played concerts I'll always remember in Medellín and Bogotá, and I recently toured Boston, New York (where people were left outside to hear me at Lincoln Center!), Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Now I'm thrilled to be playing at the Cordillera Festival alongside such important musicians. I'm always writing and searching for the next song, of course, and those who were on tour in the northeastern United States heard a song that I'll be recording soon and that I hope to share with you at the Cordillera Festival.

4. Let's go back in time a bit. We'd like you to tell us a little about your first steps in music and how you discovered that this was your path.

I come from a family where singing and playing guitar are commonplace. I grew up surrounded by songs; My father's voice and guitar were the first things I ever heard… later I decided that music would be the center of my life, and I ended up studying at a university that values ​​world music, Berklee College of Music in Boston. I returned to Colombia with that idea of ​​a Colombian acoustic sound, and I recorded my first album with producer Felipe Álvarez, now Polen Records. Since then, I've worked with great musicians like Diego Valdés, Mauricio Pantoja, Juan Sebastián Caicedo, among others, with whom I've expanded the acoustic sound of my songs. Since that first album, "Muy cerca" (Very Close), we've created a universe of songs across six albums that aim to inspire life, to bring beauty and peace to a world that sometimes pushes us to our limits.

5. With your show at the Cordillera Festival approaching, we'd like a sneak peek at what we can expect from Mónica Giraldo at this gathering of Latin American sounds.

We're going to unite two paths: the guitar and the voice, the feminine perspective, and the sound of Latin Folk. We've also forged a wonderful partnership with the prestigious Emmat University to bring the sounds of a band to the stage, led by musician and arranger Fabio Chávez. Get ready to see a different kind of performance by Mónica Giraldo—something those who know me and are used to, and those who will be hearing me for the first time, will be thrilled! Coordinate your schedules to arrive early for our event and to hear a wide variety of incredibly talented artists who are sure to amaze you!

6. Finally, recommend a Colombian artist and a Latin American artist that we should be listening to right now.

From Colombia, I'll leave you with Elsa y Elmar and their song "Como acaba." From Canada, Feist with her new song "Hiding out in the open." Mexican singer Natalia Lafourcade's songs "Mexicana Hermosa" and "No más llorar" are always welcome. "Let the music guide us and the dance take us away."

Interview by Jaime Cortés