MCs To Watch: Ana Tijoux, Goyo Martinez & Li Saumet

By Simone Hilliard

2010 officially belongs to Latina rappers, according to the Los Angeles Times. As Latin music continues to overlap mainstream markets, three noteworthy albums have a female MC at the helm, and Team Blogamole is happy to report we've been cheering these ladies on for some time.

Are you ready to be inspired? Sit back, relax, and enjoy some exclusive clips and highlights from our latest interactions with three talents on the rise.

Meet our upcoming (August 30!) Descubre & Download Artist and LAMC favorite, Ana Tijoux! Tr3s took notice after her collabo con Julieta Venegas on "Eres Para Mi" - but we've been all about her sound since her days as a member of Chilean hip-hop group Mazika.

We fell in love with Bomba Estéreo's Liliana Saumet at 2009's SXSW, and newcomer Goyo Martinez of Chocquibtown is definitely worth following. All thee musical powerhouses are signed to Nacional Records, an L.A. based Latin alternative label.

1977 Get new music videos and MTV show videos on Tr3s.com. www.tr3s.com More from Ana Tijoux Watch New Music Videos Watch New Music Videos | Music News
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Tijoux - who recently won the most most coveted spot on the iTunes charts for "1977" - has also received props from Radiohead's Thom Yorke and describes her style as complex and contradictory:

"There isn't a logic or theory to what I do. I taught myself how to rap and eventually reached a fortuitous moment when I discovered my own style, or signature."

When Tr3s caught up with Ana at 2010's LAMC, she shared what she envisions for the future:

“I would like to make an album with African musicians. I would like to write a book, make documentaries, and do other stuff that interests me. Hip hop is an amazing music [style], but I think we’ve got to be more free in our creations.”

As fas as her next album, Tijoux has already kicked off her writing process.

Ana Tijoux is Writing Her Next Album Get new music videos and MTV show videos on Tr3s.com. www.tr3s.com More from Watch MTV Shows Watch New Music Videos | Music News
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Fuego Get new music videos and MTV show videos on Tr3s.com. www.tr3s.com More from Bomba Estéreo Watch New Music Videos Watch New Music Videos | Music News
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For those who have been living under a soundproof rock, Li Saumet is the ferocious vocalist of duo Bomba Estéreo. The group just released a video for “Agua Salá” and their sound can be described as a mix between cumbia and electronica, with a splash of psychedelia.

photo credit: Bashira Webb for Tr3s

Saumet, who alternates between rapping and singing, sat down for an exclusive interview with Tr3s, where she shared the importance of socially conscious lyrics and the lack of language barriers when it comes to music.

Tr3s: Asi que, cuando la música es buena, no importa el idioma?

Li: Pues, la música en general es música, y la gente la recibe como un ritmo arte, como un lenguaje, sea Inglés o Español. Mira, nosotros toda la vida oyendo rock en Inglés, y entonces es lo mismo. No entendiamos, lo inventabamos, le cambiabamos las letras, pero nos gustaba como sonaba.

Tr3s: Las canciones de Bomba Estéreo sin duda nos hacen bailar, pero cuan importante es para ustedes el incorporar mensajes de consiencia social?

Li: Pues, es tan importante como cualquier tipo de mensaje, no? Como darle a la gente mensajes de amor… de buena energía… de que no estamos de acuerdo con ciertas cosas sociales, con cierto tipo de comportamientos políticos, con el presidente, con las niñas que se operan. Digamos que no hay un mensaje más importante que otros para nosotros, o sea no es más importante la política que digamos el amor, o la paz. Es como todo igual, pero simplemente en el primer disco fué la manera de lo primero que yo tenía que expresar en las letras. Sabes, no nos gusta a veces meternos tanto a opinar de política y eso, pero sí queremos decir qué no nos gusta.

Fellow Colombian newcomer Chocquibtown's harmony is distinctly laced with Afro-Caribbean zest, celebrating the country's cultural heritage without dwelling on its painful present. Lyrics like "todo el mundo quiere irse de aquí, pero nadie lo ha logrado," loosely translated, "Everyone wants to leave this place, but no one has managed to do it," showcase the country's reality.

Goyo credits her tropical sound to her upbringing:

"I grew up in the town of Condoto, next to a river, surrounded by music."

And thanks her father for exposing her to a variety of music that contributed to her unique style:

"My father was a record collector. He had a music room, devoid of light or furniture. Its only luxury was a huge LP collection: Michael Jackson, El Gran Combo, Marvin Gaye. No one could have imagined that there was music from all over the world in that little room in Condoto. And yet, his collection gave me a broad panorama of sounds. It made me the performer that I am today."

Hopefully this "trend" of the Latina emcee continues to flourish in a male music market. We look forward to other emerging voices, so that "trend" pieces about these artists are less focused on gender and more about pure talent!

Source: [Los Angeles Times]

What do you think of these powerhouse artists? Weigh in below or @MTV3.

Tags 2010 LAMC, Anita Tijoux, Bomba Estereo, ChocQuibTown, Descubre & Download, Exclusive, Goyo Martinez, photo, Photos, Video, Videos