Juana Molina

Argentine musician and actress (born 1961)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is  Molina and the second or maternal family name is  Villafañe.

Juana Molina

Molina in 2022

Born|

Juana Rosario Molina Villafañe

(1961-10-01) 1 October 1961 (age 63)

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Occupations|

* Singer
* songwriter
* actress

Years active| 1988–present
Parents|

* Horacio Molina [es] (father)
* Chunchuna Villafañe (mother)

Musical career
Genres|

* Folktronica
* electronic
* experimental
* art pop

Instruments|

* Vocals
* guitar
* keyboard

Labels|

* Domino
* Crammed Discs

Website| juanamolina.com

Juana Rosario Molina Villafañe (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxwana moˈlina]; born 1 October 1961) is an Argentine singer, songwriter and former actress, based in Buenos Aires. She is known for her distinctive sound, considered an exponent of folktronica,[1] although it has also been described as ambient,[2] experimental,[1] neofolk,[3] chill-out,[4] indietronica,[5] psychedelic,[6] indie pop,[7] and progressive folk.[8]

The daughter of tango singer Horacio Molina [es] and actress Chunchuna Villafañe, she achieved fame as a sketch comedy actress in the 1990s, first as a guest in various shows and in 1991 with her show, Juana y sus hermanas. At the height of her popularity, she quit her job as an actress to pursue a music career. Her debut album, Rara, was subsequently released in 1996, and panned by local critics who resented her departure from television. Discouraged by the criticism, she moved to Los Angeles, where her music had been better received, and she familiarized herself with electronic instruments. She then returned to Buenos Aires to produce her second album, Segundo, incorporating the sonic elements she had learned. Each one of her following albums has added a new complexity to her music, which is characterized by layered loops of acoustic and electronic sounds.

Despite the initial negative reaction to her music in her home country, music critics have consistently acclaimed Molina's work, praising her music and experimentation. In 2013, El País wrote, "she established herself as the star of the avant-garde sound of her country in the world."[9] Writing for The Guardian, Robin Denselow called her the "one-time Queen of Latin chill" and wrote: "[she] has built up a global cult following as one of the most experimental musicians in Argentina."[10]

## Early life

[edit]

Juana Rosario Molina Villafañe[11] was born to a family of artists in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 1, 1961.[12] She is the eldest daughter of Horacio Molina, a tango singer, and Chunchuna Villafañe, an actress and model. She has a younger sister who has also worked as an actress and musician. The family lived in the central Buenos Aires barrio of Caballito.[12] Her mother was a record collector, exposing her to various types of music.[13] She began to learn to play the guitar at age 5.[14] In 1967, Juana recorded her first song with her father, "Te regalo esta canción" ("I gift you this song"), as a gift to her mother for Mother's Day.[15] Horacio Molina released the song as a single —without his young daughter knowing—which sold 45 thousand copies.[12] She also performed the song live with her father on national television.[16]

In 1976, the family left for Paris, France, due to the military dictatorship that overthrew president Isabel Perón.[17] While in Paris, she listened to what is now known as "world music" on French radio stations.[18] In various interviews, Molina has recalled a visit to a Spanish hippie family friend who introduced her to Indian classical music, whose drones have had an enduring influence on her music.[12][15][19] In 1981, Molina returned to Buenos Aires. To finance her architecture studies, she had various small jobs, including an unsuccessful experience as a backing vocalist in small bands.[12][14]

## Career

[edit]

As she could not make a living through music, Molina decided to find a job that paid well and did not consume much time.[17] She decided on a career in television as the means to this end and spent some months looking for a show that could use her services.[18] She recorded a homemade audition tape for the studio and was offered a contract the same day.[18] Molina began her television career in 1988 with the ATC show La noticia rebelde ("Rebel News", a wordplay on La novicia rebelde), where she would record one day a week and get paid for five.[17] Her popular sketches parodied porteño women of various social classes.[12] In October of the same year, Molina joined the cast of El mundo de Antonio Gasalla ("Antonio Gasalla's World"), led by comedy actor Antonio Gasalla.[20][21] The show, which ran until 1990, further cemented her popularity as a sketch comedy actress and writer. The show was also performed live at the Teatro Gran Rex and in Mar del Plata.

Molina performing in Los Angeles, October 2006.

The pinnacle of her success came with her show, Juana y sus hermanas ("Juana and Her Sisters", a wordplay on Hannah and Her Sisters), which premiered in 1991. Molina became Argentina's most popular comedian,[22] having her show syndicated to other Latin American countries.[18] Molina was dubbed "the new Niní Marshall" by the press, and won two Martín Fierro Awards.[23] A compilation album of songs by Molina featured in the show was released.[20] In 1993 Molina became pregnant with her only child, Francisca, and had to suspend her show.[23] Reflecting on her rapid rise to stardom and distance from the music career she had always wanted, the actress canceled the show in 1994.[18] She recalls: "There was a moment when I imagined myself watching MTV as a decrepit old woman (like MTV would last a lifetime), thinking 'I could have done that.' I pictured myself feeling an infinite grudge, hatred, envy."[24]

Produced by Gustavo Santaolalla and recorded in 1995, Molina's debut album, Rara, was released in 1996. The album was poorly marketed; Micaela Ortelli of Página/12 wrote: "Never did an Argentine radio play a song from that album, – too pop to be folk and too folk, perhaps, to be radio material."[23] Live shows were also problematic, as audiences expected her to act like on television.[23] The album was better received in Los Angeles, where Molina settled in 1998.[25] Having learned how to record her music, she began to self-produce new material at the request of DreamWorks Records. Although the company ultimately did not sign her, these recordings would become Segundo, her second studio album.[25] By 2000, she had finished recording the album and, back in Buenos Aires, she met Daniel Melero, who mixed the record.[25] The music of Segundo was the result of Molina's new insights in timbre and her meeting with Alejandro Franov, who taught her "the endless sound possibilities that keyboards allow."[23] Despite remaining virtually unknown in her native country, Molina's music found success in Japan, and, to a lesser extent, in Europe.[26] American musician David Byrne bought Segundo — intrigued by its artwork — and quickly became an admirer of the record.[26] He contacted Molina, and she became the opening act of his American tour.[26]

Molina performing in Buenos Aires, November 2014.

## Appearances in other media

[edit]

Molina gained wider exposure with North American public radio listeners when Jad Abumrad used her music to score a 2008 episode of Radiolab and produced a bonus podcast featuring an interview with Molina and a remix of her song "Un día." Molina's song, "Sin dones", from Halo, was used on the episode "Things Bad Begun" in Season 3 of the show Fear the Walking Dead in 2017.

## Discography

[edit]

### Albums

[edit]

#### Studio albums

[edit]

List of studio albums, with selected information  Title  | Album details  | Peak chart positions

|
|

Indie
[27] | US
Dance
[28] | US
Latin
[29] | US
Latin Pop
[30]
Rara |

* Released: 1996[31]
* Label: MCA
* Formats: CD, cassette

| — | — | — | —
Segundo |

* Released: 2000
* Label: Domino
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

| — | — | — | —
Tres cosas |

* Released: 2002
* Label: Domino
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

| — | — | — | —
Son | Released: 23 May 2006

* Label: Domino
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

| 45 | — | — | —
Un día |

* Released: 6 October 2008
* Label: Domino
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

| — | — | 59 | 14
Wed 21 |

* Released: 28 October 2013
* Label: Crammed Discs
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

| — | 21 | 22 | 7
Halo |

* Released: 5 May 2017
* Label: Crammed Discs
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

| — | — | — | 15
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

#### Collaborative albums

[edit]

Title  | Description

|

A○○B |

* Released: 2003
* Label: A∩B
* Formats: CD

#### Soundtrack albums

[edit]

Title  | Description

|

Juana y sus hermanas |

* Released: 1991
* Label: Epic
* Formats: CD, cassette, LP

#### Live albums

[edit]

Title  | Description

|

Anrmal |

* Released: 23 October 2020
* Label: Crammed Discs
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

### Extended plays

[edit]

Title  | Description

|

Forfun |

* Released: 25 October 2019
* Label: Crammed Discs
* Formats: CD, LP, digital download, streaming

Exhalo |

* Released: 22 November 2024
* Label: Sonamos, Little Butterfly
* Formats: LP, digital download, streaming

### Singles

[edit]

#### As lead artist

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Album

|
|

"Te regalo esta canción" / "Eso eres mamá"
(with Horacio Molina and Inés Molina) | 1967  | Non-album single
"Sálvese quien pueda"  | 2005  | Tres cosas
"Un día (Reboot remix)"  | 2010  | Non-album single
"Eras"  | 2013  | Wed 21
"Cosoco"  | 2017  | Halo
"Las culpas II"  | 2018  | Non-album single
"Paraguaya Punk"  | 2019  | Forfun

#### As featured artist

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Album

|
|

"Slow Motion Detonation"
(Deerhoof featuring Juana Molina) | 2017  | Mountain Moves
"Al sur"
(The Notwist featuring Juana Molina) | 2021  | Vertigo Days

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Denselow, Robin (7 November 2013). "Juana Molina – review". theguardian.com. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
2. ^ Sender. "Juana Molina – Un Dia". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
3. ^ Kemp, Mark. "Un Dia : Juana Molina : Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
4. ^ "Juana Molina". Buenos Aires Herald. Editorial Amfin S.A. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
5. ^ Lusk, John. "Review of Juana Molina – Un Dia". BBC Online. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
6. ^ Edwards, D.M. "Juana Molina: Un Dia". PopMatters. PopMatters Media. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
7. ^ Kergan, Wade. "Juana Molina". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
8. ^ Irigoyen, Pedro (26 November 2014). "La magia del indie en una tarde de río". Clarín. Clarín Group. Retrieved 17 November 2015. "O cuando Juana Molina, dorada por el último sol de la tarde, grababa pistas en vivo repitiendo la frase "one day, one day", y sumergía hipnotizados en su folk progresivo."
9. ^ Vera Rojas, Yumber (14 January 2013). "10 discos esenciales del indie latinoamericano en 2013". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2014.
10. ^ Denselow, Robin (7 November 2013). "Juana Molina – review". theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
11. ^ "Cumple 60 años Juana Molina, la artista que se escapó del éxito televisivo para dedicarse a su pasión musical". TN. 1 October 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
12. ^ a b c d e f Escobar Páez, Fernando (September 16, 2013). "Juana Molina: 'La verdad es que me da como miedo la gente'" (in Spanish). El Telégrafo, Republic of Ecuador. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
13. ^ Marseillan, Jimena (12 March 2014). "Entrevista: Juana Molina" (in Spanish). Vomb. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
14. ^ a b Demetilla, Silvia. "Juana Molina: la revancha del español en UK" (in Spanish). Sapo de otro pozo. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
15. ^ a b "Juana Molina". Vivo en Argentina (in Spanish). TV Pública Digital. Radio y Televisión Argentina S.E. 9 April 2012. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
16. ^ Moreno, María (30 November 2008). "Una magia modesta". Radar (in Spanish). Página/12. Editorial La Página S.A. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
17. ^ a b c Ferreirós, Hernán (8 December 2002). "La Dama Juana". Radar (in Spanish). Página/12. Editorial La Página S.A. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
18. ^ a b c d e Tymorek, Guy (26 August 2010). "Juana Molina: Argentine Enchantress". The Argentina Independent. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
19. ^ Inzillo, Humphrey (August 1, 2008). "Juana Molina "Casi no escucho música."". Rolling Stone Argentina (in Spanish). Publirevistas S.A. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
20. ^ a b "Biografía" (in Spanish). Juana Molina – Sitio Oficial. Archived from the original on 24 January 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
21. ^ "Murió Norma Pons: los mejores momentos de una vedette que supo convertirse en actriz". La Nación (in Spanish). La Nación S.A. April 29, 2014. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2015.
22. ^ "Juana Molina Announces U.S. Tour this April". Guitar World. NewBay Media. March 19, 2014. Archived from the original on February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
23. ^ a b c d e Ortelli, Micaela (17 November 2013). "Ser Juana". Radar (in Spanish). Página/12. Editorial La Página S.A. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
24. ^ "Juana Molina: Soy lo que soy". Todoshow (in Spanish). INFOnews. Conurbano on Line SA. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
25. ^ a b c Espósito, Sebastián (29 December 2000). "Juana Molina da su Segundo paso". La Nación (in Spanish). La Nación SA. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
26. ^ a b c "¿De qué sirve que me vaya bien en Japón?" (in Spanish). Los Andes. August 31, 2004. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
27. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
28. ^ "Juana Molina Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
29. ^ "Juana Molina Chart History (Top Latin Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
30. ^ "Juana Molina Chart History (Latin Pop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
31. ^ Molina, Juana (1996). Rara (liner notes). MCA Records. MCAD-11450.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Juana Molina.

* Official website
* Juana Molina on Crammed Discs
* Juana Molina at Cinenacional.com (in Spanish) (archive)
* Short Q&A interview
* Remix and interview on WNYC's Radiolab podcast
* Juana Molina at NPR Music
* Venus Zine feature
* Video Interview and Performance in Buenos Aires, Argentina

* v
* t
* e

Juana Molina

Albums|

* Segundo
* Tres cosas
* Son
* Un día
* Wed 21
* Halo

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States
* Italy
* Czech Republic

Artists|

* MusicBrainz

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