Francisca Valenzuela
Encyclopedia
Francisca Valenzuela is an American
born Chile
an singer, songwriter, poet, instrumentalist, and composer
of Pop
and Rock
songs. She was born and raised in San Francisco, California
, where she resided until the age of 12, before moving to Chile
. She is considered to be one of the singing revelations of Chilean music from 2006. On June 30, 2007 she released her first solo studio album Muérdete La Lengua
in Chile
, where it was certified Gold
. Her second studio album Buen Soldado
will be released on March 2011 in United States
, México
and Chile
simultaneously.
and Chile
. She lived her first twelve years in San Francisco, California
, United States
. Valenzuela is the fourth oldest and only daughter of five children, born to two Chilean born scientists, Pablo DT Valenzuela
and Bernardita Méndez. She demonstrated interest in music at a very early age. She began taking music lessons at the age of 7. By the age of ten she was playing acoustic guitar
, was studying classical piano and was taking her first steps in writing songs. She lived and attended school in San Francisco and Berkeley, California
. During summer vacations, she and her brothers would travel to Santiago
, where they would visit relatives. Eventually, the family would make the permanent move to Santiago
, when Francisca was 12. In 2000, Francisca published her first book,"Defenseless Waters" a collection of her poems. She released her second book,"Abejorros/Madurar", which was distributed in Spain
and Latin America
. As part a promotional tour for "Defenseless Waters", she brought her guitar and keyboard to venues in northern California, where she gave poetry readings and performed songs of her own composition. Valenzuela is fluent in English and Spanish, and often composes songs in both languages. Although she and her family still live in Santiago
, Valenzuela often returns to San Francisco to visit.
when she was 13. Residing in Chile
, Francisca took part as singer in interschool festivals presenting her original songs and she continued with training in classic piano. In 2004 she attended an intensive jazz program at the Berklee College School of Music in Boston.
In 2006, Valenzuela released her first solo single called "Peces", which she wrote at age 13. After a few months after its release, "Peces" gained popularity on Chile
an radio. Valenzuela gave radio interviews and concerts to promote her new song. "Peces" was recognized by Rolling Stone
magazine, as one of the best 100 songs of the year 2006. The song was written in 2000, when Valenzuela was thirteen years old. She and her family had moved to Santiago that year from San Francisco. Valenzuela wrote the song about a boy she liked at school who didn't reciprocate her feelings. At the end of that year, she released her second single "Dulce
" to radio Rock & Pop
. "Dulce" reached number two on the national charts in Chile.
To add more achievements to her short musical career, on May 19, 2007, she was invited by Julieta Venegas
to open her concert at Teatro Caupolicán. On June 30, 2007, she released her first solo album called Muérdete La Lengua
with the production of the brothers Mauricio and Francisco Durán (Los Bunkers
), who contains 10 songs (included "Peces" and "Dulce"). The Chilean press quickly dubbed her as The Princess of Rock, calling her, " new musical revelation". Soon after its release, the album was certified as Gold
in Chile. Valenzuela performed in New York City at the annual LAMC conference in July 2008. This was Valenzuela's first musical exposure in the US and gave her an opportunity to showcase her music outside of Latin American. She has performed in Mexico and Uruguay, and continued to perform at various venues in her native Chile.
, recording a new version of "Run Run Se Fue Pa'l Norte" as well as recording a version of Inti-Illimani
's song, "Vuelvo".
She also was guest vocalist on Latin Bitman's 2009 album Colour, Valenzuela co-wrote and sang two songs, "Help Me" and "Someday". 'Help Me' was later released as a single in the United States
and Chile
and a music video was also filmed in Los Angeles
in November 2009. In the summer of 2010, Valenzuela began recording for her second studio album in Santiago. She continued to perform at various festivals and concerts in both Chile and Mexico. Valenzuela completed the recording and production phase for her second album in late 2010. On January 1, 2011, Valenzuela release in digital formats her first single "Quiero Verte Más" from her second studio album calls Buen Soldado
, this album will be released on March 3, 2011 in Chile as a phyiscal and digital release.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
born Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an singer, songwriter, poet, instrumentalist, and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of Pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
songs. She was born and raised in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, where she resided until the age of 12, before moving to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. She is considered to be one of the singing revelations of Chilean music from 2006. On June 30, 2007 she released her first solo studio album Muérdete La Lengua
Muérdete La Lengua
Muérdete La Lengua is the debut album by American-born Chilean singer, songwriter and composer Francisca Valenzuela. The album was released on June 30, 2007 in Chile for Feria Music Records. The album's first single was "Peces" and was released in 2006. Though "Peces" did not chart, it gained...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, where it was certified Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
. Her second studio album Buen Soldado
Buen Soldado
In August 2010, Valenzuela returned to Santiago, Chile, to start the recording the album at the Atomic studios in Santiago, Chile, with the technical control engineer Gonzalo "Chalo" Gonzalez and Camilo Salinas collaborations on the Hammond organ and Pablo Ilabaca, member of the Chilean band...
will be released on March 2011 in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, México
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
simultaneously.
Early life
Francisca Valenzuela's career is divided between the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. She lived her first twelve years in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Valenzuela is the fourth oldest and only daughter of five children, born to two Chilean born scientists, Pablo DT Valenzuela
Pablo DT Valenzuela
Pablo DT Valenzuela is a Chilean biochemist dedicated to biotechnology development. He is known for his genetic studies of hepatic viruses; participated as R&D Director in the discovery of Hepatitis C virus and the invention of the first recombinant vaccine, against Hepatitis B virus...
and Bernardita Méndez. She demonstrated interest in music at a very early age. She began taking music lessons at the age of 7. By the age of ten she was playing acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, was studying classical piano and was taking her first steps in writing songs. She lived and attended school in San Francisco and Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. During summer vacations, she and her brothers would travel to Santiago
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"...
, where they would visit relatives. Eventually, the family would make the permanent move to Santiago
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"...
, when Francisca was 12. In 2000, Francisca published her first book,"Defenseless Waters" a collection of her poems. She released her second book,"Abejorros/Madurar", which was distributed in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. As part a promotional tour for "Defenseless Waters", she brought her guitar and keyboard to venues in northern California, where she gave poetry readings and performed songs of her own composition. Valenzuela is fluent in English and Spanish, and often composes songs in both languages. Although she and her family still live in Santiago
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"...
, Valenzuela often returns to San Francisco to visit.
2004-2007: Music debut Muérdete la Lengua
Shortly after the release of her first book, she and her family moved to ChileChile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
when she was 13. Residing in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Francisca took part as singer in interschool festivals presenting her original songs and she continued with training in classic piano. In 2004 she attended an intensive jazz program at the Berklee College School of Music in Boston.
In 2006, Valenzuela released her first solo single called "Peces", which she wrote at age 13. After a few months after its release, "Peces" gained popularity on Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an radio. Valenzuela gave radio interviews and concerts to promote her new song. "Peces" was recognized by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, as one of the best 100 songs of the year 2006. The song was written in 2000, when Valenzuela was thirteen years old. She and her family had moved to Santiago that year from San Francisco. Valenzuela wrote the song about a boy she liked at school who didn't reciprocate her feelings. At the end of that year, she released her second single "Dulce
Dulce (Francisca Valenzuela song)
"Dulce" is a Pop song recorded by Chilean singer and song-writer Francisca Valenzuela and this song is the second official and the more succes single from her first solo debut studio album, Muérdete La Lengua, released in Chile on December 28, 2006....
" to radio Rock & Pop
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. "Dulce" reached number two on the national charts in Chile.
To add more achievements to her short musical career, on May 19, 2007, she was invited by Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas
Julieta Venegas Percevault , known professionally as Julieta Venegas, is a Mexican singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and producer, who sings pop-rock in Spanish. She speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish fluently. She has a twin sister, Yvonne, who is a photographer...
to open her concert at Teatro Caupolicán. On June 30, 2007, she released her first solo album called Muérdete La Lengua
Muérdete La Lengua
Muérdete La Lengua is the debut album by American-born Chilean singer, songwriter and composer Francisca Valenzuela. The album was released on June 30, 2007 in Chile for Feria Music Records. The album's first single was "Peces" and was released in 2006. Though "Peces" did not chart, it gained...
with the production of the brothers Mauricio and Francisco Durán (Los Bunkers
Los Bunkers
Los Bunkers is an alternative rock from Concepción, Chile, formed in 1999 by brothers Álvaro and Gonzalo López, Mauricio Basualto, and brothers Francisco and Mauricio Durán....
), who contains 10 songs (included "Peces" and "Dulce"). The Chilean press quickly dubbed her as The Princess of Rock, calling her, " new musical revelation". Soon after its release, the album was certified as Gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in Chile. Valenzuela performed in New York City at the annual LAMC conference in July 2008. This was Valenzuela's first musical exposure in the US and gave her an opportunity to showcase her music outside of Latin American. She has performed in Mexico and Uruguay, and continued to perform at various venues in her native Chile.
2009-present: Second studio album Buen Soldado
In early 2009, Valenzuela begun the pre-production stages for her second album. In addition to performed her own music contributing in the Chilean water conservation documentary, H2O:Cero, by composing a new song called "En Blanco" for the film. She has also participated in the album tribute for Violeta ParraVioleta Parra
Violeta del Carmen Parra Sandoval was a notable Chilean composer, songwriter, folklorist, ethnomusicologist and visual artist...
, recording a new version of "Run Run Se Fue Pa'l Norte" as well as recording a version of Inti-Illimani
Inti-Illimani
Inti-Illimani is an instrumental and vocal Latin American folk music ensemble from Chile. The group was formed in 1967 by a group of university students and it acquired widespread popularity in Chile for their song Venceremos which became the anthem of the Popular Unity government of Salvador...
's song, "Vuelvo".
She also was guest vocalist on Latin Bitman's 2009 album Colour, Valenzuela co-wrote and sang two songs, "Help Me" and "Someday". 'Help Me' was later released as a single in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and a music video was also filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in November 2009. In the summer of 2010, Valenzuela began recording for her second studio album in Santiago. She continued to perform at various festivals and concerts in both Chile and Mexico. Valenzuela completed the recording and production phase for her second album in late 2010. On January 1, 2011, Valenzuela release in digital formats her first single "Quiero Verte Más" from her second studio album calls Buen Soldado
Buen Soldado
In August 2010, Valenzuela returned to Santiago, Chile, to start the recording the album at the Atomic studios in Santiago, Chile, with the technical control engineer Gonzalo "Chalo" Gonzalez and Camilo Salinas collaborations on the Hammond organ and Pablo Ilabaca, member of the Chilean band...
, this album will be released on March 3, 2011 in Chile as a phyiscal and digital release.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHI Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
||||||||||||
| Muérdete La Lengua Muérdete La Lengua Muérdete La Lengua is the debut album by American-born Chilean singer, songwriter and composer Francisca Valenzuela. The album was released on June 30, 2007 in Chile for Feria Music Records. The album's first single was "Peces" and was released in 2006. Though "Peces" did not chart, it gained... |
|
7 |
Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... : Gold |
|||||||||
| Buen Soldado Buen Soldado In August 2010, Valenzuela returned to Santiago, Chile, to start the recording the album at the Atomic studios in Santiago, Chile, with the technical control engineer Gonzalo "Chalo" Gonzalez and Camilo Salinas collaborations on the Hammond organ and Pablo Ilabaca, member of the Chilean band... |
|
3 | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHI Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
||||||||||||
| "Peces" | 2006 | 122 | Muérdete La Lengua Muérdete La Lengua Muérdete La Lengua is the debut album by American-born Chilean singer, songwriter and composer Francisca Valenzuela. The album was released on June 30, 2007 in Chile for Feria Music Records. The album's first single was "Peces" and was released in 2006. Though "Peces" did not chart, it gained... |
|||||||||
| "Dulce Dulce (Francisca Valenzuela song) "Dulce" is a Pop song recorded by Chilean singer and song-writer Francisca Valenzuela and this song is the second official and the more succes single from her first solo debut studio album, Muérdete La Lengua, released in Chile on December 28, 2006.... " |
2 | |||||||||||
| "Muérdete La Lengua Muérdete La Lengua (song) "Muérdete La Lengua" is a rock song recorded by Chilean singer and song-writer Francisca Valenzuela and this song is the third official single from her first solo debut studio album, Muérdete La Lengua, released in Chile on September 15, 2007.-Song information:The song, written during 2005 by... " |
2007 | 6 | ||||||||||
| "Afortunada Afortunada "Afortunada" is a Pop song recorded by Chilean singer and song-writer Francisca Valenzuela and this song is the fourth official single from her first solo debut studio album, Muérdete La Lengua, released in Chile on 7 January 2008.-Song information:... " |
2008 | 30 | ||||||||||
| "Muleta Muleta (song) "Muleta" is a Pop song written and recorded by Chilean singer and songwriter Francisca Valenzuela and this song is the fifth official single from her first solo debut studio album, Muérdete La Lengua, released in Chile on October 2, 2008.... " |
78 | |||||||||||
| "El Tiempo en Las Bastillas" | 2009 | 93 | Los 80, más que una moda Los 80 Los 80 is a Chilean drama TV series for Canal 13 produced to celebrate the Bicentennial of Chile, starring Daniel Muñoz, Tamara Acosta, Daniel Alcaíno, Loreto Aravena, and Tomás Verdejo... |
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| "Quiero Verte Más Quiero Verte Más "Quiero Verte Más" is the first single from the second studio album Buen Soldado by American-born Chilean singer and songwriter Francisca Valenzuela... " |
2011 | 17 | Buen Soldado Buen Soldado In August 2010, Valenzuela returned to Santiago, Chile, to start the recording the album at the Atomic studios in Santiago, Chile, with the technical control engineer Gonzalo "Chalo" Gonzalez and Camilo Salinas collaborations on the Hammond organ and Pablo Ilabaca, member of the Chilean band... |
|||||||||
| "Que Sería" | 71 | |||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHI Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
||||||||||||
| "Help Me" Colour | ||||||||||||
| "Al Frío" Tú | ||||||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||