Name: Jimena Angel
Nationality: Colombian
Occupation: Singer, producer, guitarist, DJ
Current release: Jimena Angel's new album Aguacero is out via Partyfine.

If you enjoyed this Jimena Angel interview and would like to stay up to date with her music and live dates, visit her on Instagram, bandcamp, and Soundcloud.

For a deeper dive, read our earlier Jimena Angel interview.



Do you think that some of your earliest musical experiences planted a seed for your interest in writing lyrics or poetry? How and when did you start writing?

Absolutely! Music was a significant part of my life early on, inspired by attending music school and performing in musical plays between the ages of eight and eleven.

Even earlier, at age five, I wrote my first song, "Galáctico." It actually began as a fun game with my best friend at school, imagining a performance on a pretend TV show I was going to be on.

Entering new worlds and escapism through music and literature have always exerted a very strong pull on me. What do you think you are drawn to most when it comes to writing?

I love playing with the sound of words, so that they enter as if by osmosis ...

I like them to melt into the music and become another instrument, and then you realise their meaning ... which usually has a deep hidden message.

What were some of the artists and albums which inspired you early on purely on the strength of their lyrics? What moves you in the lyrics of other artists?

When I started writing lyrics, my favorite artist was my mentor, Ivan Benavides. What I really dig about his work is how he plays with the sound of the words and always gets a strong message across in his lyrics.

He later taught me that this technique is actually called "alliteration." I first learned this in 1995 and continue to use this technique today.

Have there been song lyrics which actually made you change (aspects of) your life? If so, what do you think, leant them that power?

Honestly, listening to some lyrics hasn't totally changed my life, but it's definitely helped me see things differently, appreciate what I have, and get a better grip on life's situations.

Take songs like Boney M's "Sunny" …



… or that awesome merengue jam "Oye abre tus ojos"—they're like a straight shot of pure good vibes and gratitude.



That's exactly why I try to put out uplifting messages too, like in my song "SELFLOVE," to remind people how strong they really are.

It is sometimes said that “music begins where words end.” What do you make of that?

Sometimes, words just don't cut it when you're trying to express deep feelings, but music totally has that ability.

That's why I think music and words are a perfect team.

I have always considered many forms of music to be a form of poetry as well. Where do you personally see similarities? What can music express which may be out of reach for poetry?

I feel like music connects to the heart way more directly than poetry does.

Since music is a universal language, I think it hits people faster and everywhere. Poetry, though, seems like it takes more brainpower—you're really hunting for that perfect word to nail the rhythm and rhyme—plus, it's stuck behind language barriers.

The relationship between words and music has always intrigued me. How do you see it? In how far can music take you to places with your writing you would possibly not have visited without it?

I think the link between the lyrics and the music is super important—it's what really gets the message across.

If I'm going for a certain vibe, like African, dance, or reggae, the lyrics absolutely have to fit and flow perfectly with that sound and take you there.

What are areas/themes/topics that you keep returning to in your lyrics?

Love, nature, and specifically water and skies, are the prevalent motifs.

This is evident in the songs “Aguacero,” “Fuego,” “Tierra Caliente,” “Adiós,” and “Caracolí.”

On the basis of a piece off Aguacero, tell me about how the lyrics grew into their final form and what points of consideration were.

‘Tierra Caliente’ is an ode to the beautiful place where I live, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.



I wanted to capture in these lyrics a metaphorical poem that alludes to its mountains, rivers, sea and sky as if I were talking about a woman and her curves, adorned with different elements that are actually the attributes of nature in this place.

Do you tend to start writing with what will be the first line of the finished lyrics? The chorus? At a random point? What are the words that set the process in motion?

When I have a recurring melody in my head, it guides the sound of the words. I then develop the theme based on what those words express.

There's no specific formula; the process can begin with either the chorus or the verse.

I'd love to know how you think the meaning or effect of an individual song is enhanced, clarified or possibly contradicted by the EPs, or albums it is part of. Does the song, for example, need to be consistent with the larger whole?

For me, an EP or LP is basically a collection of works that you created over a certain period of time. During this time, there is usually a common thread in terms of sounds and themes, depending on what you have experienced and are learning. In any case, you have to choose from many songs which ones will be part of that album and be clear about why.

For example, on AGUACERO, my most recent album, I have songs of various genres, moods and themes, but they are all united by the experiences of this period of time, the family of sounds I used to produce the songs and my voice.

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

I know I've said this before, but it's the basis of everything I compose in terms of lyrics and melody ... for it to sound good to me, and for me to feel comfortable singing it, the lyrics must be another musical instrument ... they must come in as if by osmosis, without any words feeling forced, but rather as part of and complementary to the music.

If it has these characteristics, of course I like to sing other people's songs. But when I release my own material, I prefer to write it myself.

I would love to know a little about the feedback you've received from listeners or critics about what they thought some of your songs are about – have there been “misunderstandings” or did you perhaps even gain new “insights?”

I often hear from people that my songs have made them feel stronger, more positive, and have generally lifted their spirits.

For instance, I'm currently very pleased that the message of empowerment in my song "SELFLOVE" has resonated with many girls—though it's a message meant for everyone, men and women alike.



Regarding misunderstandings, I actually find it amusing to hear the new interpretations people come up with for the lyrics.

For example, my song "Maní" was literally about peanuts and a very selfish person who wouldn't share even a single bag of them with me, but many listeners thought it was about sex, which is funny!



However, with "FUEGO," the person I wrote it for missed the metaphorical meaning entirely. It was a song about the burning feelings I had and the need to calm them until we could meet again since we were long-distance. He thought it was literally just about rain and fire.

Ultimately, I think it's perfectly fine for everyone to draw their own conclusions.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you feel as though writing song lyrics or poetry is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

For me, creativity is intrinsic to everything we (literally) create ... it is not exclusive to music or the arts ... we are all constantly creating our lives.

However, I am infinitely grateful that my life channels much of this creativity through music, as for me it is my everything ... my religion, my therapy, my entertainment, my best friend, my love and clearly my greatest expression.

Do you have things that you are super into but rarely get to talk about? Like, you're wondering why no one is interested in this, while you'd be able to give an enthusiastic interview on the topic? I'd love to hear about them.

I'm totally into music production. As a woman trying to make it as a producer, I've mostly learned by doing in what was definitely a male-dominated field.

It hasn't been easy, and honestly, the toughest critic I had to win over about my skills as a musician and producer was myself. I really had to face my own doubts and find the inner drive to push through.

The funny thing is, I still can't pinpoint exactly how I did it or how I will do it again.