Malena Zavala released her new single ‘En La Noche’ and it got our hips moving. It’s a song about a fictional world where everything dances together, but if you don’t move with it, it moves against you; “it’s a metaphor for getting as much as you can out of life and not getting lazy.” Anyway, it pricked our ears so we thought we’d follow it and speak to who was behind it.
Howdy! How’re things going? How’s life?
Hola! Things are good, very busy. Currently, I’m on tour with Blanco White and finishing my second album.
How did music enter your life? Who or what passed the passion onto you?
I guess initially it came from my dad playing lots of music when I was young. I also remember when I was in primary school an orchestra came into an assembly and demonstrated all their instruments. I was really taken with the violin. So when I got home I begged my mum to get me one. I think that was the start of my musical journey.
What does music mean to you? What does it represent?
Music is life! There is rhythm and melody in everything. It has the ability to change moods and enrich people. It is one of the most beautiful things on this earth!
The new music video for ‘En La Noche’ sees you and a few others cutting some serious shapes, how did you approach trying to visualize your music?
Yesss, this song is a Cumbia. Which is a Latino style of music played at parties, so how could you not have people dancing?
You’re a cinephile right? Do you approach writing and performing with an aesthetic-visual perspective anyway do you think?
Yes definitely, I have synesthesia so when I write music I’m trying to paint the picture or mood in my mind. Often a lot of films that I watch influence these visuals that lead to a song.
I saw that your favourite kind of film is a psychological Sci-Fi, what’s your favourite right now?
To be honest I haven’t watched a lot of films recently because I’ve been quite busy with music but I quite liked Arrival which came out a few years ago but I loved the idea of communication and language that it had. I also saw the film Us (not a sci-fi) recently on tour and thought that was a bit weird, but great too.
You’ve said previously about your interest in magical realism, what do you think the real world can learn from a state of a lucid-but-strange dreaming?
I guess the world could learn to let go of ego and accept change.
Last but not least, what’re the plans after your latest single? Doing anything nice for Christmas? (It’s November I’m allowed to ask now…)
After I finish this tour I’m going back into the studio so that I can release more music next year. I’ll also be taking a month off for myself in Argentina to explore my country and see family.
Listen to Malena Zavala on Spotify and Apple Music. There are loads more great interviews in our new magazine, available HERE!
