Borja, Conexión Divina, Joaquina, and Leon Leiden Discuss Being the Latin Grammy’s Best New Artists
The Best New Artist category is easily one of the most anticipated awards at the Latin Grammys. Last year, for the first time ever, there was a tie between rising Mexican singer-songwriter Silvana Estrada and Angela Alvarez, a 95-year-old Cuban grandmother whose relatives had submitted her album — proving anything can happen. For the 2023 ceremony, which takes place on Nov. 16 in Seville, Spain, 10 artists representing different genres and distinct musical cultures are vying for the award. The list includes acts from countries such as the U.S., Mexico, Venezuela, Spain, and more.
Before the final winner is announced. Rolling Stone caught up with four promising nominees to discuss their music and their reaction to such recognition: We spoke to Borja, an indie artist who is bringing romance back to Spanish-language pop; Conexión Divina, a trio of young women breaking through the male-dominated música Mexicana scene; Joaquina, a singer-songwriter who channeled her teenage dreams and angst into a formidable EP; and Leon Leiden, who made the jump from TikTok to becoming of Mexico’s biggest pop stars.
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Borja (Spain)
What does the nomination for Best New Artist mean to you?
It means everything to me. It’s one of the biggest honors you can get in your musical career. It’s also a prize for all the hard work I’ve been putting in these past few years. I started studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston and then I was working at Art House Studios, learning and doing all sorts of things. Then I finally took a chance to put out my album [Rimas Del Verbo Amar]. It came out in May and a few months later this happened, so it means the world to me.
Did working as a songwriter for previous Best New Artist nominees Reik, Lasso, Nicole Zignago, and Marco Mares help your transition into becoming an artist?
Definitely! I learned a lot from writing with them. The guys of Reik have so much experience, so I was listening and noticing what they were doing. Lasso is a great songwriter. He has a note on his iPhone with loads of ideas so I was like, “I’m going to do that too.” You start picking up little things here and there and then you bring it into your world.
What do you want people to take away from your debut album Rimas Del Verbo Amar?
I want them to be able to pause a little bit in this fast and frantic day-to-day that we live in, to disconnect, and to be able to connect with the music and their inner selves. I also want them to understand that it’s cool to be vulnerable and talk about emotions. It’s cool to be sad or happy about something that happened. I just try to be honest with my music and with what I feel. I feel that’s really important.
What do you want to accomplish next with your music career?
I have many dreams. Just for me to be nominated is a prize, but I would love to win it. I want to do a second album, which could possibly be a continuation of this one. I have a lot of songs that didn’t make it onto this album that I know are very good. Maybe do a continuation of this album and keep that vibe of love, honesty, and vulnerability.
Conexión Divina (U.S.)
What does the nomination for Best New Artist mean to you?
Liz Trujillo: It gives a lot of value to all of the work that we’ve been doing. The girls and I can agree that we’ve worked super hard on our project. It’s like saying, “You’re doing great.” We’re the first female group in sierreño to do it. We’re super excited.
Sandra Calixto: The three of us wished for this and dreamed about it. We never imagined that we would get to this point so fast. It feels like a dream come true.
In addition to representing women in música Mexicana, it’s refreshing to see Liz also proudly claiming the LGBTQ+ community as an openly gay singer.
Trujillo: Our purpose since the beginning is to inspire a lot of kids our age. There’s not only one thing that you can do. We want to show the kids from our generation you can do whatever you want. You can do whatever your heart feels and desires.
Conexión Divina recently had a line-up change with Daniela Santiago joining the group. How is that transition process going?
Trujillo: I’m really happy to have Dani join the group. We fight a little bit. [Laughs.] They call us sisters now. We’ve been doing really well. Our chemistry is still really strong. It’s stronger than ever now. I’m really excited for all the music that’s going to come out from us.
Daniela Santiago: I’m really excited! I feel fortunate to be a part of this. We’ve already worked on some new music together. It’s been really fun collaborating with them.
With “Al Tenerte” out as a new single, are you all working on Conexión Divina’s second album?
Trujillo: One of the things I was talking with the girls about is that I want to make this next album about the different stages of our lives. We all go through sadness and heartbreak and falling in love. We have some songs that we’re working on that talk about all that. We also want to represent our Mexican and American roots. I think a lot of people can relate to people telling us that we’re not genuine Mexicans because we were born here [in the U.S.]. We have a song that talks about that and says, “No, we are Mexican.” That’s what’s coming up.
Joaquina (Venezuela)
You graduated from Julio Reyes Copello’s Art House Academy and later worked with him on your debut EP Los Mejores Años. What did you learn from the Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning producer?
I’ve learned so much! Working, producing, and writing with him has been one of the greatest joys of my life. He’s definitely like a huge paternal figure for me just because of how much time we spent in the studio together. He was one of the first people to believe in me when he heard some demos that I had. Having someone with as much experience as him believe in my voice, my songs, and my way of writing is super special. Sitting in the studio with him, I’ve learned so much about the pure love of making music. He’s a huge influence in my life that I really respect.
You’re also nominated for Best Singer-Songwriter Album for Los Mejores Años. How do you feel about your artistry being recognized in that way?
It’s crazy! That was one I did not expect at all just because it’s my first project. I’m grateful that the love I put into this project just really showed. I’m nominated alongside legends like Natalia Lafourcade. She’s one of my biggest inspirations. There’s a very powerful next generation of singer-songwriters who are coming up in the Latin world, which I think is super necessary. There’s a huge void and space for it, so to see people in my generation coming up in that niche is so special. That nomination has helped me a lot to believe in myself, believe in my writing, and to keep on being better with every song that I write.
You recently put out “Quise Quererte” as your latest single. Is that a taste of the new music to come?
This is the first song of the new project that I’m working on right now. The next project is going to be a little more mature. I’m like a year or two years older than I was when I wrote most of the EP. At my age, 19, it’s a lot when you grow a year older. It’s going to be a very clear picture of everything that I’m living at 19-years-old. I’ll be a bit more mature and edgier. Sound-wise, we’re tapping into a lot of folk inspiration.
Leon Leiden (Mexico)
How would you describe the experience of starting on TikTok to become the artist you are today?
My project comes from actually sharing my musical process on TikTok during the [COVID-19] pandemic and then transitioning towards musical platforms and an actual musical career, which is what I always dreamed of. That came from social media. The Latin Recording Academy recognizing not only my project, but this whole movement that is coming from Mexico and other Latin American countries of people who came into the scene as I did is a very special moment for all of us.
You recently released the songs “Alberca” and “ILY.” Are those going to lead to a new album?
“Alberca” and “ILY” represent me coming back to doing solo music. I’ve been doing such an intense round of collaborations with artists ranging from Thalia and Adriel Favela to DannyLux. That’s coming next. I gave you a little exclusive there. I’m coming back to making solo music. It’s not only going to be those two tracks. I’m still releasing solo music this year. They’re part of my second album that I’ve been working on for two years.
What can you tell us about the song that you wrote for RBD called “Solo Te Pido”?
There’s a lot of things that I’m not in control of directly. I’ve been able to record most of the band members, but we’re struggling a bit logistically because of the tour. What I can say is we’re very happy and enjoying this process. We’re respecting everyone’s time because people see RBD as a band, but it’s also a band comprised of five individuals who have different schedules and lives. I’m trying to be respectful of that, but I’m hoping the project will be out next year. It’s a very special song for all of us.
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