Alejandra Ortiz -Artist, Singer, Songwriter, Teacher, Healer. September Edition
Alejandra. Such a precious gem of a woman. Singer/songwriter, teacher and healer from Bogotá, Colombia. She has a deep connection with the immemorial practices of our Colombian roots and plays native instruments from different cultures. I´ve had the fortune to co-teach with her some time ago with yoga and the healing power of sound with incredible results. I still feel there are some dreams yet to unfold together, and hopefully at the right timing and with the right spell, all will come to fruition. Her voice has taken her touring in Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Europe & the US, and has recorded over 20 albums. She graduated from Berklee College of Music, and the Sound, Voice & Music Healing Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, California. She is an inspiring soul. Being with her calms your spirit and heals your mind. Here she is my very special guest.. meet her. Listen to the links below to her gorgeous voice and support her music if you feel inspired to use it along your days.
1. Tell us 3 things about you?
* I was born in Colombia, but have lived in different countries for the past 15 years. Although I have a strong connection with my home country, I really feel like the whole Earth is now my home.
* I travel performing my music, and have taken my daughter almost everywhere with me since she was born. I feel very lucky to get to do what I love and share it with her. Its not as hard as most people think.
* I have a great faith in humanity... . I believe that in times of profound crisis we have the opportunity to regain and remember our creative power. I'm deeply inspired by the work of so many amazing people all over the world who are coming together to manifest a diverse, creative and sustainable reality. In many ways, living through dark and difficult times gives us the power to reawaken the creative light within.
2. How did music happen to you?
I started taking music lessons when I was 4 years old, because my parents wanted me to have access to something they did not have when they were growing up. Music started taking more and more time in my life when I was a teenager, until I decided to take it seriously and enrolled as a full time student in a music program. I then won a scholarship for a great music school in Boston, and never stopped making music and living as a musician since.
I was always very "musical", listening to the sounds everywhere, learning technique, theory, singing and playing with other musicians, but feel like I truly started my musical life, when I began receiving and channeling songs. It was amazing to feel like I was a conduit for something that wanted to come through. Then, all the years of musical education made sense, since I felt I could fully offer myself to the service of something higher than myself. I think making music is about getting your self out of the way and being a channel for the divine.
3. What is Lulacruza and how did it start?
Lulacruza has been my main musical project for the past 12 years. It started as a duo with Luis Maurette, a producer, percussionist and electronic musician from Argentina. We met while we were both studying together at Berklee College of Music. We were interested in creating our own ritual and tribal music, and brought together South American folk instruments with electronic production. We have released 6 albums, a visual album and a documentary, and have performed extensively in 4 continents. Lulacruza has been the main medium for my creative expression, and a very blessed journey of self discovery and service... (All our music can downloaded Pay-What-You-Want at www.music.lulacruza.com )
4. What feels like love to you?
Breathing to the pulse of the ocean, and receiving the radiance of the sun lighting up my own heart. Also, sharing a long hug with my daughter, eating a freshly picked raspberry, and looking into the mirror of my beloved's clear eyes...
5. What is your favourite song?
Its very difficult to pick just one! I love Remanso Inicial by Bahia Trio. There are no words, but the melody is pure magic, it stirs me deeply every single time.
6. Share with us how do you combine mothering with being an artist?
I try to be fully present when playing each role, so its a good idea for me to set times to play with my daughter, times to study, times to teach, times to cook, times for self inquiry... Some sort of routine is always helpful so that I can be present instead of trying to do many things at the same time.
Something else that has been vital for me, is to live communally! To have other children around, other parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts... I don't think we are meant to thrive as mom-dad-child units... I have created a communal house were we can support each other and do it together. It is SO much easier!
I truly enjoy and feel grateful to have manifested such a structure for our everyday life.
7. The best advice you had been given.
Make loving your own heart your number one priority. Specially, loving and embracing the parts that are the most hard to love about ourselves... Nobody else could ever do it for us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1-_h9Qzx2Q&app=desktop
Our Music: www.music.lulacruza.com