Interview with Magdaliz Roura

Who was Violeta Parra?

Violeta Parra (1917-1967), called by many the “mother of the new song”, was born in an isolated rural area in the north of Chile. Music was always present at her home since both her parents where musicians. From an early age Violeta showed an interest and talent for music. She began to play the guitar at seven and composing by twelve. Searching for a better livelihood, at the ripe age of eighteen she moved to the capital, Santiago, with her brother Nicanor Parra.

Life in the big city was a cultural shock for Violeta who always rebelled against it. In 1953, motivated by her brother, the renowned poet Nicanor, she began a cultural research journey to collect music and poetry in rural Chile in 1953. Violeta interviewed people and gathered a collection of over 3,000 folk songs and poems with just a guitar, notebooks, and a recorder. A year later she started appearing in radio shows where she would perform some of the songs she recollected during her research. The time spent during this research would tremendously affect her music style in the future.

At the age of 34, she won the Caupolicán prize for folk singer of the year and was invited to represent Chile at the International Youth Festival in Poland. For the next two years, she stayed in Europe travelling, performing, and recording music. Back in Chile, she convinced the academics at the University of Concepción to create the Museum of Popular Art, and by 1958, she extended her folklore research to the South of Chile. When Parra became bed ridden with hepatitis, she engaged in other forms of art: ceramics, oil paintings, wire sculptures, masks, and arpilleras (tapestries). In the early 60’s she went back to live in France where she became the first Latin American to have a solo exhibit at the Louvre Museum. In 1965, she moved back to Chile established several peñas, centers of culture and folklore. "La Carpa de la Reina" (The Queen's Tent) was her last peña. In 1967 Violeta killed herself, she was found with a gun in one hand and her guitar in the other. Struggling to survive, heartbroken from the loss of the love of her life, (Gilbert Favré), and feeling lonely, defeated, misunderstood and unappreciated by her own people, she took her own life.

Violeta’s music, her art, and inspiration were fueled by the social injustices experienced by marginalized Chileans; feelings of anti-colonialism and anti-modernism, and the desire to love and be loved. By combining various folk music styles with lyrics that spoke to issues of social change, she paved the road for a new generation of artists that would use music to protest and advocate for social change and justice, what would become known as Nueva Canción. Parra’s music was rich with different sounds and rhythms mixing folkloric music and uncommon instruments to the genre at that time: the “guitarrón Chileno,” the Venezuelan “cuatro”, the Argentinian “bombo” and the Bolivian “charango.”

Parra’s accomplishments socially, musically and artistically are too many to mention. Nonetheless, her music inspired many and transcended cultural barriers and time.

As a musician and a woman I admire Violeta’s strength to convey her strong opinions and visions through her music. Her passion in her views of society and her intense love are vibrantly felt in her songs. Like Violeta, I grew up with music at home and self taught myself to play various instruments and sing from an early age. When I perform I include rich sounding instruments in my renditions of various songs, like the “guitarron” and the “bombo”. Her lyrics have also impressed me, so much so that I have added some of them to my repertoire, such as one of her most famous songs, “Gracias a La Vida” (Thanks to life).

Interview with Magdaliz Roura

Magdaliz Roura is the founder, manager, guitarist, and lead singer of the Latin American Music Ensemble Crisol. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from an early age, she showed a talent for music by singing, playing instruments by ear, and improvising. She has performed with many and varied musical ensembles, and choirs, in Puerto Rico and the USA. Since 1994 she has been living in Philadelphia where she has been a Music Therapist, Recreational Therapist Director, Translator, Interpreter, Voice Over, and Teacher/ Instructor (Spanish, English, Music, Latin dances).

Crisol, Spanish for "melting pot," founded by Magdaliz Roura and Robin Moore, is an ensemble that has been performing in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas since 1997. This group is dedicated to the interpretation of a variety of folk and traditional musical genres from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, and other parts of Latin America. Mexican huapangos popularized by Cuco Sánchez and Lola Beltrán, boleros written by Silvia Rexach, Rafael Hernández and Los Panchos, and Cuban sones including those by Miguel Matamoros and Compay Segundo, constitute much of the group's repertoire. Some other styles Crisol performs include Mariachi music, Cumbia, Danza, Salsa, Rancheras, Merengue, Plena, Cha-Cha-Cha, Habaneras, Bossa Nova, and more.

Below is an interview conducted by FLAFF co-founder, Beatriz Vieira, and Magdaliz Roura. Conducted on Saturday, April 20, 2013.

Bia: Can you tell us about your journey to become a musician?

Magdaliz: I grew up in Puerto Rico, and many in my family are musicians; my father plays the piano and sings. My mother is also a singer, and my mother’s cousins are also musicians. While growing up, music was all around me. From a very young age, I was exposed to all kinds of music from the Mexican trios, to Abba, to Tango, to Opera. A lot of my father’s friends were also musicians, and when we got together, we would play music and dance. I was mesmerized by these people.

I had a talent for music, and a good voice. I would spend hours playing the piano and the guitar, writing songs and melodies. My parents made sure that I went to schools with music programs. Teachers would get mad at me because, instead of reading the music, I was able to play the lessons by ear! (Magdaliz smiles)

I had been singing at home and in choirs, but when I was 12 years old, a 7th grade art teacher paid special attention to me. She asked me to sing for her and then took me from one classroom to another singing Campanitas de Cristal by Rafael Hernandez. This was a new experience for me, and it inspired me to keep pursuing being a soloist singer.

Bia: Do you remember when you learned about Violeta Parra’s music and Nueva Cancion?

Magdaliz: When I was growing up in Puerto Rico, Nueva Cancion or Nueva Trova was very popular. As a teenager, listening to songs of protest from Cuban songwriters Pablo Milanes and Silvio Rodriguez was a bonding experience. We were young and did not really understand the Cuban Revolution. My friends and I used to go to the sold out concerts of the Puerto Rican music group Haciendo Punto y Otro Son. Their songs were very witty and critical of the political situation in Puerto Rico, the USA, Latin America and the plight of indigenous communities. They wrote their own songs but would also perform the works of Violeta Parra and Mercedes Sosa.

Bia: When listening to Violeta Parra’s music, what is inspiring to you?

Magdaliz: Violeta Parra and Mercedes Sosa were very inspirational to me. Their music is beautiful, complex and simple, all at the same time. Some of the music arrangements are incredible. The first time I participated in a talent show was in high school; I sang a song by Joan Manuel Serrat, who was connected to the Nueva Cancion movement, accompanied by my father on the piano.

Bia: What continues to be meaningful to you about your artistic connection with this Latin American music genre?

Magdaliz: Violeta Parra’s work has strong themes, including the government abuse of the less powerful and the plight of native peoples. She lived with the elite in Santiago; she fought against the “Americanization’ of Latin American music. Violeta traveled to meet and interview people living in the mountains, searching for authentic folk music. She felt strongly about that and did not care about public opinion. I can relate to that. I was born a musician and have a deep connection with the music of my ancestors, it brings up memories of my grandparents and the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, where I grew up. This connection grounds me now that I am here in Philadelphia and the US.

When I perform fun, witty songs, I truly enjoy myself, and the audience can feel it. I get the audience to laugh, and I explain the songs to the non-Spanish speaking audiences. I do a lot of improvisation, no one song is played the same. When I perform boleros and/ or songs of deep sorrow I have to be careful though, so that my emotions don’t get in the way of my performance.

Bia: What new projects do you have in the pipeline that you are excited about?

Magdaliz: I want to record a second CD, my 95 years-old grandmother also wants me to record another CD. I am thinking about the repertoire… I know it will include la Malagueña, a Mexican Huapango that my audience often requests me to sing.

Bia: Tell us where audiences can find you and hear your music?

Magdaliz: My website is the best way to contact me and to see my performance calendar. The website is very current. I am very present in social media, you can like my Facebook page, and sign up to receive our email communications. http://www.triocrisol.com