Latin Lyte: Ana Tijoux Set To Rock L.A.
Chilean hip hop master Ana Tijoux plays at the Bootleg Theatre tonight. (anatijoux.com)
Born in France to Chilean parents, the GRAMMY nominated Tijoux is a true pioneer. Her CD, 1977 -- a reference to her birth year -- has helped her conquer the thriving Latin America hip hop scene. Tijoux explains how she got her start:
"My mother was a social worker while I was growing up in France. While out in the streets, I would hear the music popular with the Algerian youth. It was French rap, but by their own. Although I am not Algerian, I felt it really spoke to me, there was a real connection to it. It resonated and spoke to the things around me. Like others in the scene, I tried doing a little bit of everything; graffiti, DJ, rapping. I wasn't all that good at some of those things -- like graffiti -- but I tried, then finally settled on being an MC."
In her teens, her parents took her back to their native Chile where she continued to refine her skills, but it wasn't easy. Unlike the U.S., where acceptance of rap tended to coincide with economic levels, the scene was a bit different in Chile during the early 90s, at the time of her arrival.
"When I got to Chile there was a certain amount of rejection towards rap. It represented everything Yankee and people were hesitant to accept it," Tijoux reflects, but contrasts it to today's thriving hip hop scene. "Things are quite different now and that attitude is no longer present. It is a pretty active scene now."
Musically speaking, the tracks on 1977 are reminiscent of the era when Tijoux first got into hip hop, one where beats, sampling, scratching and lyrics reigned over grandstanding and flashy jewelry.
"Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest were some of the artists I really liked listening to. They are excellent." But who is her favorite? Tijoux quickly responds with "N.W.A."
As one listens to her music, one gets a real sense for her admiration of and influence received from that era, especially the lyrics, a fitting attribute for someone from the land of Pablo Neruda.
"That [lyrics] is the most important part for me. I look at things that others, like Chico Buarque, have written and think 'Wow, I still have a long way to go.'"
Her humility extends beyond her stance on the writing, refusing to commit to any one artist -- past or present -- with whom she would like to collaborate. "That is difficult, there are so many good artists out there."
True to her humble personality, here is her response when asked to share some words about her show tonight at the Bootleg Theatre:
"I have a hard time talking about my shows. I am not a good PR person for myself and talking about things to attract folks to the shows makes me feel a bit egotistical."
Go check her out tonight. You won't be disappointed.