Welcome

Rana Santacruz (ex-member of La Catrina) - Alternative folk music from Mexico and other places

Hi, I'm Rana Santacruz and I'm very glad you landed on my webpage!

Before you listen to my music I'd like to give you a brief introduction of what I've been doing as well as what I intend to do with my music:

The musical projects I'm currently working could be considered "first cousins" to my former band La Catrina. This time though, I'm trying to give it an alternative touch and to revitalize it a little bit. In other words, I want to add extra thump to it. Throughout my life I've been heavily influenced by folk music. In particular I like artists that take folk music and transform it into somehting else, like The Pogues and Tom Waits. As you're about to discover, I'm still quite fond of acoustic instrumentation and for this project I've chosen stuff like: accordions, guitars, guitarrones, vihuelas, harps, banjos, mandolins, violins, etc. Lyric-wise my songs usually tell short tales and adventures. So in essence, despite the absence of my great band-mates, these two projects are a logical continuation to La Catrina (I must confess, however, that when I listen to my "charro" voice on the Catrina album I feel kinda weird!).

The two projects I'm currently working on are "Ojitos De Maguey" (Cactus Eyes) and "Canciones de Marineros" (Sailor Songs).

"Ojitos De Maguey" is a project heavily influenced by Mexico, its culture and traditions. Most of the songs are very happy and romantic and are inspired by the innocence and simplicity found in traditional songs and vintage Mexican movies. The styles range from "Son Jarocho" -traditional music from Veracruz (a state in the eastern part of Mexico) which by the way, I believe is some of the most beautiful music in the world - to Tambora - Mexican brass bands, in which the music is maybe not as beautiful but still very colorful, strong, melodramatic and, to be honest, quite amusing. Typical lyrics from this style are very, very simple as well.

The songs in "Canciones De Marineros" are much more melancholic. More than Mexican, they sound kind of Irish, or French, or Russian or... who knows, really. The lyrics are about sailors, their lives, their farewells and range from the story of an old sailor who's about to die, to the romantic encounter that another sailor has with a ghost who once was the love of his life.

As a bonus, you'll also be able to stream (not download do to copyright reasons) music from the album La Catrina, originally released by Warner Music Mexico in the year 2000.

All in all, the objective of this site is that you listen to my music and that we can keep in touch constantly. I really do hope you enjoy it.

Rana Santacruz