When we think of Best New Artist awards, we don’t usually think of the nominees being musicians that have released music for the last five years. Yet, most of the nominees in said category have usually made strides long before they finally reach the ears of the mainstream ceremonies. Such is Silvana Estrada’s case, who deservingly won the Latin Grammy award for Best New Artist yesterday (Nov. 17). Estrada tied with Angela Álvarez for the award. Before winning one of her two nominations, Remezcla chatted with the now Latin Grammy winner about what she’s been up to since the release of Marchita at Remezcla Studios in Las Vegas, NV.
When asked about how she reacted when she knew about the two nominations (Best New Artist and Best Singer-Songwriter Album), she said it was unexpected but has felt inspired since. “It’s unbelievable, really. It’s really crazy because I didn’t expect it at all,” she tells Remezcla. “Not because I didn’t want it. I always wanted to be nominated, but I never saw it as part of my reality. I never made music or records thinking I’m going to do this to be [nominated for a Latin Grammy].”
“The Grammys was never a destination for me, like where to go. However, now that I am nominated in these two categories, I feel super grateful,” she adds.
Following the release of her debut album Marchita in late Jan., Estrada released her EP Abrazo in Sept. One of the reasons for this second 2022 release was that so much has happened since Marchita. And prior to the release, she was singing the songs from that album for a while now. With Marchita’s tour during the summer, she felt an end of an era and an opening to a new one. “Marchita came to make sense of everything I had been doing, and that’s also why I wanted to release Abrazo right away. Because I feel like I’m finally releasing music that I had been saving for the shows since a long time ago,” Estrada says.
As far as her next chapter goes, her new project will explore her signature themes of love and loss of love. However, this time, she’s excited about working with new sounds. She shares that her upcoming album was written during the pandemic and that the songs will primarily involve instruments like the guitar and piano. “There’s a different instrumentation, [and] I’m much more involved in the instruments and in the production,” she shares.
Regarding working with other artists, she has a few dream collaborations that she’s currently manifesting. She mentions Rosalía and Christian Nodal as part of her wishlist. When asked why she chose these two artists, she says that Rosalía’s commitment to her artistic proposal and not being afraid to live her own experience is what moves her. “I am moved by how determined she is with what she has to express to the world,” Estrada says.
On the other hand, what pulls her to Nodal is a reminder of her identity. “To me, he encompasses a Mexican sound. It’s perhaps not so close to [my identity] because I am from the south [of Mexico], but it is a Mexican sound that I like, and that excites me,” she says. “And when I am outside of Mexico, that [sound] is what reaches most people abroad.”
To wrap up the in-person conversation, we asked what else she could tell us about her album’s upcoming collaborations. She shyly smiles and concludes, “No, not at this time.” Fair enough — we’ll just have to wait and see!
