A Chat with Mexican Indie Pop Icon Julieta Venegas

On borderlands, creativity, and how writing her first book challenged the prolific songwriter in unexpected ways. There are only two kinds of artists, if you look at it a certain way: those who want to inspire awe from a distance, and those who want to invite you in close. At a recent showcase at National Sawdust in Brooklyn, Julieta Venegas was a high example of the second group: the way she moved around the stage, starting by conversing in a sofa chair, then sitting at the piano, eventually picking up an accordion, all the time chatting, singing, casual, curious, disarming. The Tijuana-born singer-songwriter and Grammy winner behind albums like Sí and Limón y Sal is a minor deity in my home, but in person she doesn’t lord her talents so much as just unfurls them without pretense. Continue reading Access this and all our other premium articles by joining our membership program. Plans start at $6.50 per month and include twice-weekly digital features, access to in-person events, and more.