Two years before founding the band Zoé, Mexican singer León Larregui had not yet traded in his computer for a microphone, but was working as a graphic animator and occasionally as a model for brands such as Armani or in music videos, such as in the song “Se qué, se mata” of a young Shakira reinventing herself in the music industry for the first time. After several years of sporadic small jobs, Larregui earned enough money to pursue his own musical path, leaving brief performances behind and giving large presentations around the world.
In the video clip for Shakira's song, released as part of the album “Pies Descalzos” (1995) and directed by Juan Carlos Martín, León Larregui plays Braulio, a young man with a dark and mysterious appearance, who is together with Danna, his partner , working together He faces a worrying situation. According to the plot of the video, which deals with sensitive and controversial topics at the time such as teenage pregnancy and abortion, both decide against the birth of the child and go to a clinic. The story ends with a young León Larregui preparing his suitcases in the middle of his room.
“That day I went with my girlfriend at the time to shoot the video. I didn't even know who Shakira was or have any interest in it, but I had rent to pay and had little money. I just assumed because. There was no friendship with her, I was just a 22-year-old boy who wanted to pay the bills and start a band,” León Larregui tells El Comercio in an interview from his home in Brussels.
This new production continues to touch on themes such as love and is heavily influenced by the phase of Covid 19 and the information age.
After forming the band Zoé with Sergio Acosta on guitar, Jesús Báez on keyboards, Ángel Mosqueda on bass and Rodrigo Guardiola on drums, they established their presence in the Mexican rock scene with 6 tours, 4 albums, 2 EPs and an MTV Unplugged session had confirmed that Larregui would begin his personal parallel project with the release of his album “Solstis” in 2014.
“It was a moment of personal hardship, of exploring what I was experiencing, of my path. My intention was never to terminate Zoé, but rather to do the research necessary to maintain a healthy balance. “I had already composed a few songs, pieces that didn’t quite fit into the band, but that were suitable for my solo career,” says Larregui, who defines his personal style as a spiritual search.
The new album, self-produced by León Larregui, consists of 15 songs written entirely by the Mexican singer-songwriter.
Love and women
Behind the extensive musical repertoire he has created in his 27-year career are love stories that Larregui lived through, something he calls adventures of encounter, disagreement, loss, maternal and paternal love. Some of her most popular songs created this way are “Paula”, “Love”, “Poli”, “Miel” and other songs that show the influence of her ex-partners on her art.
“Female characters are always present. When I was very young, I lived alone with my mother and learned how difficult it is to be a single and independent mother. From what I experienced with her to my personal romantic relationships, that's what drives the lyrics,” explains Larregui, who has a special bond with her mother, to whom she dedicated her song “Arrullo de Estrellas.” has, a song that she managed to hear. a day before his death.
His new album Prismarama was also influenced by a female figure: Margaret Turck, wife of the artist and mother of 8-year-old Lucian Larregui. “He once said to me, 'I have to tell you that I really like your demos better not in the studio or with Zoé, but when you do them at home,' so I often took those words into account. That’s why I took on this project and produced this new album,” explains the singer.
The album was recorded in Paris like his other solo albums, but was not produced by Adan Jodorowsky.
Controversies and social networks
Zoé's success was accompanied by controversy due to León Larregui's behavior at different stages of his life, adding to his attitude, described by the artist himself as “introverted”. These factors meant that the Mexican singer-songwriter's stay on social networks was always a visit in which it was inevitable for him to constantly react.
“I started at a time when the networks were friendlier. Now, as Featherweight says, everything is more warlike. It's fun, although you have to be careful. “Sometimes I use it to vent and nothing more,” says the singer, who is not afraid to write tweets defending his ideas, although they always end up in digital discussions.
Unlike social media users, Larregui seems to enjoy more the company of close friends such as Enrique Bunbury from Spain or Adrián Dárgelos from Argentina, with whom he has written several collaborative songs. For this new presentation he is preparing a special event with Laurent Brancowitz and Christian Mazzalai from Phoenix. “We hope to sing on stage together. It would be great to be able to stand up and sing a few songs. It's funny because sometimes they ask us to sing on social media… it's hard to understand what they want,” concludes Larregui.