After appearing in a series of telenovelas and movies, Mexican pop artist Ximena Sariñana released her debut Spanish-language album in 2008. In August, Sariñana made the transition to English with a brand new self-titled record that has earned her an international fan base. The Daily Bruin’s Andrea Seikaly spoke with Sariñana about the crossover and her musical inspirations in anticipation of her upcoming performance at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
Daily Bruin: You have some experience as an actress. How did you get your start as a musician and make the switch?
Ximena Sariñana: Ever since I was a little girl I liked music, and the first thing that I ever did was musical theater. It was always a part of my career, and I never necessarily saw these things as separate. When I was about 16 years old I decided that (music) was what I wanted to study, so I started studying it and one thing led to another and before I knew it I was completely immersed in doing music.
DB: Your first album, “Mediocre,” was a big success and earned you two Latin Grammy nominations. How did you decide to release an album in English?
XS: It sort of just happened. I was nominated for an American Grammy, and that turned the label’s attention to my music in Spanish, and the American label asked me if I would be interested in doing a record in English and maybe working on a more international level. I knew it would be a challenge to switch languages, and some people might be very shocked after I did it, but I thought it would be a great experience for me. I don’t think I would have felt comfortable with myself if I had said no to something like that.
DB: What has been the most difficult part of that process?
XS: The most difficult part was definitely the whole change of languages and working in another country that is not the one that I was used to. Basically, it was like starting from zero. No one really knew who I was; some people knew, but it wasn’t like in Mexico where I already had a name for myself. It was like having to start all over again, and that was very stressful and very difficult for me to do. In the end, I think that it made me a stronger person.
DB: What inspires you as an artist, especially when working in a new language?
XS: After performing my first record for two years, it started to get a bit tedious. I wanted to explore more electronic sounds and more programming, like the stuff that I was starting to listen to at the time. Lyrically, it is an album that talks a lot about the insecurities of being in a new place, like feeling noticed or feeling different, or feeling analytical and very reflective. It was a very uncomfortable time, and I felt like I couldn’t express myself properly, because even though my English is really good, at first figuring out your personality in English is very hard. You don’t have the same sense of humor, and I sometimes felt that it was hard for me to convey certain ideas to people or to really shine through as a person.
DB: After releasing “Mediocre” and “Ximena Sariñana,” how do you think that you have grown and matured as an artist?
XS: I’m a more hands-on artist than when I first started, and I think I value my music a lot more. I am more confident. … With the experience that you gain from touring and dealing with different people and different cultures and traveling and being away from home so much, you learn that the most important person who is going to push your music is yourself. You have to really believe in what you do if you want to work in this industry, and you have to constantly want to change and reinvent yourself as an artist.
DB: In the future, do you see yourself returning to Spanish or continuing to make albums in English?
XS: I think I’m always going to try to do whatever I want, language wise. I hope that I can still write in Spanish and still continue to write in English. I love both languages for writing; they are so fulfilling. I hope that I can continue to go back and forth like I’ve been doing.
Email Seikaly at aseikaly@media.ucla.edu.