Like Being Hypnotized: Guest DJ With Juana Molina
Argentine musician Juana Molina. courtesy of the artist hide caption
Argentine musician Juana Molina.
courtesy of the artistEditor's note: This is an encore presentation of Alt.Latino from October 2013, featuring Argentinian vocalist and electronic musician Juana Molina. Her new album, Halo, was recently featured on NPR Music's First Listen Series.
Growing up in Argentina in the '90s, I was exposed as a very young child to the wonderful artistry of Juana Molina. She was on TV as a brilliant comedian, one of the few women in Argentine pop culture who refused to be objectified. She was intelligent, funny and didn't play second fiddle to any man. She was rara — weird — and I loved it.
Her first album, Rara (1996), was produced by Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla (composer of the Brokeback Mountain soundtrack). Molina is one of those multi-talented artists who succeeds brilliantly at everything she does. Like her comedy, her music is profound but very humorous, relaxing but frantic. She flirts with Argentine folk and trance-inducing industrial electronic beats. English and Spanish. Serious and playful.
Through superb albums like Una Dia, and Son in particular, she's garnered a loyal, adoring fan base that crosses cultural barriers. Her music has evolved into truly beautiful and towering sonic sculptures.
We were thrilled to have Juana Molina on this week's show to talk about her new album, Wed 21, her musical influences, and how to rebel when your parents have the coolest musical tastes ever.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Creciendo en Argentina durante los años 90 desde pequeña estuve expuesta al maravilloso arte de Juana Molina. En aquel entonces, salía en TV como brillante comediante, una de las pocas mujeres de la cultura popular argentina que se rehusó a convertirse en objeto, inteligente y graciosa, que no se quedaba detrás de ningún hombre. Era una mujer rara y a mi me encantaba.
De hecho, después de abandonar su carrera televisiva, su primer álbum (producido por el argentino Gustavo Santaolalla, que compuso la música de la película "Brokeback Mountain") se tituló "Rara" (1996). Molina es una de esas artistas de muchos talentos que tiene éxito en todo lo que hace. Igual que su comedia, su música es profunda pero con humor, relajante pero alocada. Juana coquetea con la música folclórica argentina y con los ritmos electrónicos industriales que inducen al trance. Inglés y español. Serio y juguetón.
Con soberbios álbumes como Una Dia y Son se ha ganado una fiel base de fans adoradores que trasciende las barreras culturales. Su música ha evolucionado para convertirse en hermosas y colosales esculturas sonoras.
La presencia de Juana Molina en el show de esta semana para hablar de su nuevo álbum, Wed21, sus influencias musicales y cómo rebelarse cuando tus padres tienen los mejores gustos musicales del mundo nos dejó encantados.
Guest DJ With Juana Molina
x x hide caption
Machito
- Song: Ay Jose!
- from Early Years
x x hide caption
"Eras"
Juana Molina
- Song: Eras
- from Wed 21
![Cover for Parallelograms [Expanded]](https://media.npr.org/images/amg/pop/cov75/drg200/g210/g21005unkw1-cf381af5299557dd51ebfc7d83a027ac1e942da5-s200-c15.webp)
Linda Perhacs
- Song: Parallelograms
- from Parallelograms [Expanded]
x x hide caption
Juana Molina
- Song: Ay, No Se Ofendan
- from Wed 21
Weather Report
- Song: A Remark You Made
- from Best of Weather Report
x x hide caption
x
xJuana Molina
- Song: Lo Decidi Yo
- from Wed 21
x x hide caption
Juana Molina
- Song: Bicho Auto
- from Wed 21