ELJURI

Eljuri is back on Paradigms to preview her new high energy amazing record Reflexión. The full album hasn’t been released yet (it drops September 30, 2022) but we are lucky to have three of the new songs and a conversation with Eljuri, always interesting and inspiring.

Cecilia Villar Eljuri is originally from Ecuador but has spent much of her life in New York City. Eljuri is known for her guitar playing…she shreds it…and her powerfully optimistic songs about people and society. The music rocks and the songs inspire.

This new record Reflexión is Eljuri at the top of her game, bringing life energy through our current challenges of Covid and political madness. And let us not forget the band, Alex Alexander on drums and percussion, Winston Roye on bass, and Teese Gohl on piano, Jenny Hill on tenor sax, Pam Fleming on trumpet, and Buford O’Sullivan on trombone. - Paradigms

Musiczine, an update of the Belgian and international scene: Eljuri's new album Reflexión →
“An exciting, top-produced and cheerful mix of rock, Latin and funk. Latin American music combined with a rock concept in a very ingenious way… her razor-sharp guitar sound is complemented by Latin American influences.” **** - Musiczine

Orange Flag Music: Eljuri Reflexión →
“The Ecuadorian musician Eljuri knows how to hit just the right strings with her new fifth solo record to put you in warm moods.

… Reflexión is an album that inspires and showcases the best of Latin music. To be honest, I'm not very familiar with this genre, but I'm sure I enjoy listening to this record. It is all pleasant to the ear, you can dance away with it and it has a warm temperament. Like yes, a good Latin record should be.

So Eljuri knows how to impress enough with Reflexión and I advise you to give this record a listen. If you like South America and the Spanish language, you will end up in a warm bath. But even if you don't like this kind of music I can still recommend it. The music has no boundaries in that respect and every music lover would appreciate this. The Netherlands – Ecuador so quickly forgotten, this record Reflexión by Eljuri is anything but.” - Orange Flag Music

Saiid Zeidan: Reflexion (Original Album) By Eljuri →
“Now, this is the beauty of having an artist come from different cultures. I’ve probably never seen anyone achieve what ElJuri perfected in her latest album, and I need you to understand how much skill and talent it takes to have such a harmonious production. Get ready for an unforgettable experience with “Reflexion”, the latest album by Eljuri that’ll capture your heart and soul!” - Saiid Zeidan

Artistic Echoes: Hot Half Dozen →
Eljuri’s new #VibeVideo ‘No Puedo Cruzar’ - “Wow. Eljuri has hit another home run. The horns, the Latin beat, the message- and most of all the mystery and the urgency she put into this song. It is so many things at once and she brings them all together in a 4 min earworm.” - Artistic Echoes

Gitarist: Europees live debuut Eljuri in Nederland →
Gitarist no. 385, april 2023
english translation:

European live debut Eljuri in the Netherlands: REFLEXIÓN

What if Carlos Santana was a woman and started on the East Coast of the United States instead of the West Coast? Then chances are his music would have sounded like 'Reflexión', the new album by Cecilia Villar Eljuri.

The singer and guitarist was born in Ecuador and moved to New York with her parents at a young age. Just like Santana's best work, 'Reflexión' shows an exciting mix of rock and Latin, although Eljuri sounds a lot more modern due to emphatic funk and hip-hop influences. Eljuri has an endorsement with Gibson and shows that the brand's guitars are much better suited for funky rhythm guitar work than many people think.

There's plenty of flaming lead guitar work on 'Reflexión', but Eljuri knows very well when a more supporting role is desired. Especially the interplay with bassist Winston Roye is of great class.

At the beginning of April, Eljuri will play her first ever European shows, both of which will take place in the Netherlands. Her European live debut will be on Thursday 6 April at the Patronaat in Haarlem. Three days later, on Sunday afternoon 9 April, it is the turn of the Thiemeloods in Amersfoort. Tickets for the shows are available on the websites of the venues.

Guitarist 385, April 2023 celebrating 50 years of Queen with a great Brian May interview! On the basis of six Queen albums, he looks back at the career of the undiminished popular British band.

50 jaar Queen vieren we met een groot Brian May interview! Aan de hand van zes Queen-albums blikt hij terug op de carrière van de onverminderd populaire Britse band.

Wat als Carlos Santana een vrouw was en aan de oostkust van de Verenigde Staten begon in plaats van de westkust? Dan is de kans groot dat zijn muziek had geklonken zoals 'Reflexión', het nieuwe album van Cecilia Villar Eljuri.

Lees hier meer…
Printversie hier… - Gitarist

«La Voz» es una canción del género Rock en Español, en ella podemos escuchar los claros sonidos rítmicos de las percusiones que se asimilan a los latidos del corazón, una guitarra que disfruta de llevarnos por las notas de gran pasión y disfrute musical y el uso de instrumentos de aire para darnos algunos toques de Ska que nos ayudan a tener una canción de grandes tonalidades y esencias musicales.
«La Voz» de Eljuri nos envuelve en la sensualidad y el baile pasional de una canción de este género, su voz de tonalidades melodiosas y arrastre de palabras nos ayudan a estar atentos a cada una de las letras que nos canta.

Eljuri, nacida en Ecuador, pero radicada en Nueva York es compositora, vocalista y guitarrista, en cada uno de sus proyectos y giras busca compartir un mensaje de empoderamiento mientras los transporta a través de paisajes rítmicos. Sus herencias de Rock, Pop-punk, Bolero y Afrocubano nos dan como resultado estas notas alegres que se acompañan de una voz socialmente responsable y que se preocupa por dar un gran mensaje. - Bravo Revista

Espejo, single by Eljuri. Another grand slam from the queen of guitar. First song released from her upcoming album Reflexion. Funk at its best with hooks a plenty and stratospheric guitar riffs that only she can do. Stream/download on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and YouTube. Spanish lyrics. - Artistic Echoes

Cecilia Villar Eljuri es una cantante que ha conquistado al público con un ritmo fusión que mezcla al rock con los ritmos latinos. Nacida en Ecuador y radicando en Nueva York ha sabido mantenerse vigente con su propuesta y ahora lanza un nuevo sencillo, que forma parte de sus lanzamientos de este 2022.
La cantante tuvo su primer acercamiento con la música desde los 12 años, y a partir de ahí notó la facilidad con la podía comunicarse a través de la música y su voz. Desde ahí ha pasado por diferentes agrupaciones y conquistado foros en Nueva York y a partir de finales de la primera década de los 2000 emprende un camino solitario acercándose a su pasión, la música latina.

Eljuri se ha caracterizado por tomar una postura enfocada a generar conciencia en sus composiciones tal como ocurrió con el sencillo pasado Salva La tierra, en el cual comparte el mensaje sobre el poco tiempo que nos queda para hacer algo por el planeta.

Ahora en “La Voz” la compositora busca crear un sentimiento de unidad y de conciencia colectiva algo que no se ha restaurado por completo tras el confinamiento y la pandemia.

“La Voz” es una canción donde Eljuri muestra más sus influencias latinas ya que se nota su gusto por el sonido afrocubano que bailaba con su padre en la sala de su casa, Alex Alexander su baterista y percusionista colombiano, se criaron de manera similar : como inmigrantes latinos en los EE. UU. Así pues Alexander en este sencillo acentúa la cáscara afrocubana.

Esto solo es una muestra del gran trabajo que ha tenido la cantante en este año ya que también participó en The Ladybug Music Festival en Milford el pasado 30 de julio. Un festival con un elenco 100% de mujeres, donde se presentaron 35 bandas en 9 escenarios al aire libre a lo largo de la calle Walnut en Milford, Delaware.

Hoy, la cantante estrena el nuevo sencillo “La Voz”, pero no será el último trabajo de este año, ya que también planea visitar tierras aztecas próximamente y seguir compartiendo su música y su mensaje al público en general. - Reporte Indigo

It wouldn’t be wrong to consider this album a masterpiece. A delightful collection of funky tracks with uplifting Latin melodies, mixed with a delicious groove and all the excitement of Rock. If you’re into music that will make your soul vibrate you must PRE-SAVE NOW! (RD: 30/09/22)

Guys, I’m really amazed today. This album is, in a word, sensational. Cecilia Villar Eljuri, AKA Eljuri, is ready to release a new full-length album that might just be awarded album of the year by us. First of all, welcome back! It’s your boy MadZen and today we will get you pumped up and ready for this upcoming album!

Eljuri is truly an outstanding woman. A multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer, activist, and proud Latina from Ecuador raised in NYC. She makes positive music with a deep message and supports the Latin community like no one else. In her songs she tells stories about resilience, shelter, our borders, and the planet, empowering anyone who listens.

“Reflexión” is her fifth studio album which she wrote, arranged, and produced herself. 12 tracks of beautifully crafted songs which include reggae, middle-eastern, Latin, and Rock melodies. What a vibe! Dancing rhythms, evoking and inspiring trumpets, sensitive and emotive guitar solos, tribal percussions, wonderful “tumbao” bass. This album has it all.

Prepare for tracks like “Espejo” (Mirror), “Salva La Tierra” (Save The Earth), and La Voz (The Voice). The album has songs for both English and Spanish speakers alike, with tracks like “Home”, an homage for Eljuri’s beloved New York City, a place where she feels alive and can be who she truly is.
Songs like “El Camino” (The Road) invite the listener to celebrate and participate by engaging in their community. “No Puedo Cruzar” (Can’t Cross) is an amazing reggae-roots track about a frustrating crossing during a difficult journey. “Feeds You” has an awesomely fat bass line and invites us to reject the hate, and to not bite the hand that feeds.

All this and so much more is waiting for you in “Reflexión”. Salsa, Cumbia and all the sweetness of Latin American music. The Billboard Songwriting Contest award winner does so much more than just writing amazing songs, she also leads by example as one of the organizers of the 2017 Women’s March on NYC, giving workshops and mentors others on how to welcome activism into their lives while she’s on tour, and is also a regular mentor with Sound Thinking NYC – a free program especially designed to open doors for young women to explore careers in the music industry. What else must I say to make you PRE-SAVE NOW!

“You are welcome to dive into my heavy Latin grooves from rock and reggae to funk and dance. Get lost in the intersecting sounds. I wrote this new album, ‘Reflexión’ as an antidote to our
recent shared experience of inconceivable isolation. The melodies will lift your internal vibration towards positive energy” – Eljuri.

Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also visit her official website.

It also helps to stream and share her music; you can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Female Rising Stars, Sickest & Dopest, 12 New Songs This Week, Indie y Alternativo Actualmente, and Unknown But Essentials!.

Remember that you can always find me here Linktree MadZen for all my social media and collaborations.

P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you can subscribe to this blog Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists that we have presented here! - Less than 1000 Followers

Since March is Women’s History Month and mixed in the month was also International Women’s Day, I’ve decided to interview some amazing female musicians who also happen to be dedicated to battling issues of social injustice through their music and through their actions.

And when it comes to the musician Eljuri, our conversation was a long time coming. I received her first solo CD “En Paz,” years ago. I was immediately captivated by her powerful voice, which is only matched by her powerful guitar playing--something I learned she’s well known for.

Her other records “Fuerte,” “La Luche” and more recently, “Resiste,” soon followed. Each one is a window into her passion to call out social issues -- gun violence, Black Lives Matter, the right and need to vote and more. And each one also includes really, really great hooks.

On tonight’s show, you’ll hear a snippet of our conversation on which we talk about what led her to craft those hooks that weave messages surrounded by sweeping guitar sounds calling for change.

Plus, we’ll talk about what it means to be a female musician--a lead guitarist--in a world that is still surprised when Eljuri shows up to a gig and is in fact the band leader and in fact can play guitar (extremely well--we’ll even talk about some of her favorite guitars).

If you stick through the entire conversation, you’ll also hear about the work she’s doing off the stage, like helping to promote women to work behind the scenes in the music industry; as well as the workshops and classes she holds to teach about social change. - VPM - NPR & PBS

Cecilia Villar Eljuri is following up her politically charged single, ‘Keep it Up’, released in the fall of 2018, with a reggae project. With new material and a refreshed look to her collection of original reggae songs, Manovill Records releases ‘Resiste: La Colección Reggae de Eljuri’ on Friday April 12, 2019 via all digital platforms. (iTunes pre-release April 5, 2019).

She’s an activist in her art and music and is putting these two key elements together to present her newest reggae project.

“I feel compelled to testify honestly, powerfully and without fear. I’ve learned from the masters of reggae how to speak my mind boldly, giving voice to the concerns of many. I am so inspired to live in a time where we are all confidently pressing for change together.” – Eljuri - Musica Roots

Cecilia Villar Eljuri is a triple threat: She's an accomplished songwriter, a great vocalist and one hell of a guitar player. Her work in all three areas is on full display on her new album, La Lucha.

With Eljuri as Alt.Latino's guest DJ this week, we indulge our passion for music that shows off the lead guitar. Her playlist is heavy on classic rock — because, quite frankly, that era is when many of the guitarists who set the bar for lead guitar playing were plying their craft.

Turn up the volume and listen in — and check out more of Eljuri's playlist below. - NPR

Eljuri’s Mighty, Fearless Revolutionary Album: One of 2016’s Best
Eljuri play edgy, minor-key, fearlessly political south-of-the-border rock. Their songs are catchy and as fiery as they are eclectic. Frontwoman Cecilia Villar Eljuri punctuates her clever, metaphorically-charged Spanish-language lyrics with intense, dynamic, often exhilarating lead guitar work – she’s sort of this era’s David Gilmour of rock en Español. Their debut album La Lucha (“The Struggle”) is streaming at Storyamp. They’re playing the album release show this Wednesday, Oct 12 at 7 PM at Drom; advance tix are $15

The album’s opening title track, a punk-funk number, is disarmingly straightforward: “With my guitar and my lyrics, I speak for the struggle,” the bandleader explains. The production is artful: lingering reverb-toned ambience behind the scratchy rhythm guitar. The band switches to an upbeat reggae groove for the brassy anti-violence anthem Bang Bang, ending with an exhaustive litany of cities which have been the scene of notorious mass shootings and murders by police: it’s long enough to go on for a whole verse and chorus and finally ends with New York City.

Jangly guitars balance against stately piano on the mournful but propulsive bolero El Viento (“The Wind”): musically, it’s one of the album’s strongest tracks, sung with unexpecteldy misty nuance. By contrast, Nunca Volvere (“Never Coming Back”) pounces along with a flurrying, chromatically-fueled, Andalucian-tinged menace, like legendary Mexican art-rockers Jaguares at their most savage.

The band brings back a swaying, funk-tinged drive on Injusticia, then, finally six tracks in, they do a happy tune in a major key: the bouncy, Blondie-esque Right Now. Then they go back to the menace with Indiferencia, a towering, majestic cumbia-flavored lament, resonant twelve-string guitar against lush string synth. Quiero Saber (“I Wanna Know”) takes a turn back into classic-style roots reggae, with a tantalizingly brief, psychedelic wah guitar solo midway through.

Likewise, the artsy psychedelia of Luz Roja (“Red Light”) brings to mind peak-era Bob Marley, until the band picks up the pace with a scampering chorus. Salvame (“Save Me”), with Eljuri’s lyrics switching between English and Spanish, takes a turn back toward straight-up backbeat 70s rock with salsa-tinged piano and Satana-esque guitar. The final cut, Sed (Thirst) slowly builds toward a towering, angst-fueled peak, a defiant, ultimatley hopeful revolutionary anthem. Listening to this album all the way through, it hits you: every single one of these tracks is strong. The lyrics are smart and relevant, Eljuris’s vocals are just as dynamic and the band is killer. Who would have thought that what might be the best rock record of the year would be sung mostly in Spanish. La Reconquista might be closer than we think! - New York Music Daily

Espejo es una canción que comienza un renovado recorrido para exhortar a sus seguidores a una búsqueda de caminos de tolerancia, de amor, de compasión nuevas rutas para encontrarnos y cuidarnos. - BIG BANG Mexico

Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador to Lebanese and Spanish parents and raised in New York City, Cecilia Villar Eljuri is a compulsive genre-fuser writing songs that mirror the experiences of her life. Touted as one of the best Latina guitar players in the world, Eljuri navigates through musical landscapes ranging from rock and pop-punk, to bolero, reggae, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, all presented with an elegant and empowering female voice. This impassioned singer, songwriter, and guitarist has released four solo albums and tours internationally as a power-trio performing her global rhythms and universal truths. Eljuri is an artivist… passionate about her songs and empowering her listeners through her performances and lyrics that aim to create positive change.

What is your definition of tone and how has it changed over the years?

My definition of tone is my “unique sound.” I think it makes my guitar sing and differentiates me from others. It’s different than “style” or “technique” which can vary but tone is the unique sound of your soul, an identifiable sound through the instrument regardless of the gear.

Which guitars, amps, and pedals are you currently using and why?

For recording, I use a mix of guitars, pedals, and amps including:

Guitars (electric): As an endorsee of Gibson guitars, I primarily use Gibson Les Paul Customs/Standards, also use D’Angelico EX-DC semi-hollow, Fender Strat, Peekamoose guitars and a custom electric Tres (that I invented).

Guitars (acoustic): Martin (JC-16 GTE) Jumbo Cutaway and Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500

Pedals: Zvex (fuzz factory, double rock, wah probe), Pigtronix Philosopher’s tone, CryBaby Wah pedal, Seymour Duncan Vapor trail, customized tones in Line 6 Helix & HXFX, Digitech Whammy

Favorite amps: Fender Twins, Bogners, Orange Tiny Terror.

Are there certain recording techniques you prefer in the studio?

Many. I like miking the isolated amps with different mics so I can record in a single take and then choose single or blend of mics. I also prefer to pick the guitar and effects to get the sound I’m after before recording and not at the post-production stage.

How do you keep your sound consistent onstage?

For live, I tour with my Gibson Les Pauls and program my sounds into Line 6 pedals (Helix, HXFX) or the Tech21RK5 pedal for one-off fly/guest gigs. My backline is usually a Fender Twin Reverb amp. I usually also travel with my Epiphone acoustic and a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI and occasionally a BOSS RC-20 XL Looper.

What does your practice consist of?

I vocalize with scales every day. As for guitar, first, it’s exploration of parts and sounds when creating new songs. Then, mostly translating recorded parts and sounds for live, and rehearsing/playing and singing for live shows and touring.

What is your advice for young women who hope to work in the music industry?

Find your voice and commit to it. Take the time to develop all the skills needed to hone your craft. Search out mentors and teachers. Believe in yourself and go for it! - Guitar Girl Magazine

Cecilia Villar Eljuri es una música de origen ecuatoriano pero radicada en Nueva York que ha estado en la escena por años, primero en bandas y solista desde 2008, con un proyecto que abarca muchos ritmos e influencias de los dos lugares donde ha vivido, pero siempre con el sabor latino al frente. Su música es una mezcla de reggae, rock, punk-rock y hasta bolero, pero lo que la distingue es su peculiar estilo de tocar la guitarra muy al estilo de sus más grandes inspiraciones: Jimmy Page, David Gilmour y sobre todo Carlos Santana.

Este abril lanzó Resiste, su colección de música reggae donde en siete tracks nos habla de temas sociales y de empoderamiento, además de que tres de ellas están co-escritas con el dúo Sly & Robbie: “la música reggae fue la voz de los marginados por su contribución al discurso internacional sobre temas de injusticia, resistencia, amor y humanidad es a la vez cerebral, sociopolítico, sensual y espiritual. Por eso me siento obligada a testificar honestamente, con fuerza y sin miedo.” A continuación platicamos con Eljuri sobre este material y su formación como artistas.

Te fuiste muy pequeña a Estados Unidos pero, ¿cómo influyó en ti Ecuador?
La influencia de Ecuador no es por vivir allí (era bebe cuando vinimos a NY). La influencia vino de mis padres en nuestra hogar y visitando familiares que vivían en Ecuador. Desde pequeña, fui expuesta a una variedad de artes a instancias de mis padres, el pionero de radio, teatro y televisión ecuatorianos Paco Villar y la compositora Olga Eljuri de Villar.

Ya llegando a NY, ¿cómo influyó Estados Unidos?
La ciudad de Nueva York fue mi escuela de música: punk, rock, reggae, funk. Los mejores músicos del mundo tocaron y vivieron en NYC.

¿Cómo nació ese interés por las culturas y la sociedad?
Siempre fui socialmente consciente y como compositora descubrí una parte íntima de mi alma que da voz a mi espíritu revolucionario. Mi perspectiva de vivir como inmigrante en los Estados Unidos también contribuye a este punto de vista.

¿Cómo aprendiste a tocar la guitarra con ese estilo tan peculiar que tienes?
Muchos grandes guitarristas influyeron mi estilo como guitarrista. Toco la guitarra para servir la canción y apoyar la melodía y eso es el alma de mi interpretación. Mi tono viene de mis dedos, que es mi estilo personal y mi preferencia por el tipo de guitarra (Gibson Les Paul), amplificador y efectos que uso se agrega a mi sonido.

Para tener un poco de contexto, cuéntame un poco sobre cómo iniciaste este proyecto solista
Tras años de aprendizaje encabezando grupos (como Trouble Dolls y Grupo Fiesta) decidí, a partir de 2006, caminar sola a profundizar mis raíces latinas. Viaje a Sudamérica y América Central, construí mi estudio de grabaciones en mi casa, y comencé a escribir y arreglar canciones para En Paz, mi primer disco como solista.

También sueles dar masterclasses de guitarra, ¿eso cómo te retroalimenta?
Mis padres me inculcaron la importancia de la educación y el dominio de su instrumento (para mi voz, guitarra, piano, etc.) y me gustaría retribuir en la misma época en que me nutrieron de ellos y de otros grandes artistas.
Llegar a los demás me ayuda a ver las cosas desde diferentes perspectivas y eso abre mi mundo y es una experiencia enriquecedora.

¿Qué artistas influyeron en ti?
Hay tantos artistas que me han influenciado y continúan haciéndolo. Mis padres (ambos son artistas) son lo primero y lo más importante. Desde una perspectiva de composición de canciones, músicos como Bob Marley, The Clash, Neil Young; como cantante, Janis Joplin, Sinead O’Connor, Deborah Harry; como guitarrista, – Jimmy Page, Jimmy Hendrix, The Edge, David Gilmour, Bonnie Raitt, Santana, Ernie Isley, etc.

¿Por qué decidiste hacer esta colección nueva de reggae?
Llega a este punto de mi carrera con naturalidad. He estado escribiendo reggae desde mis primeros días con los Trouble Dolls, y después de escribir mi nueva canción “Resiste”, contemplé todas las canciones de reggae que había escrito como solista y parecío lógico lanzarlas como una colección.

¿Cómo se dio la colaboración con Sly & Robbie?
Hace varios años, Sly & Robbie escucharon mi canción “Una Ola”, les encantó y se acercaron a mi sello discográfico Manovill Records para preguntar si haría una colaboración con ellos. La primera canción en la que colaboramos fue “El Aire”, que estaba en mi primer álbum en solitario En Paz.

¿Cómo describirías tu evolución musical a través de los años con este proyecto?
Escribiré canciones toda mi vida. No considero esto un proyecto sino mi vocación. Mi audiencia me ha inspirado a decir lo que pienso y ser la voz para ellos en mis canciones, y sigo profundizando cada vez más en mi herencia musical.

¿Qué te gusta lograr con tu música y los mensajes que pones en ella?
Me siento obligada a testificar de manera honesta, poderosa y sin miedo. Aprendí de los maestros del reggae cómo expresar mi mente con audacia y dar voz a las preocupaciones de muchos.

¿Qué planes tienes para lo que resta de 2019?
Mi plan es ir en gira (US, México, Canadá) para compartir mi colección de reggae con los fanáticos nuevos y actuales y conectar e inspirar a través de publicaciones como esta. Gracias por esta gran oportunidad. - Revista Kuadro

Eljuri: la Colección Reggae bajo el nombre “Resiste”
Eljuri es considerada como una de las mejores guitarristas latinas del mundo. Ella misma expresa que tiene la suerte de tener dos voces. Una voz de cantante y la voz como guitarrista; combina los sonidos y ritmos que escuchó del piano de su madre, los discos de vinilo de su padre, los CD de sus hermanos y los clubes que frecuentaba en el lado este más bajo de Manhattan.

Eljuri acentúa sus inteligentes letras con su singular lenguaje metafórico, acentuadas con un intenso trabajo de guitarra a menudo emocionante. Es como David Gilmour de Rock en Español de esta era.

Una ecuatoriana destacada, que vive en Nueva York, cantante y letrista lanzará Resiste su primer sencillo del un EP recopilación completamente de reggae con su compañía discográfica: Manovill Records, este próximo 12 de abril en las plataformas digitales iTunes AppleMusic Cdbaby Spotify pero te daremos un adelanto de lo que podrás tener próximamente, puedes escucharlo aquí. - Ska Places

Cecilia Villar Eljuri, solo-artist and songwriter, shares with Al Borde the creative processes behind her newest album “La Lucha,” a collection of empowering songs about sticking together and fighting for change.
As her first self-produced album, Eljuri shows us a purer form of expression and a message of encouragement.
What does the album mean to you, personally?
“La Lucha” is my third solo record, and this one is a little more introspective than the other two … I’m always drawn to, lyrically, messages about inciting change and improving our world. Given everything that’s been going on in the world and in the US … I felt compelled to write a record about how we have to continue to stick together and fight, and that’s where the song “La Lucha” came out, and as I wrote more songs, I thought of “La Lucha” as a title for the whole album.
“La Lucha” is really the full-circle song for the album and why it makes sense to call the album that. It’s a very personal song about my struggle, and ultimately leading people through their own struggle–whatever that may be–by using their voice and giving them strength that there’s someone there for them. By using my guitar and the word, “I sing for the fight,” and that’s the chorus, basically … It’s a very empowering song hopefully for people, and we used it for the Latino campaign in the US to encourage people to vote.
As your first self-produced album, what challenges did you face?
I usually have a producer, but this time I was in so deep with the mixes and arrangements. To be self-produced is a lot of work and a lot of responsibility, but I got to dictate from beginning to end every step of the process and make the final decisions on how I wanted the songs to sound … Usually, as an artist, there’s a person other than yourself who produces … My next record, I might go back to having a producer, I don’t know. But [self producing] was an awesome experience that stretched me further and got me out of my safety zone, so that was exciting.

I noticed this album has a lot of genre mixing. Can you speak to me on that?
That’s my sound . . . It’s really organic. So, this album isn’t the first one [to mix genres] by any means, but maybe I took the range even further. Each song dictates to me how it should be arranged. I have a deep connection with my songs, so they kind of guide me after I write them–and all along the way–on how they should sound. But my sound is definitely a fusion. The people who know me are not surprised when they hear a reggae infused kind of song right after a rock-infused Latin song.
Can you tell me more about what was going on in the creative process for some of your songs?
In “Nunca Volveré,” that’s my rock and Lebanese influence, and that song is really an immigrant’s tale of people who had to leave their country for some reason or another, and never really imagined that they would not return. “Nunca Volveré” means “I’m never going to return,” whether it’s by choice or not, like with refugees. I really want to encourage people who are receiving immigrants into their country to realize that a lot of people don’t want to leave their country, but they have to to survive. [I want to] help people to be understanding and have open arms, and that’s pretty timely given all this discussion of immigration in this country. I’m always an optimist, but if I can help with music, I’d like to.
As you head out on tour, are you looking forward to performing anywhere in particular?
That’s a good question. I’ve been to South America, various cities in the US, a bunch of places in Canada, and many, many times to Mexico. So it would be nice to bring a record to Europe. But I’m busy, so I’m very grateful that I’m busy; it’s a great honor to perform in all these great countries and great cities in the US.
It’s always exciting to travel for me, and to meet people, and touch people with music and be touched back. There’s nothing like it. - Al Borde

With the energy of a 20-year old and the chops of one of the nation’s most seasoned rock guitarists, Eljuri blew the roof off the Gibson Showroom in Beverly Hills at a special GirlsRockLA performance Thursday night, produced by The Living Sessions. It wasn’t just the guitar riffs – although they were incendiary, and it wasn’t just her singing – although she growled and soared and dug into our ears and our brains with best the best of them. It was her presence – the there that Eljuri is: exuberant, exciting, explosive and a woman who knows herself, where she is going and how very, very good she is.

In LA for a quick stop, Eljuri gave 1000% to the crowd who managed to get into small but prestigious venue. Ripping through ten songs from La Lucha, her new album released this month, that ranged from the anti-gun-violence hard rocker “Bang Bang” to the more melodic (but still rocking) “Salvame”. Working with an abbreviated band from her native New York, consisting of Johnny Pisano on bass and Alex Alexander on drums, Eljuri (whose full name is Cecelia Villar Eljuri), filled the guitar-strewn showroom with a sound that spilled out across the street to the Civic Center.

Eljuri is a first class entertainer as well as stellar musician.The performancewas bi-lingual and the music was interspersedwith stories from her days in punk bands at New York’s famous (and now gone) punk club CBGBs, as well as her travels and some of her social views. With a mile-wide smile, twinkling eyes, wild curls and long rangy body and arms that easily encompass not only her large Gibson Les Paul guitar, but seemingly everyone on stage and in the room, Eljuri is far larger than life.

It is no wonder she is such a fascinating individual as well as a superb musician.Born in Ecuador but raised mostly in New York City, she easily straddles both Latin and gringo cultures and many musical genres. She grew up in the New York punk scene and played with English language bands like the early alt rockers,the Trouble Dolls. She started playing music as a young child with the blessing of her parents, her father Paco Villar, theEcuadorian broadcaster, and her songwriter mother, Olga Eljuri de Villar. They encouraged her to learn piano at the age of five and by 12 years old she had started her own rock and roll cover band. She decided to learn guitar at 14 and started writing punk and rock songs. She loved playing in English language bands but her Ecuadorian heart (and manager Paola Romano) called her to concentrate on Spanish-language writing androcken español. She formed her own band,Grupo Fiesta (with Cindy Padilla on lead vocals), and in 2006 went solo, releasing two solo albums and touring simply as Eljuri (pronounced “El hoodi”).La Lucha is her third album.

GirlsRockLA’sprogramat the Gibson Showroom was magical, not only for Eljuri but also for the warm love songs of Valise Blue,up from Tijuana, and LA’s stunning singer/songwriter Nancy Sanchez. Congratulations to Julieta Isela of The Living Sessions for nearly a year of shows, each one with increasingly more impressive talent and organization. The Living Sessions have become a treasured institution in the LA music scene, both in English and Spanish and are beginning to branch out to other cities. But Thursday night truly belonged to Eljuri. The intimacy of the Gibson Showroom allowed us to see up close the subtlety of the finger movements that create such pyrotechnical sound and enjoy the force of her voice and personality. But having been up close, I can’t wait to seeEljuri with her full band at a venue large enough to contain her.That will really be exuberant, exciting, explosive and far larger than life. - Vents Magazine

Eljuri La Lucha

Eljuri is a Latina and Lebanese woman with roots in Ecuador who’s now living in New York. She loves Cuban music and can play badass guitar in a variety of styles. All of this and more comes delightfully pouring out on La Lucha through cuts like the slightly-dubby reggae/pop of “BangBang,” the sublime samba of “El Viento” and the prog-tinged “Nunca Volveré.” Eljuri has a voice perfectly suited to girl-pop too and she turns it loose on the Blondie-esque “Right Back,” the only cut on the album that’s sung entirely in English. The rest of the album is in Spanish or a mix of the two languages. “Indiferencia” is another great vocal track set to a tango. Then its back to reggae dancing for “Quiero Saber” which features the famous Jamaican rhythm section of Sly & Robbie. La Lucha will appeal to fans of world music and hipsters alike. - AXS

Cecilia Villar Eljuri makes music that is unapologetic in both its sound and its message. She sings in English and Spanish alongside Latin beats and sparks of ingenuity on the electric guitar, switching as easily between a punchy growl and a sultry lilt as she does between the two languages. In conversation, she's warm and whip-smart, eager to talk about her politics but just as quick to dive into details of her records' production. Eljuri, who takes just her last name as her artistic moniker, traces the roots of this strong musical personality to her experience as an Ecuadorian immigrant living amidst the rock'n'roll world of New York City.

"It all began with my mother, who's a composer and pianist, and my father, who's an actor and radio personality," says Eljuri. "I was always surrounded by the arts, so it felt natural to make original music. By five years old I was writing my own melodies on piano, and I later switched to guitar. It was very natural."

"The mix is very organic," she says of her eclectic sound. "I grew up in a Latino household even though I was an immigrant—I came to New York when I was 18 months old. At home, my parents were listening to old Afro-Caribbean music and Afro-Latin music and Latin music, that was their culture since they grew up in Ecuador."

While Eljuri's music displays influence from her Ecuadorian roots and artistic parents, it wasn't until she came of age in New York City that she began to uncover hints of the sound she's spent years refining. She mixes Latin rhythms and Spanish songwriting with a brazen voice and lightning bolts of electric guitar that she connects with her musical discoveries on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

"I grew up in the scene on the Lower East Side—CBGBs, that whole scene" she says. "I grew up as a musician in that way too, and before I even got to play in those clubs I was listening to the Clash and the Ramones and everybody. It was like a really natural blend that surfaced in my veins that comes out in my music. That's my genuine sound."

Eljuri's third album, La Lucha, to be released this October, is perhaps her boldest yet. Its songs feature a bright, clear sound and dance fluidly between lyrics in both English and Spanish. She says that she felt a lot of personal and creative growth during the creation of La Lucha—the first time she has produced her own record—but it retains the same mix of styles.

"I feel like I've found my sound, but I still continue to evolve as an artist," she says. "This new album, La Lucha, is still my sound—these are my songs, my voice, my love of the guitar. But I tried to stretch myself sonically and deeper into my lyrics. I wanted this album to be more cinematic and broad-reaching, but it's still my sound."

That distinct sound and energetic performance style captivated Shahin Sayadi, artistic director of Halifax's Prismatic Festival, when he saw her at the Mundial festival in Montreal last year. "Mundial is an international festival, and going to places like that is one of the ways that I go to see works and pick the ones that I like," Sayadi says.

Eljuri will be performing alongside a range of other artists at Prismatic, including poets, filmmakers and performance artists. Sayadi says that the festival has always made an effort to present racialized and indigenous artists. This year the festival is presenting only women artists or woman-fronted groups. Sayadi dismisses criticisms of tokenism and instead focuses on the exciting quality of work that he sees from both new and established artists.

"By the time that we had gotten to the time to finalize the programming, we realized that everything we had on the table was women," he says. "We decided to keep it that way; we didn't say at the end of last year that we wanted to hit this equity mark and have the festival be all women. It didn't happen that way at all. It just speaks to the great body of work that is coming from indigenous women and women of colour artists across the country."

Prismatic, which has been presenting music, film and performance since 2008, will host Eljuri three times during the festival: Friday at the Company House, Saturday at Paul O'Reagan Hall in the Central Library and Sunday at the festival's final night Pier 21. Eljuri says that she connects with the festival's broader mandate and vision, but for her the final show holds a particular weight.

"I understand that one of the venues I'll be performing at is the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, where the festival's grand finale is," she says. "The significance of that for me is particularly special—I'm an immigrant, and I understand that that's where a lot of immigrants to Canada came through. For me, it'll be a celebration not only of immigrants but also those who open their arms to immigrants."

It's a fitting venue for an artist whose body of works encourages and celebrates gestures of compassion. Promotional materials for La Lucha feature the lyric "con mi guitarra, y la palabra, canto para la lucha," which translates to "with my guitar and my words, I sing for the fight." That fight is one of acceptance and empathy, and it sits at the heart of what Eljuri does as a musician.

"The message is really that we should not tolerate the status quo, and that we should rise above by using our voices and uniting towards a better world," she says. "My fight and your fight might not align completely, but we might mostly share that the world is, to some extent, not going in the right direction.

"To the extent that I can do what I can with my guitar, my voice and my songs to help inspire people to shift the direction away from the negative and towards the positive, that's what the fight is all about. Use your voice to fight for your rights, fight for representation, to not allow injustices and to celebrate tolerance." - The Coast - Cover Story

Entras en mi mundo sin decir que vienes…tal vez el otro viernes, no quiero amarrarme, la distancia nos ayuda, eres un escape, una contradicción aquí en mi corazón…siento que estás aquí en mi corazón te mueves con el viento”. Son algunos versos del nuevo sencillo de Eljuri titulado “El Viento”.

Por Ximena Hidalgo-Ayala
IMPACTO

El primer sencillo “El Viento” del próximo álbum de Eljuri “La Lucha”, se presentó al público este 8 de agosto, coincidiendo con las celebraciones de la Declaración de Independencia de su tierra natal, Ecuador, que se recuerdan cada 10 de agosto, conmemorando la gesta libertaria de 1809, reconocida como el Primer Grito Independentista de las colonias españolas en América.

Con su característica versatilidad, Eljuri en su nuevo sencillo El Viento, parte de su nuevo álbum La Lucha, rinde homenaje a los ritmos y armonías afro-latinos tradicionales, una de sus fuertes raíces culturales.
Con su característica versatilidad, Eljuri en su nuevo sencillo El Viento, parte de su nuevo álbum La Lucha, rinde homenaje a los ritmos y armonías afro-latinos tradicionales, una de sus fuertes raíces culturales.

ECUA GRINGA
Acercarse a “El Viento”, el primer sencillo de Eljuri, es establecer una conexión directa con sus auto proclamadas tradiciones culturales como una “Ecua-Gringa”, nacida en el principal puerto ecuatoriano, Guayaquil y criada desde niña en la Capital del Mundo en donde reside, Cecilia Villar Eljuri cantante bilingüe, guitarrista (clásica y eléctrica) y compositora que inició su carrera musical integrando algunas bandas con base en Nueva York, como Muñecas Quitapenas y Grupo Fiesta, ha desplegado en los últimos años una importante y bien fundamentada carrera como solista.

ESTILO MUY PROPIO
Hija del prestigioso hombre de cultura Don Paco Villar, pionero en la radiodifusión ecuatoriana y de la compositora ecuatoriana Olga Eljuri de Villar, la vena artística es una de sus raíces más fuertes y ha influenciado notablemente en el desarrollo de un muy personal estilo de Eljuri, el cual inicialmente parecería bastante ecléctico, ya que combina pop alternativo y rock con una variedad de ritmos latinos, que van desde cumbia colombiana, samba brasileña, salsa afrocubana, música ecuatoriana, hasta el flamenco español y esa esa versatilidad la que le da un estilo propio, único y muy original.

GUITARRA Y MUCHO MÁS
Eljuri estudió piano acústico desde los cinco años y a los doce ya tocaba en una banda temas de los Rolling Stones, sin embargo la guitarra sería el instrumento con el que más se identificaría y comenzó con ella a escribir canciones desde los catorce años, desarrollando su carrera como compositora. Eljuri interpreta guitarra clásica o acústica y guitarra eléctrica. En su último álbum, además de la guitarra principal, usada en el solo de la canción, hay un invento musical bastante peculiar, un invento de la propia Eljuri, un tres eléctrico construido expresamente por encargo y para uso de la artista, cuya originalidad, talento y trayectoria la ubican como uno de los iconos de la música rock y pop latinoamericanas de Estados Unidos.

EL VIENTO
El romanticismo latinoamericano se expresa hermosa y rítmicamente en este acaramelado bolero con matices tropicales titulado “El Viento”, el primer sencillo que Eljuri estrena como adelanto a su nuevo álbum que saldrá el próximo octubre. Con esta primera entrega, la compositora, cantante y gran guitarrista, nacida en Guayaquil, Ecuador y radicada en New York desde niña, rinde homenaje al amor, la nostalgia y vivacidad de sentimientos y ritmos latinoamericanos. En su nuevo sencillo Cecilia Villar Eljuri además de ser la voz principal, autora de la letra y arreglos, ejecuta las guitarras eléctricas, guitarras acústicas, un tres eléctrico y el órgano. En el conjunto musical que acompañan a Eljuri se encuentra el baterista y percusionista colombiano Alex Alexander, en el bajo Tracy Wormworth y al piano Steve Sandberg. El video de este sencillo se estrenará el próximo viernes 19 de agosto.

LA LUCHA
El tercer y más reciente álbum musical de Eljuri como solista es “La Lucha”, en el cual Eljuri viaja con sus canciones y guitarra a través de paisajes musicales, que van desde el rock y el pop-punk, hasta el bolero, pasando por el reggae y los ritmos afro-caribeños, todo esto presentado con elegancia, originalidad y una poderosa voz femenina.
El sencillo “El Viento”, producido por Cecilia Villar Eljuri ya está disponible para su descarga en iTunes, Amazon, Google Music; streaming en Spotify, iHeartRadio, eMusic y de los principales puntos de venta digitales. Cecilia Villar Eljuri es representada por Manovill Records.

- See more at: http://www.impactony.com/cecilia-villar-eljuri-celebra-independencia-de-ecuador-con-el-viento/#sthash.QKlrQ9NY.dpuf - Impacto New York - Cover Story

see url: http://eljurimusic.com/prensa_articles/prensa_ChiSunTimes0910.html - Chicago Sun-Times

Five Latinos Worth Watching in 2014: Selena Gomez, Eva Longoria Head List
By Scharon Harding First Posted: Jan 21, 2014 05:10 PM EST
These five Latino's had memorable years in 2013. Based on their track record, we expect them to make even more headlines in 2014. These hardworking individuals are all worth watching this year. Stay tuned:
Cecilia Villar Eljuri
She is called "Carlita" in comparison to the legendary Carlos Santana. But more than her music will be heard in 2014.
Cecilia Villar Eljuri is an artist, rock star and activist who is likely to raise her voice this year. Eljuri was born in Guayaquil and uses her creativity, music and confidence to share her message.
"I write from the heart, but it's mostly from experiences and people I meet when traveling - about empowerment and fighting for change and rights and everything else," she told NBC Latino.
Eljuri was a big part of the Voto Latino movement, which aimed to get Hispanic women to vote in the last United States presidential election.
Carlita's efforts, however, are international.
The musician also works with Heriberto Napa Tobar, the president of Water Ecuador.
"I met the president of Water Ecuador at an Ecuadorian festival in Washington DC in 2008," Eljuri told the blog. "I was performing, and he had a booth."
Now, the two are working together to make clean water more accessible.
"[Tobar] wanted to help treat people as a med student and found a lot of people had stomach issues, and it came from the water being infected," Eljuri said. "Instead of curing people after they get sick, he thought, 'Let me prevent it.'"
Eljuri and Tobar have a new clean water project this year: Isla Puna, which is four hours away from Guayaquil.
"We provide them education and then connect with communities to teach them how to maintain a water center. We make it self-sustainable," Eljuri said. "We raised tons of money, and we did a hot-a-thon releasing a single for the concert to raise more money...The money goes right to the project."
As if that doesn't keep her busy enough, Eljuri also released her most solo CD, Fuerte, recently.
With her career and humanitarian efforts reaching further, Eljuri is someone to watch in 2014 because her story will definitely take you on a journey.

The top five Latinos are:
Cecilia Villar Eljuri
Selena Gomez
Yasiel Puig
Pope Francis
Eva Longoria - LatinPost

NBC LATINO
by Kristina Puga
8:28 am on 01/03/2014
To Guayaquil-born Cecilia Villar Eljuri – better known as just Eljuri – music is as integral to her life as water.
Her mother was a pianist and composer so Eljuri was exposed to boleros, tango and flamenco when she was five. When she was 12, she says she became addicted to guitar and rock. She started playing her own music at 17 in clubs in New York City, where she still resides.
“I write from the heart, but it’s mostly from experiences and people I meet when traveling – about empowerment and fighting for change and rights and everything else,” says the eclectic musician often called “Carlita” for her resemblance to classic rock guitarist, Carlos Santana.
After playing an active role trying to get Latinas to vote in the last U.S. presidential election, via Voto Latino, the latest change Eljuri is fighting for is clean water in her native Ecuador. A luxury not all citizens of the world have.
“I met the president of Water Ecuador at an Ecuadorian festival in Washington DC in 2008 – I was performing and he had a booth,” says Eljuri who had also just released her first solo CD.
“He wanted to help treat people as a med student and found a lot of people had stomach issues and it came from the water being infected. Instead of curing people after they get sick, he thought, ‘let me prevent it.’”
Over the years, they stayed in touch, and chose Isla Puna – a small island four hours from Guayaquil, with little access to the mainland and extremely contaminated drinking water, for their next clean water project. It will begin construction on January 6.
“We provide them education and then connect with communities to teach them how to maintain a water center – we make it self-sustainable,” says the singer, who had a benefit concert this past October. “We raised tons of money, and we did a hot-a-thon releasing a single for the concert to raise more money…The money goes right to the project.”
She explains that Water Ecuador is mostly run by volunteers.
“There were 20 last summer – many were students from Harvard and Yale,” says Eljuri.
While Eljuri continues to raise money for clean water, she is also working on a music video for one of her latest songs, “Ya es hora,” and an educational guitar series for beginning and accomplished guitarists to find their “voice.” This year, she plans on touring the U.S., Mexico and Canada. - NBC Latino

'Disfrutar’ es el verbo que define el sentimiento provocado escuchar el más reciente album solista de Eljuri, En Paz. Melodías deliciosas, arpeggios y beats que amarran el corazón, letras introspectivas que alumbran el pensamiento. Una travesía a través del reggae, world beat y el rock, siendo estos tan solo algunos de los eslabones fusionados en la inmensidad de los ritmos latinos que Eljuri ofrece para hacernos evocar, relajarnos y meditar.

Fusión y sofisticación de los ritmos latinos
Cecilia Villar Eljuri, guitarrista y cantautora nacida en Ecuador pero criada en Nueva York, inició su carrera musical componiendo desde pequeña como herencia de su madre. A los 17 años tocaba en clubes nocturnes con su primer banda, The Trouble Dolls, quienes con gran éxito consiguieron presentarse en lugares emblemáticos como CBGB's y The Bitter End; años más tarde, con una refinación musical y después de haber pasado por varias bandas, Cecilia formaría Grupo Fiesta, con un sonido latino mejor logrado, alcanzando el reconocimiento de importantes medios en Estados Unidos y Canadá. Platicando con Eljuri, inquirimos sobre su decisión de realizar su proyecto solista. «Grupo Fiesta era mi creación, yo escribía toda la música, era la directora, pero cuando terminamos la gira, ya estaba escribiendo nuevas canciones para otro disco, y salieron bien personales; quería tener la opción de poner arreglos en cada canción en lugar de estar limitados por los que sólo Grupo Fiesta pudiera tocar».

En ese momento Cecilia decide ser solista y presentar algo “mucho mejor” para expresar su arte. Inició el proceso creativo de más de tres años en el estudio de su casa, y la artista comentó al respecto: «Yo interpreto varios instrumentos y al estar escribiendo las canciones, estaba haciendo los arreglos, cuando estaba lista para trabajar con otros y tuve los arreglos básicos de las canciones, mi manager, Paola Romano (también coproductora), me juntó con Yossi Fine: sus influencias de world beat y mis influencias de rock latino se mezclaron y surgió En paz».

Cuando esta talentosa mujer compone –es lo que más le gusta–, lo hace siguiendo una idea musical a través de una letra que la persigue: «Ya tenía una visión para el arreglo de cada canción que nació, traté de no limitarme musicalmente a un estilo, quería seguir lo que cada canción me decía». Explicó, mientras daba énfasis al privilegio de haber trabajado con músicos de clase mundial como Yossi Fine (productor y bajista que ha trabajado con David Bowie, Lou Reed, Stanley Jordan, Gil Evans, etc.); Nir Z (Baterista de John Mayer y Josh Stone); Alex Fox, Ray Turull, Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), etc. «Tuve la suerte de tener muchos músicos para trabajar en el disco. Ha sido un fuerte bárbaro, un honor colaborar con estas personas. Por ejemplo, Sly & Robbie (Bob Marley, Sting, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Joe Cocker) escucharon una canción mía y me preguntaron si podíamos hacer algo juntos, ahí surgió El aire, el primer track del disco».

Eljuri comparte a través de sus letras un mensaje de alerta sobre los conflictos sociales del mundo y sobre cómo podemos mejorar. La cuestionamos sobre su intension más allá de las letras: «Yo quiero expresar mi perspectiva sobre el mundo, pero al mismo tiempo quiero que la gente sea inspirada, quiero invitarlos a que despierten, a tratar a otros con corazón y alma, con más respeto y siempre dar la mano para ayudar a otros, respetar a la tierra y cosas así, quiero expresar mi conciencia social», añadió, optimista.

«Todo alrededor de mí –el arte del disco, las fotos, mi ropa– quería que tuviera un mismo espíritu, una mezcla de lo orgánico con lo moderno, tener árboles y una guitarra eléctrica [risas]. Me gusta viajar por todo el mundo y comprar ropa, joyas de diversos lugares y fusionar. Cuando estaba escribiendo el disco, estaba viajando mucho a Centro y Sudamérica y eso sirvió en gran parte como atracción para darle un espíritu bien latino del disco». Sobre el águila plasmada en el arte, recalcó: «Eso es bien importante porque significa que hay esperanza, porque puede volar y sobresalir, no estar atrancado».

Este material cuenta con doce buenísimas rolas como Jaula, Tierras, Sombra negra, Yo soy, Como en un sueño, el cover, y también, como bonus track pero en versión original (canción compuesta por su madre, un exquisito pasillo añadido al álbum como «respeto a la familia, a Ecuador y a el mundo latino». En paz es una muestra fehaciente y un punto m - Indie Rocks Magazine

Eljuri is “Fuerte” for a Better World With New Album
By E. J. Aguado
Published April 17, 2012
Fox News Latino

Cecilia Villar Eljuri’s is releasing her new album with this hope – that it will spur people into activism.

Titled “Fuerte,” it is Eljuri’s second solo album and will be released on Tuesday.

Eljuri calls the lyrics in this album “socially conscious,” a reflection of what she’s seen and heard from her tours around the world, and incorporating ideas and perspectives she gleaned from fans of various cultural backgrounds.

“The message really behind the new record, ‘Fuerte,’ is that we should really rise up and start participating to make the world a better place to live,” she says to Fox News Latino, “to help your brother, to be good to the environment, to really rise up and be heard.”

This record is decidedly different from “En Paz,” Eljuri’s last record, released in 2008.

“My last record was more about peace, more observant,” she says, while the upcoming album emphasizes activism and making your voice heard.

The release of “Fuerte” comes as Eljuri prepares to start a tour this week that will kick off in New York City on Wednesday, and go to Texas, for the iFest in Houston, where she’ll be featured alongside Los Amigos Invincible and Los Lonely Boys.

The tour also will include stops in Los Angeles and in Miami. In May, she will perform in Mexico, and in Colombia in June.

Eljuri’s style of music is distinctive -- essentially a cultural blend of her Latin roots and her childhood in New York City.

The Ecuadorian singer and guitarist, who writes her own lyrics, explains her fusion style as her “two pillars of influence, which are my Latin influences…Flamingo, Tangos, Basillos, fused with my huge influence with American and British Rock, Reggae, and Punk.”

The unique blend of cultures is not surprising for the singer who grew up in the melting pot, raised by her mother, who is a pianist-composer, and her father, who listened to Afro-Cuban music.

Between her parents, who favored Latin music, and her brothers and sisters, who were exposed to “all the world of Rock and all the world of Reggae” in New York City, as she puts it, Eljuri developed a style that reflected the cultural collage of the city she moved to as a baby.

Some of her most important role models, influencing her music, in the United States were Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, and the Rolling Stones.

Although her first albums were in English, the Latin influence was always there.

The woman who is dubbed by some as the “female Carlos Santana,” for her guitar-playing prowess, is proud and excited about her upcoming album and performances.

“I’m really excited for people to hear the songs,” she said, wanting to bring the music from her studio album at home, where “it’s all in my own world”, to life.

Although she credits growing up in New York, the “cosmopolitan cultural capital of the world,” as she calls it, with being her school of music, she is very proud of her Ecuadorian roots.

Her excitement peaks as she anticipates her performance at Houston’s iFest, where she says “there is a significant population of Latinos and a festival that is highlighting and celebrating Latinos is special for me.”

“Being an Ecuadorian also really makes me proud,” Eljuri says, and she is excited to represent the Latino community.

Her performance on Wednesday will be at the Bowery Electric in the East Village. It starts at 6 PM, and tickets can be purchased at the door or reserved online beforehand.

E.J. Aguado Jr. is a freelance writer based in New Jersey. - Fox News Latino

Latina Rockera Eljuri is making big waves in the US, South America and Mexico with her blend of Latin Rock, Reggae and World Rhythyms. Eljuri, whose full name is Cecilia Villar Eljuri (her mother named her after Cecilia, the Saint of Music), is busy touring with her band promoting her new album "Fuerte" which means "strong" in English, and just introduced her new music video "Derecho" which can be seen below. Her mother must have known what an inspiration Eljuri was going to be for naming her after the Saint of Music as she sings of being strong in the face of adversity on her new album.

Eljuri is endorsed by Gibson Guitars and just recently released her new album "Fuerte" with Grammy winner producer Gustavo Borner which was produced at Manoville Studios in NYC. Eljuri talks with us about her musical beginnings and the inspiration behind her music.

GGM: With heavy musical and entertainment influence from your parents as your father was in radio, television and music, and particularly your mother who was a composer, how did they influence your entry into music?

Eljuri: My mother was a tremendous influence on my interest in becoming a musician and composer - instilling the art of the melody and the craft of writing lyrics as well as the desire to have a command over my voice and my instruments - first piano, then guitar. My father, through his actions and experience, taught me what it was to be a performer, an entertainer and how to turn on the charm. I am doubly blessed for them.

GGM: According to your biography, you were born in Ecuador and moved to NYC. When did you move to NYC and what were the circumstances that lead to that move?

Eljuri: My family moved to NYC when I was a baby, so I grew up in a Latino household speaking Spanish with my family, but raised in NYC as an immigrant, speaking English with friends. My parents decided to move primarily to offer us a better and broader education and to open our horizons to opportunities beyond what would have been available to us in Ecuador.

GGM: How did you chose the guitar over other instruments and what age were you when you started playing guitar? Was it only being in NYC as you have said, or where there other influences?

Eljuri: My start in music was playing piano, writing my own melodies and singing at age 5. There was always performance going on in my house, my mother playing the piano, or my father helping us to make a movie at home. I was also greatly influenced by my older siblings and the music they were listening to -- rock, punk, funk, etc. I tried drums for a bit, then gravitated to guitar at about 12 so I could write songs and then sing and play solo. The music scene in New York was amazing because all the great bands from around the world came to play so that was a huge influence on my love for guitar as well. I started my own bands at 14 and was playing CBGBs and the Bitter End by the time I was 17.

GGM: Eljuri, it’s so inspiring to know that you’re all about empowering individuals. You’re driven by the notion that you can empower people to rise up and be all that they can be and we here at GGM feel a certain connection with that mission in that we would like to empower females to do the same thing through their music. What do you feel drives you to this calling?

Eljuri: Since I was a little girl, I always felt the yearning to move forward and not be held back by others perceptions or limitations especially being a female in a still more male-dominated society. Being a creative person and finding music was a fortunate way to communicate that and hopefully inspire others. Music helps remove the fear factor and allows you to open up to allow for such independence . . . the first single from my new album "Fuerte" is called "Un Fósforo". The message of the song is if each person strikes and lights one single match, together we can illuminate and expose the truth. Recently, I've been touring and playing concerts at Colleges and Universities and working as a member of VotoLatino's Artist Coalition--- all this to help to encourage everyone, especially young people, to find and use their voices.
GGM: You have described your music as rock and reggae, infused with punk and funk. How did you become so diverse and is there any one style that you feel inspires you the most?

Eljuri: My music and sound is a reflection of threads that reflect my background and experience -- my mother is Lebanese, my father a Spaniard and my upbringing was in the melting pot of NYC. I grew up listening to latin and middle eastern music like Afro-Cuban son, flamenco, tangos, pasillos, etc., and then rock, reggae, punk and funk. For me, the glue is the driving rock base -- electric guitars, bass guitar and rock drums and the other influences -- latin, reggae, punk, etc. -- are fused into that rock base but with driving heavy rhythmic grooves.

GGM: Who were your early musical influences and who do you think you align with most? - Guitar Girl Magazine

MUSIC: INTERVIEW
Eljuri Delights with Her One-of-a-Kind Music
By Marvin Vasquez
For Eljuri, diversity has been essential since day one: The singer and songwriter is very open to different ideas, especially when it comes to her musical catalog.

This unique talent was born Cecilia Villar Eljuri in Ecuador, but was raised and is currently based in New York. She says that her influences while growing up have been imperative to what she has accomplished, and what she will accomplish in the her future.

Currently, Eljuri has a new album in stores titled Fuerte (Strong), which was recorded in Los Angeles, New York, Colombia and Jamaica. According to her, L.A. is where she had the most fun recording.

"I love Los Angeles," she says. "The energy is really positive. I like the integration of many generations of Latinos here."
However, she singles out her home base of Manhattan as having a major impact on the development of her music.
"I think because I am half Lebanese, half Spanish, I was born in Ecuador and I grew up in New York, I was exposed to so much before hitting 10 years old," Eljuri shares.
As to whom she grew up idolizing, she said both her mom and dad inspired her to pursue this career path.
"It starts with my mother who is a musician," she says. "My father, as well, who is a performer in acting. They were my first...and then I discovered rock 'n' roll...The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, on and on..."
The musician's rock influences are apparent in Fuerte, which is also filled with a lot of wonderful fusions and global rhythms. The release includes 10 tracks and a bonus, "Paloma" (Dove), remastered as a remix with musical group Kinky.
One of the featured tracks is "Empuja" (Push), which is a mellow yet soothing Jamaican reggae-sounding tune. The superb song includes collaborations with Aly & Robbie and Mario Muñoz.
"It is a song about making a difference instead of being comfortable with the status quo," she says. "We have to push ahead for that change."
"Empuja" is a great opening song for the album, setting the tone for the rest of the melodies, and "Paloma" is another stand-out track.
"That song is very personal," Eljuri confesses. "'Paloma' is about allowing your own emotions to be set free and then they will fly. It is dedicated to someone very special to me; it is a positive and optimistic song."
Eljuri, who is often on tour, has learned a lot through her travels. That, along with her music, originality and humble ways, have diversified her not only as musician, but as a person as well.
Fuerte is now available.
For more information about Eljuri, click here.
Article posted on 5/2/2012 - Campus Circle

'Disfrutar’ es el verbo que define el sentimiento provocado escuchar el más reciente album solista de Eljuri, En Paz. Melodías deliciosas, arpeggios y beats que amarran el corazón, letras introspectivas que alumbran el pensamiento. Una travesía a través del reggae, world beat y el rock, siendo estos tan solo algunos de los eslabones fusionados en la inmensidad de los ritmos latinos que Eljuri ofrece para hacernos evocar, relajarnos y meditar.

Fusión y sofisticación de los ritmos latinos Cecilia Villar Eljuri, guitarrista y cantautora nacida en Ecuador pero criada en Nueva York, inició su carrera musical componiendo desde pequeña como herencia de su madre. A los 17 años tocaba en clubes nocturnes con su primer banda, The Trouble Dolls, quienes con gran éxito consiguieron presentarse en lugares emblemáticos como CBGB's y The Bitter End; años más tarde, con una refinación musical y después de haber pasado por varias bandas, Cecilia formaría Grupo Fiesta, con un sonido latino mejor logrado, alcanzando el reconocimiento de importantes medios en Estados Unidos y Canadá. Platicando con Eljuri, inquirimos sobre su decisión de realizar su proyecto solista. «Grupo Fiesta era mi creación, yo escribía toda la música, era la directora, pero cuando terminamos la gira, ya estaba escribiendo nuevas canciones para otro disco, y salieron bien personales; quería tener la opción de poner arreglos en cada canción en lugar de estar limitados por los que sólo Grupo Fiesta pudiera tocar».

En ese momento Cecilia decide ser solista y presentar algo “mucho mejor” para expresar su arte. Inició el proceso creativo de más de tres años en el estudio de su casa, y la artista comentó al respecto: «Yo interpreto varios instrumentos y al estar escribiendo las canciones, estaba haciendo los arreglos, cuando estaba lista para trabajar con otros y tuve los arreglos básicos de las canciones, mi manager, Paola Romano (también coproductora), me juntó con Yossi Fine: sus influencias de world beat y mis influencias de rock latino se mezclaron y surgió En paz».

Cuando esta talentosa mujer compone –es lo que más le gusta–, lo hace siguiendo una idea musical a través de una letra que la persigue: «Ya tenía una visión para el arreglo de cada canción que nació, traté de no limitarme musicalmente a un estilo, quería seguir lo que cada canción me decía». Explicó, mientras daba énfasis al privilegio de haber trabajado con músicos de clase mundial como Yossi Fine (productor y bajista que ha trabajado con David Bowie, Lou Reed, Stanley Jordan, Gil Evans, etc.); Nir Z (Baterista de John Mayer y Josh Stone); Alex Fox, Ray Turull, Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), etc. «Tuve la suerte de tener muchos músicos para trabajar en el disco. Ha sido un fuerte bárbaro, un honor colaborar con estas personas. Por ejemplo, Sly & Robbie (Bob Marley, Sting, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Joe Cocker) escucharon una canción mía y me preguntaron si podíamos hacer algo juntos, ahí surgió El aire, el primer track del disco».

Eljuri comparte a través de sus letras un mensaje de alerta sobre los conflictos sociales del mundo y sobre cómo podemos mejorar. La cuestionamos sobre su intension más allá de las letras: «Yo quiero expresar mi perspectiva sobre el mundo, pero al mismo tiempo quiero que la gente sea inspirada, quiero invitarlos a que despierten, a tratar a otros con corazón y alma, con más respeto y siempre dar la mano para ayudar a otros, respetar a la tierra y cosas así, quiero expresar mi conciencia social», añadió, optimista.

«Todo alrededor de mí –el arte del disco, las fotos, mi ropa– quería que tuviera un mismo espíritu, una mezcla de lo orgánico con lo moderno, tener árboles y una guitarra eléctrica [risas]. Me gusta viajar por todo el mundo y comprar ropa, joyas de diversos lugares y fusionar. Cuando estaba escribiendo el disco, estaba viajando mucho a Centro y Sudamérica y eso sirvió en gran parte como atracción para darle un espíritu bien latino del disco». Sobre el águila plasmada en el arte, recalcó: «Eso es bien importante porque significa que hay esperanza, porque puede volar y sobresalir, no estar atrancado».

Este material cuenta con doce buenísimas rolas como Jaula, Tierras, Sombra negra, Yo soy, Como en un sueño, el cover, y también, como bonus track pero en versión original (canción compuesta por su madre, un exquisito pasillo añadido al álbum como «respeto a la familia, a Ecuador y a el mundo latino». En paz es una muestra fehaciente y un punto medio del mundo musical anglo-latino, fusiones acompañadas de acordes de la guitarra de Eljuri resultando en una anamnesis de las notas que emite Santana. «Santana es un dios, me encantaría tocar con él en vivo, tomar un café, hablar del mundo y grabar alguna canción juntos», nos contó muy entusiasmada. Disco disponible en cdbaby.com y en iTunes. - Indie Rocks Magazine

Eljuri: música positiva y ecléctica a ritmo de guitarra
La cantautora ecuatoriana, criada en Nueva York, presentará el álbum Eljuri. En Paz en el Lunario de Ciudad de México el 27 de noviembre; en el disco, las fusiones y la autenticidad sonora son la norma

Por Vicglamar Torres/NYC

Cecilia Villar Eljuri, nació en Guayaquil, pero creció en Nueva York, rodeada de gente de distintas culturas, en medio de una ciudad marcada por la diversidad. Ese eclecticismo se siente en su música, en la que también se aprecian sus raíces libanesas, españolas y ecuatorianas. Su primer disco como solista, Eljuri. En paz, además de las fusiones musicales, también testimonia la preocupación de la artista por los temas sociales.

Con su nombre de torero, Eljuri embiste con cada canción temas tan delicados como el machismo, en “Jaula”, y habla de su preocupación por el planeta y por las carencias en algunas naciones como en “Tierras”. Se trata de un disco genuino, donde cada canción tiene una personalidad propia. “Mi proceso creativo es diverso. No tiene solamente un ángulo. A veces nace primero la letra, luego la melodía. Aunque casi siempre es una melodía, un acorde, algo y de ahí va naciendo lo demás”.

Esta artista es de las que piensa que además del talento, el trabajo creativo necesita constancia y dedicación. Tiene su propio estudio de grabación en su casa. “Paso muchas horas trabajando. De hecho, hago los arreglos. Estoy como muy pendiente de todo el proceso de producción de los temas”, aunque también reconoce que a veces las canciones se “mandan solas. Es como si la propia canción te pidiera salir. En ocasiones, estoy trabajando un tema y resulta que es otro el que está allí, como un grillo en mi oreja, hablándome. Hasta que agarro la guitarra y empiezo a trabajarlo.”

Por cierto, la guitarra es como una extension de la artista. Empezó a tocarla formalmente a los 14 años y ya a los 17 tocaba con su primera banda The Trouble Dolls.

Aunque el contacto con la música lo estableció desde “el vientre de mi mamá” y es que su mamá, Olga Eljuri Villar es compositora. De hecho, compuso y grabó junto a Cecilia el tema “Como en un sueño”. Y su papá, llamado Paco Villar era un conocido locutor de radio y televisión en Ecuador. “En mi casa siempre estuvimos rodeados de música. De mis padres me viene el gusto por el arte”.

También heredó de ellos la actitud positive ante la vida. De hecho, señala que no le gusta tener a nadie negativo alrededor. “La vida es para tener buena vibra, buena onda ¿por qué vamos a contagiarnos con una negatividad innecesaria?”, dice la cantautora, quien por cierto llevará toda la energía positiva de su disco y de su música al concierto “Voces lunares”, que se presentará este 27 de noviembre en el Lunario, del Auditorio Nacional de la capital azteca, donde compartirá escenario con Iraida Noriega y Ceci Bástidas. - People Magazine (En Espanol)

En Paz is the solo-debut CD by Cecilia Villar Eljuri that mixes reggae, world beat and latin rock. Eljuri is being compared to Carlos Santana with her guitar talent and Julieta Venegas in energy and sound. The opening El Aire is a special collaboration with Jamaican Reggae icons, drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare (www.officialslyandrobbie.com). On the track Jaula rock icon Johnette Napolitano lends her voice in the flamenco infused duet. I have been a fan of Napolitano’s since the song “True” on the great debut album of Concrete Blonde in 1986. (www.johnettenapolitano.com) With these two tracks you’re assured a fine CD experience. Then again the title song En Paz, Peligrosa and the bi-lingual I Told You Before round out the CD.
Eljuri was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and raised in the cultural melting pot of New York City. At an early age Eljuri was exposed to a variety of performance arts thanks to her father, the legendary radio, theatre and television pioneer Paco Villar and her mother, composer Olga Elijuri de Villar.
As a young girl, Eljuri would sit under the piano, listening to her mother’s exquisite compositions and was inspired to begin writing her own melodies. At the age of 14 she discovered the guitar and by the time Eljuri was 17, she was no longer sneaking into NYC Clubs; she was performing in her band the Trouble Dolls who consistently soldout NYC iconic clubs CBGBs and the Bitter End. Before breaking out on her own she was also in bands that let her fuse Latin elements into her rock style like 1998’s Grupo Fiesta.
Eljuri’s primary community outreach goes to children and children’s health. Besides the more well know organizations of Oxfam and the American Red Cross, Eljuri has recently identified an organization called Agua Muisne (www.waterecuador.org) who’s mission is to deliver clean water to impoverished Ecuadorian communities. She hopes to be able to organize some events to raise awareness for the organization here and in Ecuador. Here at OCGente we’ll let you know when she does.
- OCGente

Grupo Fiesta
Genre: LATIN

This rock crew calls New York its barrio. Core member . . . Cecilia Villar Eljuri (lead guitar and vocals) backed by bass, timbales, congas, and drums work a sound that electrifies Latin styles like cha-cha, rumba, son, and bolero. "Caliente," sounding very much like a potential hit single, opens the album and defines the groove. Heavily percussive and invitingly rhythmic, "Caliente" gleans extra punch from Villar's soaring guitar solo. This is rock/dance music at its best. The remaining nine tracks do not disappoint. An auspicious debut album in hand and an opportunity to garner much-deserved national attention from both fans and critics in the coming months. Racked by DLN. -PVV - Billboard

By Neil Strauss

The highlight of the first quarter of the evening was a performance by a quintet that mixes power pop with Latin music. … Villar Eljuri played big wah-wah guitar lines. Driven by the keyboards and percussion, the rest of the band spiced the music with hot Santana-flavored samba that set the jampacked room ablaze. - The New York Times

La Jornada
Ciudad de México, Distrito Federal
En mi música mezclo lo latino con lo roquero de NY: Eljuri
por Tania Molina Ramírez

"No se puede olvidar que (Estados Unidos) es un país de inmigrantes. Deben mirar hacia adentro y pensar de dónde vino su familia", no se cansa de repetir Cecilia Villar Eljuri en las entrevistas que le hacen en el país vecino.

Y cuando la cantante y compositora opina sobre migración, sabe de lo que habla: su madre es libanesa, su padre español, ella nació en Ecuador y desde que tenía la edad de un año y medio vive en Nueva York.

Escuchar su música, por tanto, es escuchar el crisol de culturas del cual se nutrió: desde el pasillo ecuatoriano que cantaba su madre en casa, pasando por el punk rock que escuchó tantas noches en el legendario CBGB y el reggae y el son cubano que la apasionan.

Su más reciente disco, En Paz, está enfocado más a los ritmos latinos que a los roqueros. "En los pasados dos discos empecé mezclando más lo latino en mi sangre con las influencias roqueras de Nueva York", dijo Eljuri, pero sobre todo en este álbum está presente lo latino.

Montó un estudio para hacer arreglos y dice que salieron más latinos. Viajó a Costa Rica y Ecuador y allá compuso. "Ahí salió más el espíritu latino, pero siempre mezclando con influencias de Nueva York: rock, reggae; escuchaba a Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, The Clash, y también una canción de rumba flamenca y son cubano. Entonces, salió esto", contó.

"Me metí en el mundo de mi raíz en vez del mundo alrededor; fui para atrás, me dejé ir", explicó.

Por primera vez está en México y ávida por conocer sonidos, cuentos y sabores, como el de la guanábana y la sal de gusano, con su respectivo mezcal.

Eljuri (eligió su apellido materno como nombre artístico), contó que la canción que le dio dirección al disco fue Tierras (pasa de "Tierras pobres, tierras tristes, tierras de mi gente, que quieren ser felices, tierras de mi pueblo" a "las tierras cambiarán, fronteras cambiarán").

Esperanza que, dijo, se siente con la elección de Barack Obama: "Se siente hirviendo Nueva York, se siente como una ola, cómo todos podemos caminar así otra vez (se yergue) y ya no tan pesados los brazos".

Un par de días antes de que Obama ganara, organizó una fiesta para celebrar su triunfo. "Siempre he tenido esperanza, creo que las cosas se tienen que equilibrar; llega el momento en que revientan por dentro, como cuando uno come veneno: uno muere o se sale del cuerpo de alguna manera. Obama va a ayudar, dándonos pastillas para la diarrea".

Eljuri intercala palabras en inglés con el español que habla bastante bien.

Ésta es la primera vez que lanza un disco en un país latino, aunque, como se ha presentado en California (donde le fue muy bien) y Nueva York, no será la primera vez que ofrezca sus canciones a un público mexicano.

El arte, algo normal en su familia
Su padre, Paco Villar, fue un popular conductor de radio en Ecuador y su madre, Olga Eljuri, compositora. Ya en Nueva York, Villar tuvo un programa de televisión en Univisión y Eljuri se quedó en casa.

Cecilia retoma una pieza compuesta por su madre que fue un éxito en Ecuador, Como en un sueño y hace su propia versión, además de incluir la original.

En su familia, dijo, el arte era una cosa "normal", que todos hacían.

En su versión de Como en un sueño, toca un tres cubano eléctrico que construyó con su "ingeniero de guitarras".

En el disco En paz trabajó con el bajista y productor Yossi Fine (con familia israelí y jamaiquina, ha trabajado con David Bowie). "Él y Paola Romano (coproductora) ampliaron la visión, se hizo a otro nivel."

También colaboraron Sly & Robbie, con quienes hizo la canción El Aire.

El concierto que Eljuri ofrecerá tendrá un formato nuevo: cantará y tocará la guitarra, acompañada de Alex Alexander (djembé).

Eljuri estará hoy a las 21 horas en El Bataclán (Popocatépetl 25, colonia Condesa).



- La Jornada, Mexico City

Global Rhythm
Eljuri
En Paz
Manovill

Not content to be a mere rock n’ roller or Latin traditionalist, singer, guitarist, and composer Cecilia Villar Eljuri combines her twin foundations of Ecuador (where she was born) and New York (where she was raised) with many more on En Paz. Things kick off with a dose of reggae roots propelled by rhythm kings Sly & Robbie, and then Eljuri moves on to show how handily she can work her way through an array of tunes that encompass shades of hip-hop, funk, Afro-Cuban grooves, cumbia, flamenco, blues and beyond. Far from being simply a mish-mash of styles, though, the disk is a smart, passionate and danceable fusion that allows Eljuri to stretch out on guitar (on which she can soar like Santana when she so chooses) and sing with a combination of rock attitude and global finesse. Production and instrumental assistance from Ex-Centric Sound System’s Yossi Fine add a boost throughout, and even if every track isn’t suited to every taste, there's plenty of blazing good music here.
–Tom Orr
- Global Rhythm Magazine

Miami New Times

Eljuri

By Ernest Barteldes
Published on July 31, 2008

It's fitting that the classic Jamaican powerhouse of Sly & Robbie provides the backing for "El Aire," the first track on Eljuri's solid American debut album. The song shows that this Guayaquil, Ecuador-born multi-instrumentalist is comfortable playing different styles, going from reggae to Brazilian-inflected ballads to rock and Latin pop. Among the most intriguing tracks included on her latest disc, En Paz, is the guitar-heavy "I Told You Before," a bilingual tune whose lyrics talk about a casual friendship that might have gone too far, going "up and down like a merry-go-round." Another interesting moment takes place on the title track "En Paz," a mellow tune in which she asks for peace so she can sleep without having to keep her eyes open. She draws inspiration from Colombia's genre-busting Aterciopelados (incidentally, her voice resembles lead singer Andrea Echeverri's) both on "Peligrosa" and "Tierras Pobres" by fusing percussive elements of Latin music with alt-rock sensibilities. En Paz is a positive showcase for Eljuri, who leaves listeners wondering how the raw energy she shows on the songs will sound when she finally goes on tour with this material. - Miami New Times

Música Spotlight: Eljuri "En Paz"
palabras BIANCA I LAUREANO

Some call her the female Carols Santana and the feminista in me cringes. Eljuri has her own identity and gives us songs some of the best male performers can only hope to share (without having their images challenged). I get the comparison; she’s fierce (and so is her hair). If I were to play along with the Santana comparison, I’d contextualize Eljuri’s sound to what he’s produced in the last 10 years: his compilations with other artists.

Eljuri has a range of genres on her latest album En Paz, proving her multiplicity as a musician and her ability to connect her Ecuadorian and NYC background. This album doesn’t just focus on her and her guitar, she can sing! It’s clear she wants a comprehensive sound with her inclusion of violins, drums, and brass; you can tell this is a complete work.

She begins by introduces us to her interpretation of dub and reggae in “El Aire” and satisfies our “Latin alternative” needs with “Sombra Negra.” She rocks out with “I Told You Before,” her only all-English track. She doesn’t stop there, her mastery of strings is demonstrated with ballads such as the title track “En Paz,” and she exposes us to her roots, literally and figuratively as her mom wrote the original lyrics of “Como En Su Sueño;” and the bonus track is the original song. Eljuri won’t let you forget her music isn’t just for your entertainment, but for sharing the history of struggle and search for paz. She’s not singing about heartbreak, lovers’ quarrels, and other staple songs Latina musicians are often expected to include on their albums. Instead, she gives us a more poetic and wholesome transmission of culture, not a small feat.

Rob Perez caught up with Eljuri for this Q&A Session
Cecillia Villar Eljuri is one of those artists you may wrongly assume takes herself as seriously as she does her music. Yes, her music is serious. Yes, she is a serious musician. But talking to her on the phone, she’s totally down-to-earth, giggling like a schoolgirl at times, and easy to talk to. In fact, we bonded over our Ecuadorian heritage, and New York roots. And her new album, En Paz, should definitely be on every Latino’s must listen to list, especially if you want to hear music that is honest, emotional, of the times, and will get you to “rise up” as Cecilia puts it.

A long time fixture in the downtown New York music scene, Eljuri has developed a stronger connection to her Latin roots in recent years. She’s Joan Jett, PJ Harvey, Julieta Venegas, Tori Amos, Andrea Echeverri all rolled into one, and a future member of that elite club.

Having found much of her inspiration for En Paz on her frequent visits to Latin America, especially her native Ecuador, Eljuri proclaims, “We’re lucky here. They’re lucky too. It’s a beautiful country. There’s just a lot of poverty. A lot of what I wrote on the record speaks to the spirit of the Ecuadorian people. We can be heard and it’s time to rise up kind of thing. I’m not saying I’m Bob Marley but it’s kind of got that spirit. Looking for peace, and that’s why the album is called, En Paz.”

The new album is En Paz. How would you describe the music on the album?
It does speak about social injustices but it’s not preachy, I hope. I don’t want to be preachy, I don’t mean to be. A song like “Tierras” is about fighting over borders and injustice. And fighting over differences rather than unifying ourselves over what we have in common. The Latino people, what we have in common is so powerful. The immigrant population in the US makes it seem like we are a threat of this society here. The threats of the society are all from everywhere. I grew up in the international melting pot of New York City, and I revel in what we have that’s different. And that’s what makes the US special. But I think people don’t have a clue about us, about the real Latino culture. But they’re learning. Our generation is changing that.

Is the music on En Paz different than anything you’ve recorded before?
I’ve always blended rock with Latin rhythms and other music. In that sense, I’ve done some of this before, but this is pushing the boundaries out farther than I’ve done in the past. In the past I’ve done more tropical rock. This is a blend of different rhythms but also, lyrically, a lot more intense. My last album I had one song called “Distant Thunder,” which was about war. Another song called “Caliente,” about being a Latina in the US. This one is all that. This new record.

You’ll definitely do a full-length English album again in the future?
It depends on where the songs lead me. I’m a songwriter first, so the songs kind of lead me. On this album I was traveling to Central and South America, back to my roots, and I was very drawn to my Latin culture. That’s why it came out more and more in Spanish. I did that one song in English because it just came out that way and I decided to put it on the record. But the theme of it all kind of m - Noche Latina

Eljuri con el sonido del mundo
—Heriberto González-Andino

En su primer trabajo como solista, titulado “En Paz”, Cecilia Villar Eljuri, artista guayaquileña criada en Nueva York, aboga por el entendimiento entre los seres humanos a través de ritmos del mundo que funde en cada uno de los 11 temas que contiene el álbum.

Hija de dos personalidades ecuatorianas, —su padre es el legendario actor y comentarista de radio y televisión, Paco Villar, y su madre es la cantante y compositora Olga Eljuri—, Cecilia Villar Eljuri demuestra que quien lo hereda no lo hurta.

Su interés en la música le vino por su madre que es una reconocida artista pero admite que fue de su padre de quien “aprendí a escuchar los distintos géneros”, pues le gustaba desde el son cubano pasando por la cumbia, el tango hasta la música tradicional ecuatoriana.

Con “En Paz”, su primer álbum como solista y lanzado de forma independiente, la guitarrista intenta mostrar al mundo su lado más personal, sus inquietudes.
Precisamente, el tema que da el nombre al disco, curiosamente inspirado mucho antes del conflicto entre Ecuador y Colombia, situación que admite le provoca mucha preocupación, aboga por un mundo donde la gente se entienda mejor.

Eljuri, nombre por el que se da a conocer la artista en este trabajo, tuvo una fructífera carrera en agrupaciones anglosajonas como Trouble Dolls tocando rock en inglés y teniendo presentaciones en lugares tan emblemáticos como el CBGB, The Bitter End y otros. Pero dicen que la sangre llama y sus continuos viajes por centro y suramérica hicieron que la semilla latina que llevaba dentro germinara en varios de los temas incluidos en este disco.

La cosquillita ya comenzaba a picarle cuando, junto a Paola Romano, su co productora, formó el Grupo Fiesta.

Con “Fiesta” comenzó a explorar más su lado latino imprimiéndole a su música.

El tema “Todo para ti” que grabó con esa agrupación le valió críticas positivas del New York Times y la revista Billboard, así como proyección en canales de videos musicales como MTV en Español.

“Creo que los latinos tenemos mucho que decir y no se les escucha”, sentenció la menor de cuatro hermanos, para luego explicar uno de los temas de su nuevo disco que trata sobre este asunto.

‘El Aire’, tema que grabó junto al conocido grupo de reggae Sly & Robby, presenta el momento en que uno tiene tanto dentro de si que necesita “abrir las ventanas para que salga el aire y se escuche nuestra voz”.

Otras canciones que componen el álbum son Sombra negra, Yo soy, Jaula (con la rockera Johnette Napolitano de Concrete Blonde), I Told you before, Peligrosa, Tierras, Una Ola, Ayer y Como en un sueño, tema que su madre compuso y grabó hace muchos años y que la incluyó con un nuevo arreglo, como homenaje a su progenitora, incluyó en su versión original.

“Ella estaba muy emocionada”, confesó Eljuri, sobre el momento en que le dijo a su madre que incluiría un tema suyo en su disco.

“Yo escuchaba esa canción desde que tenía cinco años y era una de mis favoritas”, añadió Eljuri sobre la canción que pertenece al género musical del pasillo, música originaria de la Gran Colombia que actualmente es parte de la música nacional del Ecuador.
“Mi madre fue muy generosa conmigo”, admitió, ya que en todas las etapas que le presentó el tema su madre siempre la apoyaba.
Sobre su modo de mezclar ritmos de distintos géneros reveló que no tiene una receta.
“La música latina es un ritmo muy complicado para los americanos pues se mueve muy diferente al dos, cuatro y cuatro y cuatro del rock, es otro ritmo especialmente en clave y mezclar eso con el rock o el reggae —que me encanta—, es complicado pero esas mezclas son muy orgánicas para mi ya que crecí con escuchando distintas músicas”, explicó Eljuri.

“No soy la única que mezcla la música con otros géneros y creo que eso es el futuro de la música, como el reggaetón como lo que hace Carlos Santana”, dijo la artista que además forma parte de la empresa de guitarras Gibson y recibió hace poco una guitarra del tipo que utilizaba la fenecida artista colombiana Soraya.

Finalmente, Eljuri enfatiza en que “tenemos que unirnos más como personas, todos los latinos” solo así podremos salir adelante.


- El Diario/La Prensa

Guayaquil, viernes 7 de julio del 2006

CULTURA

Guitarrista y compositora ecuatoriana
Cecilia Villar Eljuri crece musicalmente en Nueva York

Un gran talento se ha venido imponiendo en tierras lejanas, la música siempre corrió por sus venas y el deseo de venir a su país fue cada día más fuerte. Tuvo la oportunidad de viajar a Ecuador decidida a ofrecer su pasión musical y por eso no podíamos dejar pasar esta oportunidad de entrevistar a Cecilia Eljuri, una artista con raíces ecuatorianas, por ello Diario El TELÉGRAFO buscó saber un poco más del talento nuestro.


Conociendo a Eljuri

La banda Eljuri fue formada por Cecilia en 2004 con el consejo creativo de la manejadora Paola Romano.

El grupo evolucionó con el percusionista Ray Turull y baterista Dan Roth como resultado del éxito del Grupo Fiesta, su último proyecto.

La banda de Rock Latino está conformada por: Cecilia Villar Eljuri, Ray Turull, Dan Roth, Charlie Roth, y Alex Fernández Fox.

Eljuri es una combinación de ritmos latinos, inclusive rumba, cha cha cha, vallenato y son impulsados por guitarras eléctricas y acústicas sobre una fundación de rock.


Sobre su carrera

1. Cómo se inició en el mundo musical?
Después de comenzar a tocar la guitarra acústica a los 12 años, yo rápidamente agregué la guitarra eléctrica y empecé a escribir mis propias canciones cuando tenia 14 años.

2. Te diste a conocer en tu país natal Ecuador o fue en otro país?
Me hice conocer en los EE.UU., lugar de mi residencia. Mi penúltimo disco salió a la venta en allá, en Canadá y Puerto Rico.

3. Tu padre el Sr. Paco Villar fue una de las personas que te impulsó a entregarte a la música o quién motivo este deseo?
No solo mi padre, pero también mi madre. Mi padre fue el pionero de teatro, radio (radio El Telégrafo), televisión y cine de Ecuador. Además de un gran actor y director.

Mi madre es una compositora de música ecuatoriana, folclórica y música internacional. Escribió la marcha patriótica "Recordemos El Oro".

Ellos como artistas me sirvieron de ejemplo y me dieron el apoyo para mi deseo de ser algo en la música.

4. Cuántos años llevas de trayectoria artística y cuántos materiales discográficos tienes hasta ahora?
Como artista profesional llevo más o menos 10 años con dos discos, uno en inglés y otro en inglés-español, con muchas actuaciones alrededor de los EE.UU. Estoy preparando el próximo disco que se lanzará al mercado en el 2007.

5. Cómo inició tu pasión con la guitarra y de ser compositora?
A los 12 años empecé mi primer grupito como baterista tocando canciones de los Rolling Stones... y ya empecé estudiando piano y guitarra.

6. Eljuri es el nombre de tu nuevo conjunto musical y cuéntanos cuántos son los músicos que la integran?
Eljuri es el nombre personal de mi visión musical. Como cantautora y guitarrista yo soy la figura central. Tengo varios colaboradores para producción, como Paola Romano y Yossi Fine y músicos profesionales como Nir Z y Ray Turull.

7. Cuál es tu último material discográfico, cuantos sencillos integra y cual de ellos es el promocional?
Mi último proyecto discográfico, "Tierras", que estoy preparando este año va a tener 12 canciones.

Hay varias canciones que están gustando en mis actuaciones en EE.UU. que son: "Tierras", "Como en un Sueño" (un pasillo que es de autoría de mí madre), "Jaula" y "Una Ola".

8. Qué género musical busca proyectar o has proyectado en otras melodías?
Eljuri es una combinación de ritmos latinos, inclusive rumba-flamenco, pasillo, reggae, cha cha cha, y son impulsados por guitarras eléctricas y acústicas sobre una fundación de rock.

9. Esta es la primera vez que vienes al País a promocionarte?
Si, es la primera vez que vengo a mi País con carácter musical. Me siento muy feliz de poner en alto el nombre de Ecuador, como estoy haciéndolo en mis actuaciones en EE.UU..

10. Cuéntanos del último proyecto del Grupo Fiesta?
Con Grupo Fiesta, yo ví que la realización de mis raíces latinas profundas se podrían expresar musicalmente y líricamente en mis canciones.

El CD despertó intensos interés en la prensa nacional e internacional, registrando en más de 250 estaciones de radio nacionales y el video ‘Todo Para Tí’ está rotando en MTV Español y HTV en Estados Unidos, México, Centro y Sud América y las Islas del Caribe.

11. Tienes planes de ofrecer un show musical en Ecuador?

- El Telegrafo

DE INFLUENCIAS LATINAS Y COMPOSICIONES
LLENAS DE INTENSIDAD, LA PROPUESTA DE LA
CANTANTE SUDAMERICANA ES UN MANIFIESTO DE
LIBERTAD QUE TIENE COMO ELEMENTO CENTRAL
LA FIGURA FEMENINA, UNA CARACTERÍSTICA QUE
NO RESTRINGE SU POSTURA CREATIVA

ENTREVISTA
Eljuri: Guitarrista ecuatoriana

● POR MARIANA RECAMIER

La cantante, guitarrista y compositora ecuatoriana Cecilia Villar Eljuri hizo mucho ruido en Guadalajara para que la mujer recordara su fortaleza.

La artista presentó un concierto este fin
de semana en Mujeres al Frente Fest, un
encuentro donde se reunieron artistas y
activistas que buscan realizar un cambio
en la sociedad desde la creación.
El concierto fue el cierre en México de
su gira No seas víctima. Este tour estaba
enfocado en dar difusión a “Víctima”, el
nuevo sencillo de su disco Fuerte. Esta
canción trata sobre la mujer como un ser
que puede salir adelante sin autocompadecerse.
La artista ecuatoriana radica en Nueva
York y es en esa ciudad donde ha desarrollado
una carrera en la música. Por
su talento en la guitarra, en diferentes
medios ha sido calificada como la versión
femenina de Carlos Santana. Previo a
demostrar por qué se ha ganado este
mote, ofreció una entrevista sobre su vida
en el mundo de la música.

¿Cómo fue el apoyo de dos padres artistas en
tu formación como músico?
Mi papá era actor y mi mamá compositora.
Los dos fueron grandes influencias para mí.
Cuando tenía cuatro años siempre estaba al
lado del piano mientras mi madre tocaba.
Dedicarme a la música para mí no fue una
decisión, sino dejar que todo fluyera de forma
natural. También estoy marcada por mi
nombre, me llamaron Cecilia por la santa de
la música.

¿Por qué elegir la guitarra como herramienta
para crear tu música?
Empecé a escribir mis melodías con piano,
pero después comencé a escuchar el rock
y el reggae que le gustaba a mis hermanos.
Compré una guitarra eléctrica y me di cuenta
cuánto poder tenía este instrumento. Fue
como una explosión para mí.

¿Cómo describirías tu sonido?
Mi música es una mezcla de los ritmos latinos
y el rock. En mi hogar escuchaba las influencias
de Sudamérica y en Nueva York lo que
predominaba era el rock, punk, reggae y funk.
Esas dos formas de hacer música se mezclan
a lo largo de mi carrera.

¿Te consideras representante de Latinoamérica
en Nueva York?
Yo siento que sí soy representante del
lado latino porque canto en español
y toco ritmos latinos para gente que
no está acostumbrada a este tipo de
música. A veces tengo que explicarles
el sentimiento de las canciones antes
de los conciertos. Me da mucho gusto
abrir los oídos y los ojos de quienes no
conocen la música latina no sólo en Estados
Unidos, sino también en Canadá.
Algunos críticos de música han encontrado
una semejanza entre Carlos

Santana y tú, ¿cómo te sientes con esa
comparación?
Es una comparación que uno sueña.
Yo estoy tocando la guitarra eléctrica
desde los trece años y a la par siempre
escuchaba a Santana. Ahora, que me
comparen con él, es un honor.

¿Es complicado para una mujer desarrollar
una carrera como guitarrista?
Yo creo que estoy ayudando a abrir
puertas para mujeres guitarristas. No
debería ser tan raro encontrar mujeres
que se dediquen a tocar este instrumento.
Yo ofrezco mi trabajo para
que después los jóvenes vean como
algo natural que una mujer latina sea
guitarrista.

¿Qué consejos darías a las mujeres que se
quieren dedicar a la música?
Deben dejar salir su propia voz. Muchos
imitan como sucede en los programas de
competencias, pero eso no es lo importante.
Ser artista es seguir tu corazón,
no imitar.

La música de Eljuri se puede
escuchar o descargar en su página
oficial www.eljurimusic.com. - Mas Por Mas

#1 Top Album in the year's Countdown of the best 25 New Latin Music… Listen to the whole show here. - A NEW LATIN WORLD / RADIO FREE BROOKLYN

NPR ALT-LATINO: WOMEN ARE INSTRUMENTAL TO LATIN MUSIC
In honor of Women's History Month, Alt-Latino invited some artists who have defied expectations and made a name for themselves alongside their instruments including guitarist Eljuri. The importance of the accomplishments of these instrumentalists, for Latin music and la cultura, cannot be understated.

The show starts off featuring Eljuri’s song ’Nunca Volvere’ from her album ‘La Lucha.’ As pertinent now as the song was when it was originally written… it’s an immigrant’s story… when you flee your homeland by necessity it doesn’t occur to you that you might never return. The song’s arrangement includes many layers of Eljuri on guitars: 6 and 12-string acoustics, multiple electric guitars and a heavy wah-wah solo.

Nunca Volveré (Never Go Back)

Conceived of as a driving Arabic cinematic landscape this song is heavily laden with Eljuri’s soaring distorted guitars and vocal harmonies evoking Marianne Faithful and spiced up with a dumbek and finger cymbals that conjure up scenes of an ancient mystical place . . . a nod to the Lebanese side of this singer-songwriter’s heritage. - NPR

DOMINGOS EN VOCALO: MUJERES CON POWER
Domingos en Vocalo presents ‘Mujeres con Power’ a fresh Latin-alternative soundtrack hosted by DJ Rocio Santos. Listen for the fresh trip-hop tinged bolero of Eljuri’s song 'Indiferencia'!

Originally aired: Vocalo Radio, May 16, 2021, 12-4pm CDT on 91.1FM | 89.5FM Chicago

https://vocalo.org/mujeresconpower-mayo2021/ - Vocalo Radio