Celebrity Interview - Paulina Rubio
Mexican Fave
Paulina Rubio Mexican Fave
SINCE LAUNCHING HER SOLO MUSIC CAREER WITH LA CHICA DORADA (THE GOLDEN GIRL) IN 1992, PAULINA RUBIO HAS ESTABLISHED HERSELF AS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL, AND MULTI-TALANTED, INTERNATIONAL HISPANIC STARS.
Paulina Rubio radiates energy. She is experiencing one of the best phases of her life, and wants her most recent release, Ananda, to demonstrate that: an "autobiographic and transparent" album in which she aims to pay tribute to the happiness and wellbeing infusing her life.
Ananda means "happiness" in Sanskrit. How was the creative process with the album?
Ananda arrived at a moment when I wanted to connect with people who live and feel simple things - originating from love, with all its ups and downs. It's titled that because the album was recorded in my house, and my house is called Felicidad (Happiness), which in Sanskrit means Ananda. When we first started to look for different titles for the album we realised, after two or three months of looking and trying out the names of songs, that the record already had its own name and that's why we called it Ananda. It's a completely autobiographic record, really transparent, and has a lot to do with yoga, with India and with happiness.
Coti, Juanes and Julieta Venegas have also participated on the album. How did these collaborations come about?
I started with Julieta and Coti as a result of our work together on Nada Fue Un Error (Nothing Was a Mistake). They wrote a beautiful song, Que Me Voy A Quedar (I'm Going To Stay), which I included on Ananda. After that, together with Coti, we wrote Ayúdame (Help Me), which is perhaps a song with a slightly childish melody, but the aim is to bring out the child we have within. Juanes has also collaborated on the album, composing one of the nicest songs I've ever had written for me, No Te Cambio Por Nada" (I Wouldn't Change You For Anything). They are all friends; we are mates, neighbours... We don't see each other very often, but we have a lot in common. Working together wasn't a planned thing.
Xabi San Martín, a member of the Spanish group La Oreja de Van Gogh, wrote Ni Una Sola Palabra (Not One Word), the first single...
I admire the guys in La Oreja de Van Gogh; I love them very much. I love their songs and I get on very well with them. The song came my way perhaps because Xabi wanted to give me a little bit of himself - it's one of my favourite songs.
Since Border Girl in 2002, you haven't recorded an album in English. Does this figure in your future plans?
I'm planning to record an album completely in English, but it won't be a version of Ananda, because songs take their form in a certain language and I don't like to translate them. With Ananda I was keen to go back to my roots and that's why I only sang in Spanish.
Lately you have been involved in various campaigns with charitable aims. Will you be taking part in Live 8 in South America?
I've spoken with Shakira and she has invited me to participate together with (David) Bisbal, Juanes... We are all going to be involved in a charity foundation to help children of the Third World, especially in South America.
And your performance in the Nobel Peace concert...?
I went to Oslo in December and it was very exciting. I wanted to present my songs in English and Spanish. It was a unique opportunity and I feel very flattered that they invited me.
After the events Mexico has lived through over the past few months, from the controversial general elections to the Oaxaca conflict, how do you see the future of your country?
Mexico has many social and political problems. For me, as a person, a woman and a singer, what worries me most are the children, especially their nutrition, because if they don't receive sufficient nutrition they can't go to school. I collaborate with an independent foundation called Operation Smile (Operación Sonrisa). All that's happened with the PRD (Partido de la Revolución Democrática), PAN (Partido Acción Nacional) and PRI (Partido Revolucionario Independiente) has been really tragic. It has divided people. I believe the country has stabilised considerably since Felipe Calderon (PAN) took power. A lot of people don't know how to lose, and the PRD didn't know how to lose at the time.
A Star is Born - The Real Paulina
- Paulina Rubio Dosamantes was born on 17 June 1971 in Mexico City.
- Her mother is Mexican film star Susana Dosamantes.
- At five, she was taking singing, acting, jazz, painting and dance lessons at an artistic education centre; and five years later joined the children's pop group Timbiriche.
- While with Timbiriche, she also began an acting career in TV soaps, her first role coming as a villain in Pasión y Poder.
- Paulina says that if she hadn't been a singer, she would probably have become a writer, dancer or skater.
- She was nominated for three awards in the 2001 Latin Grammies.
- In 2002, she was chosen as the "most beautiful person" by the Spanish edition of People magazine.
- She has sold more than 17 million albums sold worldwide.
- In 2002, she enjoyed a hit single in English, Don't Say Goodbye.
- Former Guns 'n' Roses guitarist Slash appears on her new video for Nada Puede Cambiarme (Nothing Can Change Me).
