From darkness to rebirth, the power of an authentic voice.
It's exciting to think about the return of Anohni and The Johnsons to Mexico City, because in these 17 years everything has changed, if you look around you, you see a city that breathes differently, more alive, more aware of its scars and its beauty. And I think the same has been true for the singer. Anohni Hegartysince its struggle to exist has also resonated and found new corners and styles.
“I feel grateful to be able to return to all these places and continue sharing experiences. It may sound corny, but at this point in my life I can't feel anything other than being happy and grateful for having the opportunity or the privilege of continuing to make music, especially knowing how difficult it is these days to have freedom as an artist. In fact, that freedom is one of the reasons why I'm playing with musicians again after so many years, I had even given up on music after HopelessnessIt took me a long time to stay in the dark and in the underground “I was just waiting to see if I could grow again and find the desire to make music again. It took me a couple of years to find that path to restoration and I was actually surprised when I decided to make a new album because I have always been very intuitive and I hardly make a decision without consulting my gut first. So I just needed to wait and see what happened.”
In her words, we sense the honesty of someone who has gone through darkness and emerged renewed, stronger, as if time has given her not only perspective, but the humility to recognize the preciousness of each creative opportunity. AnohniThis return is a way to embrace the present after so much uncertainty and offer a safe space for those who have accompanied her on her journey.
“This is a new chapter for me, it is a reflection of what I have lived through these last seven or eight years. The world is changing and it does not stop. In 2016 people were still denying or ignoring issues like climate change, but I no longer have to be the figure of Cassandra and shout out to turn to look at these problems. Now I have had the opportunity to look at new angles and now I can sing about my personal experiences and how my approach to AIDS and different communities allowed me to improve my understanding of things and open my perspective from a very young age. But this new album and this new tour is still a continuation of that same conversation and I hope it can be of help to people and to those who are out there doing real activism. My main goal is to give support and give a soundtrack “To all those people who do courageous work that brings about change.”
When Anohni step onto the stage of Metropolitan Theatre In a few days, we will be able to see something different, because the singer has not only managed to understand that emotions are not exclusive, she has also achieved with her music a way to exist with authenticity and continue to challenge power.
“This new sound comes from reflecting, from getting older, having more experience and being able to sit down and recognize the complicated reality in which we live. And thanks to that I have been able to realize that feelings like anguish and anger can coexist with emotions like tenderness or hope. For example, for me the greatest gift I received from the album Hopelessness It was the reintegration of my anger into my emotional arsenal. I made space in my voice again for fury, something I had missed too much and that allowed me to survive as a teenager. queer.
I can't stop being who I am, but I want to question it and I want to try to use it to talk about the present. Something unique is the sense of now and that, although the tools I use have been used and tested, the stories we tell are unprecedented.”
