One of Latin hip-hop's leading ladies, Ana Tijoux embarks on her extensive U.S. debut tour this week--beginning at SXSW in Austin. Her U.S. debut album, '1977' (Nacional Records) has generated a good amount of buzz and is now available early at iTunes. The disc will be released everywhere on April 27. Often regarded as one of the top female MCs in Latin America, Tijoux has been nominated by the MTV Latin America VMAs for Best New Artist and Best Urban Artist in recent years.Tijoux was born in France to a French mother and a Chilean father in political exile during Pinochet's dictatorship. After the return to democracy, the family moved back to Chile, where Tijoux eventually fell in with Santiago's emerging hip-hop scene. She first started rhyming in French, then later in Spanish and cut her teeth as a young rapper fronting the popular Chilean hip- hop troupe Makiza, renowned for their socially conscious lyrics and dynamic production. As a solo artist, Tijoux began developing a distinct voice that attracted the attention of some notable Latin American musical heavyweights.
She has been featured on tracks by Argentine electronic-tango collective Bajofondo, Mexican hip-hop icons Control Machete and Chilean beat master DJ Bitman. But it was her collaboration with Mexican alternative rock star Julieta Venegas on the track, 'Eres Para Mi,' which widened Tijoux's exposure to a mainstream audience. The song became a TV and radio hit across Latin America and the U.S.
On the autobiographical '1977,' Tijoux anchors her jazzy vocals with intelligent lyrics and, trippy, hynoptic beats. The album, named after the year of her birth, is a nostalgic look to the past entrenched in her childhood in France and the early 90s era of hip-hop that influenced her as a teenager in Chile. Recorded between May and September 2009, '1977' was produced by a trio of some of the best sound gurus Santiago has to offer: Hordatoj, Foex and Tee. The album features some special guests, including acclaimed Detroit-based MC Invincible on a virtual Myspace collaboration for 'Sube' and Solo Di Medina on the French track 'Ooh La La.'
Check out Ana Tijoux's tour dates after the jump.
Ana Tijoux U.S. tourdates:
3/18 – Official SXSW/Naco Showcase @ Flamingo Cantina (Austin, TX)
3/20 – Official SXSW/Chile Showcase @ Maggie Mae's (Austin, TX)
3/21 – Pedi Cab Bar & Grille (San Antonio, TX)
3/22 – Café Sevilla (San Diego, CA)
3/23 – Little Temple (Los Angeles, CA)
3/24 – Mucho Wednesdays @ La Cita (Los Angeles, CA)
3/25 – La Peña Cultural Center (Berkeley, CA)
3/26 – South First Billiards (San Jose, CA)
3/27 – Martyr's (Chicago, IL)
3/30 – 5 Elements Gallery (Detroit, MI)
3/31 – Las Brisas (Toronto, ON)
4/2 – The Green Room (Montreal, QC)
4/4 – Le Poisson Rouge w/ Pacha Massive + Maluca (New York, NY)
4/6 – WNYC Greene Space w/ Sharon Jones (New York, NY)
4/8 – Drom (New York, NY)
4/9 – Clandestino @ Tommy Doyle's (Boston, MA)
4/10 - Trinity International Hip Hop Festival (Hartford, CT)
