Karina Sofía, rock and resistance with a feminine essence

The singer and composer from Monterrey Karina Sofía presents her first solo album: “La Reina del Cañón,” a work produced by the iconic Gustavo Santaolalla that combines genres, emotions, and a deeply personal narrative.

Released on May 9th under the labels Tinta Negra Records and Warner Music Latina, the album not only represents her formal foray into the music industry, but also a declaration of identity, resilience, and feminine creativity.

The album, consisting of eleven tracks, is a sonic journey that explores territories of rock, pop, regional Mexican music, and Latin American folklore.

Beyond its stylistic richness, it's a conceptual work that speaks to a rebirth. "I think the story of 'The Canyon Queen' has a very clear arc, as it begins in a very broken, very vulnerable place, and it's the whole story of this woman who manages to find herself again and heal herself so she can fly higher ," Karina explains in an interview with EL INFORMADOR .

Currently based in Los Angeles, Karina Sofía acknowledges that her professional career in music only began in 2020, although her artistic training began earlier, in the fields of acting and film. Since then, she has discovered the demands of the musical industry and the importance of surrounding herself with a solid team.

“There's nothing you can do alone other than write a song,” she says. “Everything else is really a team effort. You have to be with people who believe in you, who protect you, who look out for you, and the truth is, I was incredibly lucky to have met Gustavo Santaolalla.”

The collaboration with Santaolalla not only shaped the sound of the album, but also its artistic development. The main theme, or focus, The album track , titled “Más Alto,” is a direct collaboration with the multi-award-winning producer.

Inspired by the "Rain Maidens," Mexico's first female fliers, the song is a metaphor for pain transformed into a vital impulse. "When they see me fly, it will always be higher," Karina sings in a verse that sums up her spirit.

The accompanying music video was directed by Mamo Vernet and visually reinforces this notion of female liberation and spiritual flight. “ 'Más Alto' stands as a testament to emotional resilience and spiritual evolution,” the artist notes.

The creative process for "La Reina del Cañón" was, she says, profoundly organic. Karina sought to break with sound patterns, fusing elements of mariachi with distorted electric guitars, despite the warnings of purists.

“From the beginning, I was very curious to see what a distorted electric requinto would sound like. The first person who didn't question me was Gustavo Santaolalla,” he recalls. “He understood it from the start; he got the vibe. I think part of his magic is that he doesn't limit himself and has no expectations of what a record should sound like.”

In addition to providing artistic vision, Santaolalla brought clarity and consistency to the project, without dampening Karina's experimental drive. "I have a very unique songwriting style, and thank God I have the tools to produce my own demos. So, being able to do this and show it to a producer like Gustavo made it much easier for him to understand the mission."

Explore your creative facets

Karina is working on a visual proposal to bring her music to the stage. “I'm working on the entire visual presentation that will accompany the live music, which is very important to me. My dream is to tour Mexico and the United States,” she says.

Although she acknowledges that the road is long and requires patience, she is convinced that she will soon find the right platforms to showcase her work live.

Now settled in Los Angeles, Karina says the environment has been conducive to her artistic development, although she acknowledges that the distance from Mexico can present certain challenges. “I'm with Warner Latino; everyone on my team is Mexican. Where I really start to feel it is when promoting the album and speaking with the media in Mexico,” she says.

“Being in Mexico City, I could possibly make myself known a little more quickly, but I've learned that it's not about finding the quick way, but the sustainable way,” he concludes.

An album with two energies

The album is not only a musical exercise, but also a tool for introspection. Karina Sofía set out to make the realities of Mexican women visible through her writing, capturing their strength, pain, contradictions, and healing processes.

"I'm a woman who feels more comfortable with her masculine side than her feminine side. I've always had more male friends. I like the way men think. There was a time when I thought that if I were a man, life would probably have been easier," she admits candidly.

In songs like “Fuego,” “Mentirosa,” or “ Malandrona ,” that masculine energy manifests itself in tough, aggressive, even challenging characters.

However, during the development of the album, the artist began to come to terms with her femininity. “I came to terms with the fact that I am a woman, and being a woman is one of the most powerful things in the world,” she says. “We are mothers; we bring life into the world. I encountered so many women, including the voladoras in Puebla, who showed me that women are very strong.”

CT