“Hazme Tuya” by Lupita Infante: carrying on the tradition and having fun
We are going “music sin fronteras” this week – music without borders, from a thoroughly American singer from a famous Mexican family.
My American readers may not recognize the name Lupita Infante or the importance of her last name which identifies her as from one of Mexico’s most famous musical families. Her new single “Hazme Tuya” (Make Me Yours) carries on the family musical tradition of traditional Mexican music in Spanish and is an excellent introduction to popular traditional Mexican music, but with a decidedly feminist message.
The song is a conversation between Lupita and a man who wants to win her heart – or something less romantic. The basic rhythm is kick-back fun ranchera, the traditional rural dance music of Mexico, propelled by a guitar rhythm with trumpets and sometimes an accordion in the melody
“Hazme Tuya” spins out over the happy ranchera rhythm as Lupita tells a suitor that he must “ give me your love and make me yours once and for all ”, or in the unspoken subtext – leave forever. As with many things Mexican, this phrase has many interpretations, but in “Hazme Tuya” it is an invitation to commit to a permanent relationship instead of just having informal fun. She is in charge. If he wants her, he plays by her rules, or not at all
Lupita Infante and her co-writer Alfredo Ríos “El Komander” have gone a step further in “Hazme Tuya”, moving beyond a simple norteño by subtly mixing in elements of mariachi such as the guitarron (wide-bodied guitar), and sierreña music (norteño played with guitars and no bass and no percussion) in a smooth, ranchero shuffle. It deftly uses lyrics with multiple meanings from a woman taking charge of the relationship. In this way, Lupita can appeal to multiple generations in a song with a very Mexican flavor but with a modern perspective.
Lupita Infante Esparza, 35, is an American singer-songwriter born in Los Angeles and a member of one of the most famous musical (and film)families in Mexico She is the daughter of acclaimed singer and actor Pedro Infante Jr. and the granddaughter of the legendary Pedro Infante Cruz, one of the most revered singers and actors from Mexico’s golden age of cinema and music.
She is a graduate of UCLA’s rigorous Ethnomusicology program in Los Angeles and records for SONY Records. Her debut studio album La Serenata was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Regional Mexican Music Album. In 2020, her song “Dejaré” was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.
If you don’t understand Spanish, don’t worry – just tap your feet and enjoy. That is what Lupita, her family, and ranchero are all about.
“Hazme Tuya” was recorded at db Studios in San Antonio, Texas, and is produced by regional music expert and virtuoso Carlos H. Alvarez and recorded and mixed by GRAMMY® winner Danny Zapata. The single is accompanied by a new video that was recorded in Guadalajara, Jalisco with the director, Christian Schmid.
Writing her own music is an important facet of her burgeoning career, she notes: “I like to implement pop techniques in my songwriting. Writing songs is another way to express who you are. Audiences will know me best because of the music I write and how I can connect with them through it.”
After years of developing her unique sound, Lupita Infante is ready to expand her horizons with the support of Sony Music Latin: “ I really want to show Sony what I can do. When I hear the name of Sony I think of great artists, artists that I admire. It gives me a feeling that we are in the big leagues and we are going to be very successful,” she said.
