Sonia De Los Santos - ¡Alegría! (2018)

On October 5, 2018, Mexican-American singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos releases her lively second all-ages album ¡Alegría!, a spirited and cheerful collection of songs.

Sonia was born with a smile on her face (that’s what her mom always says) and she can easily find the things in the world that bring her joy. On ¡Alegría!, a bilingual album for families, she shares some of the themes that make her happy like migrating butterflies, waking up early, wild flowers, jumping bunnies, rattling maracas, being grateful to her parents, playing with her band, and of course, singing about birds!

The word Alegría literally translates as joy, or happiness, but it’s so much more than that. In some parts of Latin America it is often used to cheer someone up. People say “¡Alegría!” to remind each other that there is something to be happy about. For this album Sonia thought deeply about those elements of her life and tried to capture them in her songs to share with others as she believes that these days it is more important than ever to find reasons to smile and stay grateful.

“I want to dedicate this album to all the children who have inspired me with their joy over the years, but especially to those who are struggling to find a reason to smile.” says Sonia, “May these songs bring you and your families that warm place in your heart where you can find “alegría” to sing and dance!”

The 12 song collection includes 8 original new tracks and features songs in Spanish and English inspired by various Latin American rhythms like: son jarocho, cumbia, gaita, currulao and huayno, hailing from the countries of Mexico, Colombia and Peru as well as the North American folk traditions from the United States. The peppy title track “¡Alegría!” is dedicated to Sonia’s mother who taught her that life is beautiful and encouraged her strong and talented daughter to use her voice to make an impact in the world. “Los Pajaritos” (The Little Birds), shares the story of Sonia’s band who all traveled to New York City from different parts of the world with a common dream to make music. Together the players now explore places near and far, bringing a message of joy and inclusion to people of all ages. The sweet and playful song “Hey Little Bunny!” guest stars Caridad De La Luz aka La Bruja and is about a cottontail who loves to be surrounded by nature as much as it loves to jump around the city. Next, the moving “Mariposa Montuna” (Mountain Butterfly) explores the incredible migration of monarch butterflies whose journey is an example of their strength and resilience and a source of inspiration for adventurous souls. The song features gaita flutes from the Caribbean coast of Colombia and the soulful vocals of Nilko Andreas Guarín.

“Mi Papá Me Va A Comprar" (My Father Is Going to Buy Me) is a Colombian traditional round and Sonia is accompanied by some young friends as she adapts it into a lively celebration of musical instruments. On "Daisy Mae”, folk songstress Elizabeth Mitchell sings with Sonia this mellow lullaby that tells the story of young pup. Exploring the world is one of Sonia’s life passions which has brought her much creative inspiration. Once on her travels, Sonia was sitting on top of a big mountain and was visited by a “Colibrí Amarillo” (Yellow Hummingbird), as she found herself enchanted by the bird’s beauty, she wrote this song. “Amapolita” (Poppy Seed Flower) comes from a trip Sonia took to Perú where she met her teacher Beto Martínez who taught her this simple and irresistible song about a little flower that is full of life and dreams. “Songs For The People” is a powerful poem by Frances Ellen Watkins, an African American poet from the 1800’s. Here Sonia's longtime friend Dan Zanes and Haitian singer Claudia Eliaza lend their voices in a celebration of music-making to heal the souls of the old and young. As the album concludes she delivers “Corona De Flores” (Flower Crown), a gift to all mothers in the world featuring the Colombian-born harp virtuoso Edmar Castañeda, and the joyful “La Maraca” (The Maraca) which celebrates the fun instrument that can be found in many forms in countries and cultures around the world. In closing, for “Donde Tú Estés”/“Wherever You Go” Sonia is joined by her friends and folk heroes Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer in a bilingual version of a song originally written by Marxer that is often sung to babies, but is delivered here as a hymn about being there for our loved ones every step of the way.

¡Alegría! is co-produced by Sonia De Los Santos and Martín Vejarano (La Cumbiamba eNeYé, Chia’s Dance Party & Cumbia River Band) and features special guests Dan Zanes, Claudia Eliaza, Elizabeth Mitchell, Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer, Caridad De La Luz aka La Bruja, Edmar Castañeda, Samuel Torres and Nilko Andreas Guarín. Artwork is by Mexican illustrator Teresa Martinez.

Sonia De Los Santos was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico and in 2007 started touring the world, singing in English and Spanish, playing guitar and jarana and lighting up the stage with Grammy Award winning group Dan Zanes And Friends. Sonia has been hailed by Billboard as “one of the Latin Children’s music artists you should know” and her music has been featured on NBC’s Visiones, Sirius XM’s Kids Place Live and WXPN’s Kids Corner among others. She has also made numerous appearances as a singer and guitarist on TV shows like ABC’s Good Morning America, CBS’s The Early Show, and Sprout’s The Sunny Side up Show and has performed with her band in renowned venues and festivals such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, The Getty Museum, Austin City Limits, Madison Square Park, Battery Park, Central Park Summer Stage Kids and many more. In 2015 she released her first solo family music album titled Mi Viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York Island (Parents' Choice Foundation Gold Award Winner) a collection of songs that reflect her experiences growing up in Mexico, moving to another country, learning about other cultures, and in the process, feeling closer to her own heritage. Sonia is excited to celebrate the release of her second album ¡Alegría! and continues to tour with her band across the United States.