Exclusiva: Francisca Valenzuela Opens Up About Her Música

By Michael Lopez

Had a chance to listen to Francisca Valenzuela's music yet? If not, you most certainly will in the near future. The Chilean singer-songwriter is fast becoming an international superstar with her heartfelt tracks and charismatic personality. We had the chance to talk with Francisca after a recent performance at L.A.'s famed Dodger Stadium and she seemed quite humbled by her success.

"It's been an adventure," Valenzuela enthusiastically said. "Starting in Chile and now being able to showcase my material in places. It’s so exciting!"

Interestingly, Francisca was actually born in the states and spent the first 13 years of her life in northern California. She went on to explain how living in the U.S. and Chile had given her a wide variety of musical influences. And devoting her life to songwriting wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision, she had been drawn to the piano since the age of six.

"I've been doing artistic stuff since as far back as I can remember," she said. "I started playing piano at six. Then in high school, I participated in singing contests and talent shows. Then I got into bands and started making demos. Things slowly began to take off after that."

And though she's only 24-years-old, Valenzuela has already paid quite a lot of dues. She went to say how her demos were initially rejected by all of the major record companies. But, after increased viral attention (and some catchy original songs), Francisca got signed to an independent label and things took off quick.

Her first record, Muérdete la Lengua, went Gold and was named one of 2007's 50 best albums by Rolling Stone Chile. It even got her on the radar of Perry Ferrell, who added her to the roster of his Lollapalooza Chile festival.

"Playing Lollapalooza was amazing," Francisca said. "There were audiences from all over the world. Plus, it was very exciting to see Chile get put on the map as a music festival locale."

Now Valenzuela is hyping her second release, Buen Soldado. Co-produced by Mocky (who helmed Feist's Reminder album), it's gotten a ton of critical praise and even scored an MTV Iggy hit with its single "Quiero Verte Más."

Francisca had a hand in the production of "Quiero's" memorable video and explained to us how she loves expanding her creativity beyond music.

"I published a collection of poetry when I was young. I write constantly and I love the visual aspects of music. I love film and I have input on the production side of all my videos and the artwork on my albums."

Obviously, Valenzuela has a lot of good things to come. And don't be surprised if you hear the word "crossover" tied to her music either. She has already recorded in English and clearly has major mainstream potential.

Francisca went on to explain her secret to staying grounded and achieving her musical goals.

"Have a good nucleus of people you can trust and work with who are your absolute confidants," she said. "And make sure to keep everything in perspective and keep working hard."

Sounds like solid advice to us! You can check out more of Francisca Valenzuela's music by visiting her personal website.

Are you a fan of Francisca's music? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, Buen Soldado, chile, Exclusive Entrevistas, Francisca Valenzuela, Música, Quiero Verte Mas, Tr3s Exclusives