Entitled, ‘Mi viaje: De Nuevo Leon to the New York island,’ (My Journey from Nuevo Leon to New York Island) Mexican musician Sonia de los Santos (Monterrey, 1982) has taken her first step as a solo artist. A New Yorker herself, for the last ten years, she talks about her experiences as an immigrant on the record, as well as her love for her country, and her passion for the different cultures in the world, including the Basque culture. In fact, she included a cover of the late Mikel Laboa’s ‘Txoria txori.’on the album. “I heard the song for the first time on YouTube, performed by Joan Baez, and I loved it,” said she in a conversation with EuskalKultura.com. “I’ve covered it with much respect and heart.”
New York. During most of her musical career, Sonia de los Santos has worked with Dan Zanes and Friends: a band that makes family music. “It’s a kind of music for both kids and adults, because of how topics are presented and for the music itself,” said the artist.
Things being so, her first LP Mi viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York island (My journey: From Nuevo Leon to the New York island) could also be included under the same label. “It is Latin-American folk, but also Anglo-Saxon folk, with a touch of English, and a taste of Basque.” The Basque taste she talks about is Basque folk singer Mikel Laboa’s ‘Txoria txori.’ “I heard the song for the first time on YouTube, performed by Joan Baez, and I loved it,” said she. Her husband, Bilbao native Lorenzo Parro, told her it was “an anthem” for the Basques. Facing that level of pressure, she decided to remake it. “I’ve covered it with much respect and heart.”
De los Santos doesn’t speak Euskara, but nobody would say that after listening to the great job she’s done. “Ander Caballero (representative of the Basque Government in New York) put me in touch with Laboa’s family. They’ve helped me a lot. I think they were surprised at the beginning, because I am a Mexican singing songs for kids and I wanted to cover ‘Txoria txori’ (she laughed). They were surprised, but they understood it and they helped me a lot.”
The relationship of the musician with the Euskal Herria isn't limited to this song, nor to her husband. “My second last name is Bidegarai. On my mother’s side of the family, I have a great-grandfather that was from the Basque Country. We don’t exactly know where from, but we know he was Basque.”
-To listen to 'Txoria txori' sung by Sonia de los Santos, click here.
-Hard copies of the album will be available on October 30 (only in the US).
-But the digital version can already be purchased via iTunes and Amazon. It is distributed by Festival Five Records.
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