Colombian-Canadian Singer-Songwriter Natasha Roldán Shares New Album
Natasha Roldán released Ya No Estoy Aquí on October 25th. The record was produced by Natasha herself, alongside Colombian-Canadian musician Jorge Gil Arias, and received support from the Ontario Arts Council.
Ya No Estoy Aquí features other stellar Canadian talent, including Marie Goudy, Marito Marques, Drew Jurecka, and Nick Arseneau, with mixing and mastering by Justin Gray and some extraordinary artwork by Colombian-Canadian artist La Pupila who created one illustration for each song.
All of the songs were composed by Natasha, and feature lyrics that weave emotionally poignant narratives, inviting reflection on the search for freedom, self-love, resistance, and the importance of individual and collective struggles. The music combines elements of Latin American Folk, traditional Colombian rhythms, and jazz with an alternative touch.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi! I’m Natasha Roldán, I’m a singer/songwriter based in Toronto. I was born in Colombia but for many years now Canada has been my home. In my musical journey, I’ve explored many music genres including folk, jazz, rock, and many types of Latin American music among others. I truly love all kinds of music and enjoy singing in other languages.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
My new album “Ya no estoy aquí” (I’m no longer here) was released on October 25th of this year. I’m very proud of this record because besides writing the music, I produced it alongside Jorge Gil Arias, who also plays guitar and other instruments on the record. The songs are all based on real stories and they talk about migration, revolution, love, and the Colombian conflict. It is a very honest album where I share many personal feelings.
In terms of production, we aimed for a very organic and natural sound, making sure the human element was the main character. We didn’t do a lot of takes or heavy editing, capturing the feeling of the recording and raw interpretation of the songs was very important to us in order to tell these stories. The music includes elements of Latin American folk, jazz, and Colombian rhythms like bambuco, pasillo, and cumbia with an alternative touch. I was very lucky to work with fantastic Canadian musicians including Marie Goudy (trumpet), Marito Marques (drums & percussion), Nick Arseneau (bass), and Drew Jurecka (clarinet). We recorded most of it at GMP Recording Studios and some other parts at my home studio. The album was mixed and mastered by Justin Gray at Immersive Mastering.
One fun fact is that my dog is featured in one song with his cute howls and barks which we also sampled and turned into a percussion instrument. Producing this record was very challenging but it was super fun. I can’t wait to record more music, I really enjoyed the process.
The album art was done by Colombian artist La Pupila who is also based in Toronto, you might have seen her art all over the city. She is absolutely incredible and created a special illustration and GIF representing each song. I’m proud to have worked with so many amazing people on this project and thankful to the Ontario Arts Council for supporting it.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
I will be outside Canada for a bit but returning to do a special album release show in 2024. I will be posting all the details on my socials. You can find me on Instagram and all other platforms as @natasharmusic.
If given the chance, which Canadian artist would you love to work with in the future?
This year I was lucky to attend various music conferences including Global Toronto, Mundial Montreal, and Folk Music Ontario. I met so many incredible national and international artists I’d love to work with. I think the Latin-Canadian crew has some fantastic artists including Bianca Rocha, Lara Klaus, João Leao, Ana Lía, Noé Lira, Seu, Roberto Lopez, Amanda Martinez, and so many others. I’d love to have Charlotte McAfee Brunner in one of my records. I met The Pairs in London and they are incredible musicians and lovely humans. There is so much talent in Canada. It is very exciting being part of the music scene here.
What’s your goal for 2024?
I want to continue sharing my music as widely as possible and finding my audience, while also writing and producing new music. I love the fact that people are increasingly open to listening to music in other languages and discovering new sounds. I invite you all to check out my new record, ‘Ya no estoy aquí,’ available on all digital platforms. I’m sure you’ll find a song you love.
Connect with Natasha Roldán:
Website
Bandcamp
Facebook
Instagram