Ecuadorian singer Paulina Aguirre presents ‘Vamo’a sanar’, a song with electro-Latin roots and a deep social message

With lyrics and music from Quito Paulina Aguirre and her Ecuadorian colleague and friend Ivis Flies, the topic reached digital platforms Let’s heal on September 18, inclusive the Kichwa-language voice of Chimborac singer Yurak Pacha and the rap of Mexican-Ecuadorian artist Jahzeel.

Andean instruments such as charango, pingullo and bombo legüero sound in the song over Afro-Ecuadorian rhythms. It was created, says the author, to reflect on peaceful and assertive resistance to violence.

‘No ruler can heal the wound’ Paulina sings at the entrance, who from her hometown of Los Angeles remembers the penultimate presidential debate, because she was full of promises, but not solid proposals, which quickly became the object of ridicule.

“I think The worst hope a people can have lies with the authorities; Hope begins with the individual work of each person. From the space I find myself in, I can make an impact if I want to become the best version of myself.”

Aguirre has been directing the film since 2011 Woman of Faith Foundation for people who experience violence. “When I came to live in Los Angeles, I came across this migration phenomenon where a lot of people were crossing the border from Central America; I went to a church and a lot of women had horror stories.” He knows Ecuadorian immigrants have experienced the same thing. The foundation helps women through the arts (music, visual arts, paintings, crafts), with the theme of non-violence.

“The person who acts in a form of violence is an incomplete human being. You must have a weapon at hand to gain validity or shout or hit, because without that weapon you have no value.

Paulina Aguirre

“But I also started hearing stories from women. ‘I got on a trolley bus there in Quito, I wanted to kill myself because my friend abandoned me and hit me, and that’s when your song came out waiting for your votewhich won the Latin Grammy (as part of the Best Christian Album, 2009), and I started crying like a girl. ”It wasn’t the only story of that type.

Let’s heal is different from that sentence, Aguirre explains, adding, “Not because I don’t have faith, I believe in the power of God.” But he wanted to speak directly to Ecuadorians, immigrants or not. “The situation we are experiencing as a country is painful, but we are going to get out of it because we may be a small country, but we are the richest, four regions, the most incredible food; our people have held it in high esteem in sports and business. What we think about ourselves is important. “We are moving forward,” he says, because art can also help heal a country.

Two local collaborations and many memories

Paulina Aguirre chose two young talents to sing with her. One is the performer and guitarist Yurak Pacha Guillin, from the Colta Valley, Chimborazo province. She adapted the text to Kichwa and sang a fragment.

guides them the mexican ecuadorian christian urban music singer and champion of free style Jahzeel. He came to Ecuador as a child, as part of a family of missionaries, and as a musician he has worked in prisons in Ecuador and Colombia. He was part of the artistic group R2C and is now a soloist.

Speaking of them, Aguirre remembers his own childhood in Ecuador. “I don’t come from a rich family, but from a family that had an economic crisis and went bankrupt. Every Sunday when I went to church I would say to God, ‘Maybe you can do something with me, because I have no money, all I have is my voice and my songs’; I was living with all the baggage of need and hunger, because look, I won a scholarship to study (at a private university), but I had no money to eat. I’m not ashamed of it (in Ecuador people are ashamed to say these things). I don’t want to look bad to anyone, I speak from my experience. “All I want is to give encouragement in the midst of difficult times.”

It wasn’t all Grammys, he adds. “I have had the talent and the desire, the hunger to get ahead, the perseverance, the learning to be disciplined, despite the problems of ADD (attention deficit disorder). Wherever we come from and whatever needs we have, we can live a righteous life.”

With a father from Guayaquil (her maiden name is Rendón) and a mother from Loja, Paulina was born and studied in Quito. “I took the DNA test, I am 45% Ecuadorian, indigenous.” She has no children (she is married to Pablo Aguirre), but she has thought about adopting. Meanwhile, his songs resemble his children. “And also the goals I work for, my goal is to help as many people as possible.”

Has been nominated five times for the Latin Grammys and has won one. What does it take for Ecuadorian artists to win space in these kinds of awards? “More organization is needed, it’s not just about releasing a record, it’s a whole strategy marketing, a release schedule, month by month, until the entire album comes out; What events will you be doing at each launch? How do you work on your social networks? How will you do with Google Ads and YouTube? You have to hold press conferences and concerts. “I start touring in Mexico on November 7.”

The production of Let’s heal is by Ivis Flies and Pablo Aguirre, the video was directed and produced by Justin Knodel and Paulina. The editor is Rick Alanis and the mixing and mastering is by Swedish producer Gustav Afsahi.