Lafourcade was born in Mexico City, Mexico, surrounded by music and art. Her father is the Chilean musician Gastón Lafourcade who had French parents and her mother is the pianist María del Carmen Silva Contreras. Her uncle is the Chilean writer Enrique Lafourcade, a representative of the so-called "Generation of the 50s". She attended Instituto Anglo Español, a Catholic middle school, and studied painting, flute, theater, music, acting, piano, guitar, saxophone and singing. When she was 10, Natalia sang in a Mariachi group.
She grew up in Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico, where she studied music with her mother, María del Carmen Silva Contreras, imitating artists such as Gloria Trevi and Garibaldi. Her mother studied piano with a specialty in musical pedagogy and is the creator of the Macarsi Method for musical training and personal development for children and educators. She adapted and practiced the method with Natalia to help her rehabilitate through music following a head injury from being kicked by a horse.
When she was 17, Loris Ceroni gave Lafourcade the opportunity to be in a pop/rock group under his guidance. Lafourcade was hesitant, and Ceroni instead encouraged her to become independent. Lafourcade produced her first LP under the label of Sony Music. It was recorded in Italy and was cowritten with Aureo Baqueiro. Sabo Romo played in 2 songs. Natalia Lafourcade is a mix of pop, rock, bossa-nova and Latin rhythms. It features the songs "Busca Un Problema", "Elefantes", "Te Quiero Dar", "Mírame, Mírate", and her biggest hit, "En El 2000".
In 2005, she released Casa, her second album, but this time as Natalia y La Forquetina, the name of her band. Produced mostly by Café Tacuba's Emmanuel del Real, Casa presents a more mature, rock-oriented sound while retaining pop and bossa-nova influences on a few tracks, such as lead single "Ser Humano" (pop-rock) and its follow-up "Casa" (pop-bossa-nova). Aureo Baqueiro returned to produce the few tracks not produced by del Real. More than a year after Natalia departed from La Forquetina, she recorded an instrumental album called The 4 Seasons of Love under Sony BMG label. She also wrote the Lyrics for "Tú y Yo" from Ximena Sariñana's self-titled album.
In 2009, she released the album Hu Hu Hu, a top 10 album in Mexico. The album was produced by Emmanuel del Real (who produced "Casa" in 2005), Marco Moreno and Ernesto García. It was nominated for Best female Pop Vocal Album at the 2009 Latin Grammy Awards (won by Laura Pausini) and Best Latin Pop album at the 2010 Grammy Awards (won by La Quinta Estación). Club Fonograma also named the album the second best of 2009, and the seventh best of the decade.
In 2012, she released a tribute album to Agustín Lara called Mujer Divina.
Her next album, Hasta La Raíz, was released in March 2015. "Nunca Es Suficiente" (It's Never Enough), the first single off the album, was released on 10 February. The track "Hasta La Raíz" was No. 5 of the Viral 50 Global Spotify Chart and the No. 1 on the Viral 50 México chart.
In 2017, she recorded "Remember Me" as a duet with contemporary R&B singer Miguel for the credits of the movie Coco, and together they also performed the song at the 90th Academy Awards ceremony.
2020 saw her release the eponymous Un Canto por México, Vol. 1.
In 2023, She won a Grammy for her album " Un Canto Por México - El Musical"
Elefantes
Natalia Lafourcade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y saborear como un niño saborea un helado de cajeta
Quiero caminar sin zapatos y sentir las piedras
Después volar y ver si el cielo puedo yo tocar (oh yeah)
Quiero montar una bicicleta y llegar al mar
Después nadar y toparme una sirena sin tener que respirar
Quiero caminar sin zapatos y sentir la arena
Después volar y soñar que estoy despierta
Imaginar tres elefantes en el cielo y saborear
Los betabeles y en chayotes caminar
Sin espinar mis dedos y después volar
Tocar el cielo y regresar y soñar
Quiero buscar con el ritmo de los elefantes y rinocerontes
Y conocer esa magia extasiada de la que la gente habla
Quiero caminar sin zapatos y sentir
La mente de los hombres
Después volar y hasta entonces pensaré si te amaré
Imaginar tres elefantes en el cielo y saborear
Los betabeles y en chayotes caminar
Sin espinar mis dedos y después volar
Tocar el cielo y regresar
Imaginar tres elefantes en el cielo y saborear
Los betabeles y en chayotes caminar
Sin espinar mis dedos y después volar
Tocar el cielo y regresar
The lyrics of Natalia Lafourcade's song "Elefantes" describe a desire to experience life in a more innocent and carefree way, to connect with nature and to explore without the constraints of society. The singer speaks of wanting to move with the rhythm of elephants and rhinoceroses, to walk barefoot on the ground and feel the texture of stones and sand. She longs to swim in the sea and encounter a mermaid without the need to breathe, and to ride a bicycle until she reaches the shore.
The song speaks to the longing for a simpler life, away from the pressures of modern society. The singer yearns to experience the magic and wonder that people talk about, and to connect with the inner lives and thoughts of others. The imagery of the three elephants in the sky and the taste of beets and chayotes evoke a sense of whimsy and play, reinforcing the theme of innocence and carefree exploration.
Overall, the song "Elefantes" celebrates the wonder and joy of life and encourages listeners to embrace their inner child and connect with the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
Quiero buscar con el ritmo de los elefantes y rinocerontes
I want to search with the rhythm of elephants and rhinoceroses
Y saborear como un niño saborea un helado de cajeta
And savor it like a child savoring a caramel ice cream
Quiero caminar sin zapatos y sentir las piedras
I want to walk barefoot and feel the stones
Después volar y ver si el cielo puedo yo tocar (oh yeah)
Then fly and see if I can touch the sky (oh yeah)
Quiero montar una bicicleta y llegar al mar
I want to ride a bicycle and reach the sea
Después nadar y toparme una sirena sin tener que respirar
And then swim and encounter a mermaid without having to breathe
Quiero caminar sin zapatos y sentir la arena
I want to walk barefoot and feel the sand
Después volar y soñar que estoy despierta
Then fly and dream as if I'm awake
Imaginar tres elefantes en el cielo y saborear
Imagine three elephants in the sky and savor it
Los betabeles y en chayotes caminar
Walk on beets and chayotes
Sin espinar mis dedos y después volar
Without pricking my fingers and then flying
Tocar el cielo y regresar y soñar
Touch the sky, return and dream
Y conocer esa magia extasiada de la que la gente habla
And know that ecstatic magic people talk about
La mente de los hombres
The mind of men
Después volar y hasta entonces pensaré si te amaré
And then fly and until then, I will think if I will love you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Maria Natalia Lafourcade Silva
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind