A few weeks after the eighth death anniversary of Alberto Aguilera Valadezbetter known as Juan Gabriel, his legacy lives on in his songs and through various video testimonies. But the interest in the life and details about this Mexican singer-songwriter does not end and now Maria Garcia launches a podcast titled My Divowhere a hidden side of this artist is revealed.
Why did you decide to do this podcast?
I recently returned to my hometown and found myself spending more time with my family at CD. Juárez and El Paso. But I came back different from when I left. In New York and Boston, she lived openly as a loving woman. But at the border, I found myself being much more discreet with my Mexican family. I am the first person in our family, that I know of, to be openly queer. During this time of transition, I found myself listening to a lot of Juan Gabriel. My family may not have yet fully seen me as a queer woman, but they knew, loved, and saw Juan Gabriel. My mother showed me her music from the womb. He has been the soundtrack of my Mexican identity. And I soon realized that he would be a guide to a deep exploration of my queer roots and essence.
What makes you admire Juan Gabriel?
There are many reasons to love Juan Gabriel. First, he is truly one of the most prolific and impressive musical talents in human history. I say this without hyperbole. There is a singular genius in his cutting, elegantly simple lyricism; as well as, in his mastery and experimentation of musical genres. But it was his way of expressing his emotions on stage that confronted patriarchal norms in Mexico. Juanga once said that art is feminine and he embodied that feeling. He also grew up in Ciudad Juárez, where he is my family from. I saw many parallels in his life in Juárez with my own mother’s story. Their stories are ones of survival and resilience despite deep pain. Exploring Juanga was exploring my own lineage.
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How do you think he changed the history of Mexican music? What was his legacy?
Well, he invented genres. We owe him the invention of the ranchera ballad, for example. And, of course, he gave us canonical hits that embody Mexican identity like “Amor Eterno.” I think that to explain Mexico to someone you have to play them a Juanga song. His lyrics truly represent the immensity of the Mexican experience. And yet, in a country where queerness is not completely normalized; he also represented queerness. And for a lot of people, those two things, especially in his time, were diametrically opposed. Mexican identity and being gay were not yet reconciled. And somehow, both things lived harmoniously in him and in his art.
“No one has told their story this way,”
Maria Garcia
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Tell me three reasons why this podcast should be listened to
- You will learn really revealing things about Juan Gabriel that have never come to light. No one has told his story this way. There are details that when I discovered them, they were like an explosion.
- At the same time, this is not another biographical podcast. This is also a very intimate exploration of my own roots, my current relationship, and how I am finding my way as a mother, daughter, and queer couple.
- There are many moments of joy and also deeply vulnerable stories about my own family that have never come to light. It’s a roller coaster.
Do you think this podcast is only for fans of El divo de Juárez or will anyone find it interesting?
Absolutely not! What I’m most excited about is for younger people who aren’t familiar with Juanga to hear this. This is a podcast for people who are curious about their roots, for people who love stories about identity and family secrets, for people who like queer history. There are a lot of universal themes there, but it’s really a very personal story.
My Divo with María García is an original Apple Podcats production and premieres next July 1.
