2. An accom… Read Full Bio ↴2. An accomplished actress, singer, and songwriter.
2. An accomplished actress, singer, and songwriter, Valeria Andrews first made a name for herself with a featured acting role in the film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), starring Whoopi Goldberg. Valeria also co-wrote the song "Pay Attention" for the film's soundtrack. Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit was an international sensation. In addition to her musical composition for that film, Valeria has recorded two other songs featured on soundtracks to blockbuster motion pictures: “Rhythm of the Night” for Moulin Rouge (2001) and “Ooh La La” for Legally Blonde (2001). Her breakthrough dance single “Girl I Told Ya" became synonymous with the hit television series Gossip Girl (2007). The wonderfully provocative video for "Girl I Told Ya,” which cheekily paid homage to Marie Antoinette, was shot by acclaimed director Marc Webb on location in Hungary.
Valeria's most well-known movie role to date is her portrayal of the amorous Wendy in Just Married (2003), appearing alongside Ashton Kutcher. Her other acting credits include a recurring role in the PBS series American Family (2002). She co-hosted an entire season of the "Idolesque” Next Big Star (2001), a talent competition show featuring Ed McMahon. More recently, Valeria guest-starred on the ABC sitcoms Freddie (2005) and The George Lopez Show (2002).
Valeria's back story is the stuff of Hollywood legend. She was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. Her father was Australian and her mother is from Uruguay. Her parents married within two weeks of meeting, and due to the language barrier, divorced soon after.Valeria began singing at the age of three, by way of street performance, busking during the days and competing in talent contests at night. She eventually landed a role in Falstaff at the world famous Sydney Opera House, and subsequently took on the title role in Annie.
Two nights after the production of Annie came to a close, eleven-year-old Valeria and her father headed for America. They rented a single apartment near Hollywood and Vine, and for the next five years they hit the iconic Venice boardwalk every weekend. Armed only with a boom-box and an empty coffee can for contributions from the passerby, she sang for her dinner.
Persistence and patience finally landed her a leading role at The Santa Monica Coast Playhouse in Alan & Marilyn Bergman's musical revue How Do You Keep the Music Playing ? In a prodigious feat, young Valeria performed to packed bases at the USO. This era culminated with Valeria signing with Motown Records as a member of a girl group at the age of 14.
Her teen years were marred with struggle as she ran away from home and her father was deported. Valeria became a ward of the court, and rented rooms in homes until she was 18. Gaining work when she could, she co-wrote and recorded songs for New Line Cinema's Poison Ivy 2 (1996). She even travelled to Kyoto, Japan, singing six nights a week at four shows a night, in order to raise the money to produce a demo package back home in Los Angeles. Her plan was to market the final demo to various record companies in the hopes of a contract. The resulting six minute EPK made the rounds of the major labels and following several months of negotiation, Interscope Records mogul Jimmy Iovine and Warner Chappell Publishing selected her work and Valeria's recording career was off and running.
Valeria's first album, Freshly Squeezed, was released in 2009. Freshly Squeezed is available for download on AmazonMP3, at iTunes, and other major digital online retailers. The energetic pop record features the work of famed producers Dave Aude, Space Cowboy, and Madd Scientist. None other than Lady Gaga herself is included as a superstar collaborator.
Cruz de Navajas
Valeria Lyrics
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Pero Mario no sale hasta las seis
Y si encima le toca hacer caja, despídete
Casi siempre se le hace de día
Mientras María ya se ha puesto en pie
Ha hecho la casa, ha hecho hasta café
Y le espera medio desnuda
Mario llega cansado y saluda, sin mucho afán
Quiere cama pero otra variedad
Y María se moja las ganas en el café
Magdalenas del sexo convexo
Luego al trabajo en un gran almacén
Cuando regresa no hay más que un somier
Taciturno que usan por turnos
Cruz de navajas por una mujer
Brillos mortales despuntan al alba
Sangres que tiñen de malva el amanecer
Pero hoy como ha habido redada
En el treinta y tres
Mario vuelve a las cinco menos diez
Por su calle vacía a lo lejos solo se ve
A unos novios comiéndose a besos
El pobre Mario se quiere morir
Cuando se acerca para descubrir
Que es María con compañía
Cruz de navajas por una mujer
Brillos mortales despuntan al alba
Sangres que tiñen de malva el amanecer
Sobre Mario de bruces tres cruces
Una en la frente la que más dolió
Otra en el pecho la que le mató
Y otra miente en el noticiero
Dos drogadictos en plena ansiedad
Roban y matan a Mario Postigo
Mientras su esposa es testigo desde el portal
En vez de cruz de navajas por una mujer
Brillos mortales despuntan al alba
Sangres que tiñen de malva el amanecer
The lyrics of Valeria's song Cruz De Navajas tell the story of a couple, Mario and Maria, who live a monotonous life. Mario works at a bar that closes at five, but he usually stays an extra hour to finish up his work. Meanwhile, Maria wakes up early every day to do household chores and have coffee ready for Mario when he comes home. However, their mundane routine is disrupted when Mario is caught in a drug bust at work and comes home late to find Maria with another man. In a fit of jealousy and rage, Mario confronts them and ends up getting killed by the man.
The lyrics convey the theme of the futility of violence and the consequences of jealousy and envy. The title of the song, "Cruz De Navajas," which translates to "Cross of Razors," symbolizes the dangerous and deadly consequences of envy and jealousy. The use of vivid imagery, such as "brillos mortales despuntan al alba" (mortal gleams emerge at dawn) and "sangres que tiñen de malva el amanecer" (bloodstains color the dawn mauve), further emphasizes the tragic outcome of Mario's jealousy.
Overall, Cruz De Navajas is a powerful and emotive song that tells a cautionary tale of the dangers of jealousy and how it can lead to ultimate destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
A las cinco se cierra la barra del treinta y tres
At five, the bar of thirty-three closes
Pero Mario no sale hasta las seis
But Mario doesn't leave until six
Y si encima le toca hacer caja, despídete
And if he also has to do the cash, say goodbye
Casi siempre se le hace de día
Almost always it's already daytime when he makes it
Mientras María ya se ha puesto en pie
While María is already up
Ha hecho la casa, ha hecho hasta café
She's done the house, even made some coffee
Y le espera medio desnuda
And half-naked, she waits for him
Mario llega cansado y saluda, sin mucho afán
Mario arrives tired and greets her without much enthusiasm
Quiere cama pero otra variedad
He wants the bed but a different kind
Y María se moja las ganas en el café
And María sips her desires in the coffee
Magdalenas del sexo convexo
Croissants of convex sex
Luego al trabajo en un gran almacén
Then off to work in a big warehouse
Cuando regresa no hay más que un somier
When he returns there is only an empty bed
Taciturno que usan por turnos
Over which they take turns being silent
Cruz de navajas por una mujer
Cross of knives over a woman
Brillos mortales despuntan al alba
Deadly glints shine at dawn
Sangres que tiñen de malva el amanecer
Blood that stains the morning purple
Pero hoy como ha habido redada
But today there was a raid
En el treinta y tres
At the thirty-three
Mario vuelve a las cinco menos diez
Mario returns at ten to five
Por su calle vacía a lo lejos solo se ve
On his empty street, only in the distance is anything seen
A unos novios comiéndose a besos
Some lovers eating each other's kisses
El pobre Mario se quiere morir
Poor Mario wants to die
Cuando se acerca para descubrir
When he approaches to discover
Que es María con compañía
That it's María with company
Sobre Mario de bruces tres cruces
Over Mario, three crosses facedown
Una en la frente la que más dolió
One on his forehead, which hurt the most
Otra en el pecho la que le mató
Another on his chest, which killed him
Y otra miente en el noticiero
And one lies in the news
Dos drogadictos en plena ansiedad
Two drug addicts in full anxiety
Roban y matan a Mario Postigo
Steal from and kill Mario Postigo
Mientras su esposa es testigo desde el portal
While his wife bears witness from the doorway
En vez de cruz de navajas por una mujer
Instead of a cross of knives over a woman
Brillos mortales despuntan al alba
Deadly glints shine at dawn
Sangres que tiñen de malva el amanecer
Blood that stains the morning purple
Writer(s): Jose Maria Cano
Contributed by Isaac P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.