Hello all!
This is my first contribution of hopefully many more to come, and of course, it’s about music. 
Those who know me know how much I am into music, and I am always discovering new music through friends and the Internet. Of all my latest musical discoveries, I am especially eager to share this one: a Mexican rock singer named Ely Guerra. Most anglophones have probably not heard of her before (hell, I hadn’t heard of her until a few months ago, being more into French than Spanish music), so read on for more!
“You’d really like Ely Guerra.”
That was what my friend Annie told me a few months ago as we were discussing our favorite music artists. I like all kinds of music in any language, even if I don’t necessarily speak it, but Spanish music had left a bad taste in my mouth. Most of it reminded me too much of my awful, messy suitemate from junior year who always played treacly Spanish ballads at all hours of the day, even late at night. *shudders* But I will give anything an honest try. I even gave Ys, Joanna Newsom’s latest, a try before finally throwing in the towel. I thought, “why not?”
Fortunately, Ely does NOT do treacly pop ballads. Oh no, far from it. First of all, Ely is part of the Mexican alternative rock scene, and she likes to do her own thing in the music world. She’s known not only for her beautifully written lyrics but also for her sensual voice and guitar skills. Word has it that her record company wanted her to be like Shakira and Ely flat out refused, even shaving her head in protest. I say, you go! Why be like everyone else anyway?
And that makes Ely’s music even better. She already has the voice, which can range from a sensual whisper to an angry roar depending on the song and desired emotion, and she definitely has the songs, which are rich in influences from straight rock to drum ‘n’ bass. The first album I got of hers was Lotofire from iTunes, her third album, but her first released in the US in 2002, 3 years after its release in her native Mexico.
Lotofire is probably her most beautiful and multi-layered collection of songs: very introspective. This album is much more chill-out than what I thought it would be, but don’t let that deter you. Chill-out does not equal boring in this case. Instead, listen closely to each song and you’ll hear the diversity of Latin and Brazilian rhythms and melodies that Ely uses in each song, which I think is enough to hold anyone’s interest, especially if you don’t speak Spanish, like me. For instance, the appropriately chilly Tengo Frio (meaning I’m Cold in English) contains an almost bossa nova bassline percolating through the song, with sparse arrangements to describe the loneliness felt by the singer. There’s also a drum and bass rhythm (Yo No) and then atmospheric rock in De La Calle, a truly haunting song used in the Mexican film of the same name. Though I immediately fell in love with her second album Pa’ Morirse de Amor, which I will review in a moment, Lotofire’s songs show off her voice a lot more, particularly on the guitar only songs like El Tiempo [a song about the environment] and El Mar, where her beautiful voice floats above her strummed guitar like a spring haze.
And this one is her second album, Pa’ Morirse de Amor, which came out in 1997 but was reissued in 2002 with an extra disc of remixes. This album has a different sound than Lotofire: much more straight ahead rock but with a Latin feel in the rhythm and instruments. Where Lotofire was introspective, Pa Morirse is more upbeat sounding. I’ve been listening to this album almost every day since I bought it, and each time I listen I love it even more. I don’t understand a lot of what she’s saying, since whatever Spanish I do know comes from knowing French and Italian. However, I don’t think that even matters.
First of all, the melodies and rhythms are catchy and interesting enough to hold your interest, especially in the stand-out track Angel de Fuego, the South American-modern rock hybrid Por que tendria que llorar por ti, and the moody sounding title track. Even in Que Mas Da, Ely is backed by nothing but sparse percussion and flutes, giving the song a traditional sounding vibe that doesn’t often happen in modern music. Second of all, a range of emotions come across in her voice, so even if you don’t speak Spanish, you can still understand the emotions that Ely brings to her songs. Her instrument can glide from her standard sensual whisper (Lagrimas de Agua Salada) to an angry roar (No quiero hablar [I don't want to talk], a bitter song to an ex-boyfriend). It’s just a shame that this album isn’t widely available, not even on iTunes. Looks like it’s only been released in Mexico so far as I know. In fact, I had to get mine from an Ebay seller in California; go figure.
So expand your horizons and visit Latin America in a non-traditional way. All you’ll need is an open mind.
For more Ely, here are some videos from YouTube:
The music video for the aforementioned De La Calle
A fan-made video using Ely’s “Por que tendria que llorar por ti” with scenes from The L-Word. At least you can listen to the song, a favorite of mine from Ely
