Available on all digital platforms at the beginning of November Lux (or Light in Latin) is the latest project by Catalan singer Rosalía. Rated five stars from Rolling Stone BrazilThe album explores the divine and feminine mystique in its lyrics, aesthetics and ethereal sound.
To address the topic, the artist sought help from artists such as Björk, who collaborated on the track “Bergen,” and the London Symphony Orchestra, which, under the baton of Daniel BjarnasenIt gives the album a sacred quality. In addition to the collaborating musicians, Rosalia She spent three years searching for some divine women around the world, who served as her main inspiration Lux. Get to know them:
1. Saint Rosa of Lima (1586 – 1617)
The Peruvian saint was born in Lima in 1586, the tenth of thirteen children of a noble family. “Her nurse, Mariana, of indigenous origin, gave her the name Rosa, because of the astonishing beauty that distinguished her. Later, this name was confirmed at Confirmation and when, at the age of twenty-three, she received the religious vestment of the Third Dominican Order,” the official profile of the saint on the Vatican website states. “The model for his life was Saint Catherine of Siena.”
During a press conference in Mexico Rosalia She stated that the Peruvian and Latin American sainthood was one of her main inspirations for the album. “There is inspiration in Santa Rosa de Lima, in Santa Teresa… the list is long,” he said of the Latin references.
Santa Rosa de Lima It is cited in Catholicism as a protector of gardeners and flower growers, as well as providing protection in the event of wounds or family quarrels. She was also the first woman to be canonized on the American continent. On the album, the direct reference to the saint comes in the song “remains“, since the remains Pink color They are distributed as relics all over the world.
In addition to the song’s title and subject, it was also mentioned in one of the verses: Rosalia He sings “Y en la ciudad de Cristal / Fue que me trasquilé / Pero el pelo vuelve a crecer / La Puridade también / La Puridade está en mí” (in free translation, and in the city of glass / This is where I shaved my hair / But the hair grows back / And purity too / Purity in me). The Peruvian saint became well known for performing religious penances as a sign of faith and chastity, including cutting her hair alone.
2. Saint Clare of Assisi (1194 – 1253)
Born into a noble Italian family, Claire of Assisi He shocked his time when he ran away from home at the age of 18 to follow San Francisco He dedicates his life to extreme poverty. Founded Poor Claire’s Medal She was the first woman to write a rule for religious life approved by the church. Their order, also known as the “Poor Ladies”, devoted themselves to a life of contemplation and prayer, rejecting any material possessions.
story Claire of Assisi “Inspires music directly”Mio Cristo Biangi Diamanti“, one of the most operatic pieces on the album, is sung entirely in Italian. Available in versions Luxthe The song explores the spiritual connection between… Santa Clara and Saint Francis of Assisiwhich was an intense platonic relationship of affection and admiration.
3. Ryunin Jinsu (1646-1711)
Perhaps the most poignant and little-known story of all the inspirations Lux be that from Reunin Jinsua 17th-century Japanese nun who performs one of the most extreme acts of devotion ever recorded. He was born into a noble family in Kyoto, a descendant of a legendary warrior Takeda Shingen, Reunin She was known in the imperial court for her exceptional beauty and intelligence.
When the empress she served died, Reunin She deeply felt the impermanence of the world and decided to become a Buddhist nun. She traveled to Edo (now Tokyo) in search of a Zen teacher, but was repeatedly rejected. Mr. Haku DotaiAlthough he acknowledged her sincerity, he said that he could not accept her feminine appearance, because her beauty distracted the monks of the monastery.
In response, the young woman heated an iron and pressed it against her face, permanently disfiguring herself. Next, she wrote a poem on the back of a mirror: “To serve my empress, I burned incense to perfume my exquisite clothes. And now, like a homeless beggar, I burn my face to enter a Zen temple.”
“The brutal story of determination directly inspires the song.”Porcelain“, one of the most conceptual songs on the album, is sung partly in Japanese. Rosalía sings in Japanese: ” ” ” in a free translation: ” I’ll throw away my beauty / Before you get a chance to destroy it / Do you think I’m crazy?
In an interview with Apple music, Rosalia He explained his fascination: The story shows how the ultimate sacrifice can be considered madness, but it can also be a way to achieve what you want. The music blends flamenco clapping, Japanese rap rhythms and symphony orchestra, creating a sonic ritual that celebrates transformation through destruction.
4. Rabia Al-Adawiya (713 AD – 801 AD)
He was born in Basra, present-day Iraq. Rabia She was the fourth daughter of a very poor Arab family. In the interview with Zane Lowe’s Apple music, Rosalia He revealed that his song “No jugular“Inspired by InfectiousnessWho is widely considered the first Sufi saint in Islam.
The saint is famous for establishing the doctrine of divine love, and is remembered for her guiding principle: God’s love for himself, not fear or desire for reward. To embody this philosophy, she bore fire and water, symbolically seeking to destroy hell and heaven so that devotion could arise from pure, selfless love. Taking inspiration from the Sufi actor is also a way for the singer to honor the Islamic concept of faith without borders, which can be translated into confidence and optimism in all areas of life.
In the song, the artist sings in Arabic: “For your sake, I demolish the sky. For your sake, I demolish hell. There are no promises and no threats,” in a free translation: “For your sake, I demolish the sky, and for your sake, I demolish hell, without promises and without threats.” Like a Sufi saint, the song’s subject expresses Catalan spirituality, going beyond belief in transactions and linking the Andalusian roots of flamenco with mystical spiritual traditions.
5. Anandamayi Ma (1896-1982)
child Nirmala Sundari Devi in bengal, Anandamayi Ma He was one of the great Hindu saints of the 20th century and is revered as an incarnation of the Goddess Durga. He never had a teacher, and claimed that his spiritual enlightenment was spontaneous and self-inflicted. Known as “the perfect flower produced by the soil of India,” she spent her life traveling the country, establishing herself as a philosopher, saint, teacher, and mystic.
approach bad Death was a major theme in his teachings, and is the focus of the final path Lux. When she died in 1982 at the age of 86, the philosopher’s followers celebrated with flowers and joy instead of sadness. His funeral rites were covered in magnolia flowers, turning the farewell into a celebration of his life. “This revolutionary vision directly inspires.”Magnolia“, where Rosalia She sings about her imagined funeral: she asks that magnolia flowers be thrown at her and that she have a party instead of suffering. The artist also sanctifies the song.”Nadia Faya may cry“, a song by Manuel Molina about singing instead of crying on the day of death that he has painted on his back.
6. Mary (1400 BC – 1274 BC)
In the American newspaper’s podcast the New York Times, Rosalia He talked about how he used language to express his inspirations for certain aspects of the album, which was largely inspired by the idea of female saints and the ways they are viewed in different cultures. “In Judaism, the closest figure (to a saint) is… Mariam“A prophetess, a woman who led and guided an entire people, as well as being very rebellious,” the singer reflects, sharing her interpretation of the prophet who helped liberate the Israelites from Egypt.
Mariam She was a prophetess who first appeared on Book of ExodusCalled “Mary the Prophetess.” L.’s older sister Musa and Aaron, Mariam He played a decisive role in liberating the Jews from Egypt. When she was a child, she was the one watching the child Musa It will be placed in the Nile to protect it from Pharaoh’s order to drown all the Hebrew boys. His cunning saved not only his brother, but the future liberator of an entire people. Years later, after crossing the Red Sea, Mary led the Hebrew women in singing, dancing, and drumming, becoming the first woman in the Bible to receive the title of prophetess and inaugurating the tradition of performing and composing songs and dances in Israel.
Mariam “Inspires directly”Novia Robot“, one of the tracks only available in the physical version of Lux. The song progresses Rosalia Singing partly in Hebrew: “noladti limrod / ve ani moredet lehivaled mechadash / im lachatz meyatser yahalomin / lama anachnu kulanu lo mavrikim”, in free translation: “I was born to rebel / and I rebel to be born again / If pressure creates diamonds / Why don’t we all shine?”
7. Sun Bu’er (1119-1182)
Mr. Sun Boyer (or Sun Bu’er) was a Chinese Taoist of the Quanzhen lineage, and the founder of the Taoist lineage of Purity and Tranquility (清靜). She was one of the seven disciples of Taoism Wang ChongyangKnown in China as the “Seven Immortals”. Like him Reuninthe Chinese woman also destroyed her face as a sign of her dedication to her craft (in this case, Taoist teachings).
When his teacher mentioned that if one of his disciples had the determination to travel a thousand miles to Luoyang he would learn the deepest secrets of the universe, sun I was determined to travel to chemistry training. Master Wang warns her that her beauty will make her a target for evil people’s greed, preventing her from making the journey.
Determined to deepen her study of the Tao, the woman burned her face with boiling oil. Anticipating that she would be the disciple who would travel to Luoyang, the master taught her everything he knew about Taoist internal alchemy. song LuxWhich refers to Boyer “He too”Novia Robot“, which contains sections in Chinese.