The singer and songwriter Ana Sofía promotes If you are not herethe fourth single from the album Sealed Lettersand celebrates its connection to Guatemala and its Latin roots.
Ana Sofía grew up between American and Latin cultures. That combination has allowed him to explore art with a broader vision. She is the daughter of Al, originally from Iowa, and Sandra, a Guatemalan whom she pays tribute to with her interpretations in Spanish.
According to Ana Sofía, her Latin roots are very marked because her maternal grandmother was Mexican. Although her life in the United States has allowed her to specialize in music, the artist emphasizes that the mix of cultures has allowed her to know and learn from different musical genres, which are reflected in her recent album production.
Currently, the artist promotes Sealed Lettershis debut album, which featured the work of the Guatemalan music producer and audio engineer Juan Pablo (JP) Berreondo, who resides in Burbank, California, USA, and coordinates Asonic World, his own studio.
According to Ana Sofía, the name of the album comes from a song that symbolically reflects the opening of her private compositions about experiences, emotions and thoughts that she had or was exposed to between the ages of 10 and 17.
The World, Sealed Letters and Stop Denying They were the three singles from the album released last March, May and June, respectively, to disseminate this production, which includes 15 songs. However, On July 24th he launched If you are not herethe fourth single and the only song in Spanish on the album.
singing in spanish
“In this album I included many of the songs that are very close to my experiences and that in some way I carry in my heart. But I thought that my links with my Latin roots had to be present in the production and it was my family that motivated me to sing in Spanish,” said Ana Sofía.
According to the singer and songwriter, the song she chose has been heard during the holidays in Guatemala and, for some reason, has accompanied her family on several trips, meetings and special moments.
The song that Ana Sofía performs in Spanish is If you are not herea hit by the Spanish singer-songwriter Rosana Arbelo, who published it in 1996 on the album broken moons.
“This is a song that has been present even at my family gatherings and that is why the idea arose to make my own version and thus be able to interpret it especially as a gift for my family and as a tribute to my connection with my history”he added.
“My whole family from Guatemala, Mexico and the United States likes this song and it has united us a lot because whenever it is heard the memories of people who have already died appear. That is why I consider my version as a gift for them,” explained Ana Sofía.
Berreondo, for his part, indicated that the version of If you are not here It is the only song in Spanish included on the album and one of two that were recorded in a different studio.
“If you are not here It was recorded at The Village Studios, in Los Angeles, California, USA, and had the support of great musicians and people with extensive experience in this art,” said JP.
The song was recorded by Che Wei and Melany Urzúa; mastering was carried out by Gavin Lurssen; the executive production, by Allen Johnson, and the production and mixing, by Juan Pablo Berreondo. In addition, musicians such as Sebastian Aymanns (drums), Kimon Kirk (bass), Zac Rae (keyboards) and David Levita (guitar) participated.
The video clip
According to Ana Sofía, the version of If you are not here It has an official video clip, directed by José Rodríguez Palomo.
The visual piece was recorded in a single take and, according to the artist, was the result of a performance that demonstrates affection, respect and admiration for those who support and surround her.
“The video reflects the performance in that there is not a single wrong note or word. Everything fit together perfectly. I didn’t realize it until I saw the reaction of those listening in another room of the studio. After that moment, I knew I had to publish it for the world to see,” he concluded.