Mon Laferte and Francisca Valenzuela are both Chilean singer-songwriters paving their way through a male-dominated industry. They grew up with Chile’s music activism past as a benchmark, so it’s no surprise that they are both using their platforms to draw attention to important issues and create meaningful change.
Mon Laferte has just released her newest album, Femme Fatale Vol. 2, a collection of 20 songs that speak to love, loss, and letting go. The follow-up to her album of the same name expands on her work from the past years. The album is an introspective look at some heart-wrenching moments of a relationship, the moment you realize – this is no longer for me, and decide to let go, along with the song “For Your Consideration” that speaks to the music industry and the contradictions that live within her as an artist.
Mon Laferte has never shied away from speaking her mind. In fact, it’s what led her to walk the red carpet in 2019, bare-breasted with the words in Spanish, “In Chile, they torture, rape and kill” across her chest. With a green scarf tied around her neck, a nod to the green wave, the international symbol for feminism and the fight for legal and safe abortions, the moment drew international attention as a shock. It was a moment amid turmoil in Chile during the country’s largest protests in modern history, with more than 1 million people taking to the streets.
Francisca Valenzuela’s activism came from a very personal place. She consistently found that there were never women in the rooms where negotiations were happening and wondered if things would be different if there were one. So Francisca created Ruidosafest, an all-Latina-led music festival and research platform that has traveled to several countries, featuring panels, workshops, and an all-day music festival. Ruidosa has produced some of the most comprehensive research on festivals across seven countries and analyzed 400 festivals.
Now, the two women are continuing the tradition of their Chilean musical heroes as the country has a rich musical activist past. From Violeta Parra, Victor Jara, Inti Ilimani, Los Prisioneros and later Colectivo Las Tesis, music has accompanied the heaviest moments in Chile’s difficult past.
Francisca’s new album, Maldita, releases at the end of July, and it continues her exploration of feminist rage and her newest adventure, her own postpartum experiences. Ruidosafest takes over Lincoln Center in New York City on July 12.
In today’s episode of Latino USA, we speak to Mon Laferte and Francisca Valenzuela about feminism, their music, and how the ghosts of Chile’s musical past guide them to keep pushing for change.
You can listen to our interview with Mon Laferte in Spanish here.
Featured photos by Marcelo Hernandez and Mauricio Santana, Getty Images.
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