Alejandra Alberti
Born American, Latina at Heart
“Born American, Latina at heart” is a concise way of explaining my reality. I was born in Nashville, Tennessee to a Mexican mother and Cuban father. Although I originate from “the home of country music,” I grew up in one of the spiciest cities in the USA; Miami, Florida. To some, my cultural mix and background could bring about confusion, but all these factors have helped shape me as the woman that I am today. My first language was Spanish, and when I began school, I learned how to speak and write in English. To this day I am thankful that the primary language in my home was Spanish because I was able to maintain true to my Hispanic tradition.
Growing up in Miami was quite the experience. At school, I made friends with different types of people.
Even though we all had diverse upbringings, the one thing that would unite us, would be the English language. I would then go home to where my mother would have prepared for us her specialty dish of enchiladas con salsa roja for dinner. For me, it was not difficult to constantly jump between the two worlds, as that is what I was always used to. I never felt limited or excluded for being a Latina, on the other hand, I considered myself at an advantage because I could always mingle and speak both languages in any given situation. Living in Miami probably also made it easier, as it is a city where 66.75% of the residents’ first language is Spanish. I am constantly being asked why I compose and sing songs in Spanish if I live in the US. After reading a little about my background, I think it is very clear as to why. It is not about “picking” a language; I just guide myself by what is natural to me and tend to stick to what feels right.
Spending summers and Christmas breaks in Guadalajara, Mexico, the city where my mother grew up, also impacted my childhood. We were 14 cousins in total, and my family was the only one that lived in the US. During our family reunions we would exchange thoughts, music, and experiences. It was evident that even though I grew up in a different country than my cousins, our morals and values were the same. My mother was the second oldest of five sisters and being surrounded by strong-minded women also impacted my development.
I have learned a lot from their stories, personal experiences and that has led me to make better decisions about life in general. I must say that my ideas are more liberal and risqué, but like every normal family, we “agree to disagree” on certain topics. I would dare to say that attending an all girl’s high school also sparked that independent woman inside of me. All of these experiences have built my character and in one way or another influenced my lyrics when writing new songs. My songs deal with love, breakups, concerns, life, self respect and woman empowerment. I mostly write about myself and experiences I have gone through, but at the same time I enjoy telling other peoples’ stories. It’s important for songs to have strong messages, because those are the ones that leave an impact. I think that my most impactful song to this day is “Dignidad de Mujer.” It is a song that has a powerful message for all women who are in unhealthy relationships and are being manipulated emotionally by their partner. “No, no seas una más. Eres más que una oportunidad. Mira que hay muchos peces en el mar, no dejes escapar tu vida por una debilidad.” That verse tells the woman to not be like everybody else. It is about putting a stop to a situation that she is not comfortable with. This song is special to me because I have received numerous letters and e-mails from women all over the world saying thank you for speaking so openly about a woman’s dignity and self respect.
Another song that has a meaningful message is “Gente.” The lyrics reflect on the character of a person; good or bad. It speaks about those people who have no voice and just say what everyone wants to hear; people who allow others to control them; people who are selfish and do things out of convenience. The decisions people make in life are a clear reflection of their character, so I wanted to dig into a topic like this. “Gente que apuesta por lo que quiere. Que a nada y nadie le teme por defender su verdad. Hay poca gente que no se presta ni vende, quisiera ser de esa gente que no se rinde jamás.” No one is perfect, but by recognizing the type of person you do NOT want to be, can then allow you to discover and work on becoming a better person.
“Vueltas” is a song that also helps a woman move on from a terrible relationship. “Hoy empiezo a mirar atrás. No pienso girar con tus vueltas, vueltas, vueltas, que me das. Con tus vueltas te quemaras.” Being in this type of situation is not easy, especially when you are in love. In this song the woman tells her partner that she is no longer going along with his game, and that his lying and manipulation will burn him in the end.
Songwriting has always been an escape for me and I have been able to express my emotions through song. As a true born American and a Latina deep inside my veins, I have always had the liberty of expression and so do all of you reading this. It is important to stay true to yourself as a woman, never compromise your values, and stand up for your beliefs. Never feel obliged to stay in a negative relationship and surround yourself with loving people; all of this, while having fun. . .
· Alejandra Alberti is a 24 year old singer-songwriter born in Nashville, Tennessee to a Mexican mother and Cuban father.
· Her first album “Alejandra Alberti” was launched December 2006 and obtained the attention of music industry veterans.
· She was nominated at the 2007 Latin Grammy’s as “Best New Artist.”
· In 2007 she was named “One of the 7 young Hispanics that are inspiring the world” by the magazine Selecciones.
· Her most recent singles “Dignidad de Mujer” and “Blanco Fatal” were launched exclusively on MTVtr3s and were on high rotation on channels MUN2, HTV, MTVtr3s, Ritmosonlatino.
· In 2007, her music video “Dignidad de Mujer” remained steady at #5 on the MiTRL Countdown (MTVtr3s) for several weeks. Alejandra also visited the TRL studios for a live interview alongside FatJoe and The Dey.
· Alejandra has participated and sung live at several Music Festivals such as “Viva la Musica” SeaWorld in Orlando, Fl., “Fiesta Broadway” in Los Angeles, California, “Feria Latina”
Stone Mountain in Atlanta, Georgia.
· June 30, 2009 Alejandra introduces her sophomore album titled “Vueltas.” She returns with a more mature and adventurous mix of sultry pop/rock rhythms mixed with alternative vibes and organic folk driven ballads.
· “Vueltas” was produced by Baltazar “Balta” Hinojosa; accomplished producer, musician, and songwriter who has worked with the likes of David Bisbal, Luis Fonsi, Ximena Sarinana, Jeremias, amongst others. Two tracks were produced by VeltracMusic.
· 10 of the 11 tracks were co-written by Alejandra herself and includes songwriting collaborations with Balta, Mauricio Sanchez – lead vocalist of Los Claxons (who also appears as a guest vocalist on the duet Vueltas), Latin Grammy nominated Alih Jey, Gustavo Gonzalez –lead vocalist, multi-Grammy winner Black Guayaba, Vic Garcia – lead vocalist of Miami based band Kingsley, Chris Syler, and many more.
· The first single is called “9:33” which is an upbeat rock song. It deals with a guy who constantly lies and gives excuses. The video was shot in Miami, Fl. by video director Milcho. The lead actor in the video is 2003 Latin Grammy winner Jorge Moreno.
· At the same time, Alejandra has dedicated herself to writing for other artists. Recently placing a song on Chenoa’s (Universal 2010) up and coming new album.
For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/alejandraalberti
www.youtube.com/user/alealbertioficial
www.twitter.com/alealberti
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