Quality Americana

Today we’re traveling south of the Rio Grande for a beautiful, traditional-style album from Mexico’s Gabriela Bernal.

“‘La Bernalina’ is a musical work that explores the facets of self-love, identity, contemplation, and intuition, fusing elements of contemporary Mexican song with roots in bolero, canto cardenche, ranchera, décima, and Hñäñho,” Bernal said on her Bandcamp page.

The album features a beautiful collection of traditional Mexican music, with over a dozen contributing performers.

La Piedra

The album opens with a peaceful violin and classical guitar that sings like a lullaby.

“This song is very simple, but to achieve that simplicity, I had to reach 40 years old, travel thousands of miles south, and simply contemplate. It was so easy, wasn’t it?!,” Bernal said on her Instagram page.

The vocals have so much heart and soul, even though we can’t translate the words in real time we still get the same goosebumps while listening.

“With this post, I conclude the Bernalina process. May it continue on its path and may many ears receive it with love. For now, I’ll let myself flow so the music continues to touch me, reinventing me, and hopefully more…”

Anónimo Destinatario

Bernal filmed a live performance video for Anónimo Destinatario. The piano and percussion bring this song back to the lounges and night clubs from past.

“What can I say about this song?,” Bernal said. “It’s a great gem from my new album La Bernalina. This song says it all and more.”

Funding for the Arts

The project was completed with funding from the System of Support for Creation and Cultural Projects.

“Fonca (National Fund for Culture and the Arts) is the result of the efforts of the state, the private sector and the artistic community,” UNESCO said. “The fund aims to support the creation and artistic and cultural production quality, operating under the premises of democratic participation, equal opportunities and judgments parity in project selection.”

“After much work, dedication, and transformation, I am thrilled to share this album with you,” Bernal said. “It’s a sonic journey that explores self-love, identity, and introspection, fusing Mexican music roots with contemporary touches.”

Tu Ya No

This song features more modern sounds, with a beautiful melody from the electric guitar and layered vocals.

“This song leaves a void.” Bernal said. “I started writing it because of a poem by Alejandra Pizarnik, which gave me the idea of leaving the next word empty, and then to finish the lyrics, I had to go back to my 19 years when I fell in love and got excited about some easy guy. As for the music, I wanted Hermanos Gutierrez-style guitars with a tololoche chicoteado like in the corrido tumbado, and well, I thought this song was going to catch on, but it still hasn’t.”

Support the Artist

Gabriela Bernal was kind enough to grant us an interview about this incredible album, unfortunately we were unable to conduct this interview due to the language barrier. The quotes from this article are directly from Bernal via her Instagram page.

Stream and purchase La Bernalina on Bandcamp.

“Thank you to everyone who has been part of this process,” Bernal said. “Share it with whoever inspires you the most, and have a mezcalito for me!”