A women’s
chorus
At the end of the Dior Cruise 2024 show, the moving strains of Vivir Quintana’s emblematic Canción Sin Miedo resonated like a cry from the heart. Through sound and lyrics, this committed musical ode embodied and elevated the power of Elina Chauvet’s performance. An interview with the extraordinary singer, whose art intertwines with the destiny of women everywhere. By Lucie Alexandre.
LUCIE ALEXANDRE: How did you feel when you learned that your music would close a Dior défilé as the musical backdrop to a performance by Elina Chauvet? VIVIR QUINTANA: It was an honour for me to accompany a work by Elina Chauvet, an artist who has fought for the eradication of violence against women by making feminicide visible throughout Chihuahua. Using our art, we consistently raise the question of what is happening to women not only in Mexico but also all over the world: men kill us because we are women. The Dior show was an opportunity to show people not only the beauty of our country but also its reality. I was very moved when other women artists came up to me after the show to confide: “These things have happened to me, too, and now I want to talk about them.” VQ: It’s a powerful anthem that’s nothing but a reflection of a wounded world, a world crying out for empathy and respect for women’s lives. When I hear versions of this song all around the world, it pains me to know how much hurt unites all of us, if I may be so bold. But it also gives me the strength and hope to continue using music as a vehicle of revolution. The fight goes on and on! Song rises from my throat and will continue to do so! VQ: For me, music is a means of uniting hearts and elevating consciences. Personally, I seek to raise awareness among my fellow artists so that they can tell their own stories of love, violence, sadness, joy, resistance and courage, to break out of the culture of silence and oblivion. Music is a revolution born in the street. My role as a singer is to convey messages of peace and to invite people to participate in a more harmonious, respectable, honest and less selfish world. |
LA: Can you please tell us a little about your story and what drew you to music? VQ: My background is that of a girl born in the north of the country, where norteña music, cumbia,corridos and banda break the silence of the streets. At the age of twelve, I discovered a love of guitar, which became my favourite sound, my most precious object. What led me to music was my fervent infatuation with words combined with the harmony of those six strings that resonate deeply with me. I discovered at the same time that it was my way of communicating with the world. VQ: I believe that when one woman makes a difference, there is hope for all. When I studied Maria Grazia Chiuri’s work, I recognized myself in her and her actions. I see in her a light through which we can be the women we want to be every day. We need to use every platform, every stage and every microphone to talk about feminism and the fact that women deserve better opportunities in every arena. VQ: The message I’d like to share with women is that it’s normal not to be okay all the time. Compañera (my friend), to my reader: you’re not alone; there are many of us trying to see ourselves with more gentleness, more love, more purpose, more freedom. To all the women who fight on every front, at home, in the office, in taxis, in hospitals, on the street, in companies, in government, in cities, speaking different languages, to you with all my respect and honour, I say that we deserve a better world for our grandmothers, our mothers, our daughters, our sisters, our friends and our neighbours. I say to you with great love that together we can change the course of our history, a story in which we are the protagonists. |
