Edna Vázquez Honors Her Roots with Soul-Stirring Cover of “El Árbol”

Photo by Tania Gomezdaza

Mexican-American powerhouse Edna Vázquez returns with a stunning rendition of Raul Partida’s “El Árbol,” the second single from her upcoming album Te Esperaba, via Heinz Records.

Known for her commanding voice, magnetic stage presence, and devotion to cultural authenticity, Edna Vázquez once again merges the personal and the political, this time with a tribute to her parents and heritage that resonates far beyond borders.

With Te Esperaba, recorded entirely in Mexico with traditional mariachi, Norteño, and banda ensembles, Edna Vázquez delivers her most vulnerable and triumphant work yet, a five-year labor of love, identity, and ancestral homage.

“El Árbol” is such an emotionally powerful song. What was it like recording a piece that’s not just beloved by your father but now reimagined through your voice? 

I felt emotionally charged with thoughts of the past. With this song especially, I was remembering my grandparents from both sides, the relationship my parents had with them in life. It was like I was there in the past as the observer watching my family and ancestors, what they said, what they didn't. It all became a catharsis for me to impersonate those feelings through my voice. My voice and interpretation are our pain.

You’ve performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, but Te Esperaba feels like a homecoming. What inspired you to finally create a full album rooted in traditional Mexican music?

I always wanted to create a full album rooted in traditional Mexican music, but my heart was 'waiting' in frustration for this work that required a millionth of my efforts to bring it out and make it possible. As a woman trying to lead and manage solo the whole project, the Mexican Folk flag meant that I had to work with the people who were available in my own town. On top of that, I was undocumented. So, it is not like I could reach out or go places as freely. I had to adjust all these elements into bringing my vision out. I tried to record once at Jackpot Records in Portland, with the mariachi band I used to play with, but then the musician men started trying 'man telling me' and I stopped the project right there when the session started getting ugly. This was in 2008. I was also managing things (like the men in the mariachi bands I worked with) So, in a way, I was another 'macho' vs a bunch of machos. Now I look back, and it's kind of funny, but it was painful and frustrating! Imagine from 2008 to 2019 that I started again. 

When I started permanently working with Pink Martini full-time, I saw the opportunity to work on this project again. The men who helped me were there, and I found them in pain too, because in Oregon, there were no musicians who didn't reject me or never answered my phone request. When I was about to give up, with anger to think "How is this possible?" "Is it because I'm a woman and they will never listen to a woman in this genre?" "Is it because I'm gay/queer/lesbian? I thought my culture needed a lot of healing! I need to do this even if I die doing it! I called a musician friend from the norteño genre I used to play in 'mala muerte cantina bars' (Cantinas) where we, norteño and mariachi would play 1 song each, table by table (hired on the spot for $25/song to cut into 5 musicians ($5 per musician/per song). Edel gave me the phone number of Victor, a musician friend who had a studio in Malpica, Sinaloa, and he/Edel claimed Victor would gather the musicians for me. When I asked him, what made him so sure he was going to help me, he said, "I think he has daughter musicians" he helps other women composers, and works with everybody the same. I called Victor with all the faith I had. I celebrated that day, and wrote an email with enthusiasm! He took a month to respond, but he answered, "I will help you". 

I started right there, composing arrangements I wanted and shaping the song with my garage band software (work with what you have). Song by song, with the little money I started there shaping my dream in between the tours I was working with Pink Martini full time until it is like you're hearing it now, 6 years later. 

What motivated me? I would say, the pain, the love, and passion I have for my parents to hear this album made for them. My parents represent the whole Mexican family and new generations of musicians, men and women in need to heal culturally by lyrics and music with a message not degrading other women or men or promoting violence of any type. A motivation these new generations need to get inspired to create projects that inspire others. Long answer, but necessary.

As a queer woman in a traditionally male-dominated genre like mariachi, what were the biggest challenges, and breakthroughs you experienced with this project?

Big breakthroughs such as, calling the leaders of the bands and them sounding on the phone like "Did you really composed the song?" and laughing in disbelief. I Called my mariachi friends with anticipation and they said 'we're not available' even though I called them with plenty of time to fit their time and I offered to pay as they would make or even more. Other male musicians who happened to have a studio close to Portland from this genre who produced and saying "your songs sound old and boring, old school! You need new modern arrangements for it to be a hit!" LOL! All I wanted was to make the album for my parents like the old school I grew up listening to, with the simplest arrangements, but full of soul! That's the music we hear in little ranches and towns in Mexico to cry for our pain, to concentrate on our works, to remember and feel our beloved ones who have already passed! Why would I want a fucking hit! I grew up listening to "Las Guerrerillas," "José Alfredo Jiménez, etc! When I go to my little town, that's the music I still hear on the radio! (AM/FM RADIO!!). All I wanted at that point was to bring out my Mexican Folk baby, and how I visualized it to be. Full of soul and full of my whole being.

You recorded Te Esperaba in Mexico with bands across three genres. How did those environments shape the sound and emotional tone of the album?

Once I found Victor (Sound engineer) He gathered the bands for me at VICAM studio in Malpica Sinaloa. He made a metronome sketch from my Garage Band sketch, and sent it to musicians for them to show up at the studio and record. It was a process of years! 6 years of recording song by song. When I had most of the songs I found a recording studio in Portland, Oregon to record my vocals in an intimate space where I could feel intensely what I wanted to express. Frankie Piacentini and Tiana were the ones I chose thanks to Zachary Harris and Leslie Nuñez (Director of the Forest Grove HS Mariachi Tradición) who invited me to check out that new studio in town, Page Lab Sound. They were the best! In the album, there's a song my brother and I composed for my little sister Aurora to sing, and for that song, I went to Rubato Studio in Colima, where Tony (Sound engineer) supported me recording my sister's vocals. He was a humble musician who recorded big Mexican pop stars (as he had pictures with Yuri in his walls) . I secretly felt blessed that I was working with the right people by trusting my gut, and a ton of previous research. Producing Aurora's vocals in the song 'Mucha Mujer (Much of a Woman) was amazing as I asked my dad if he could come to the studio to take care of his daughters. I felt overwhelmed when he cried and said 'He couldn't be more proud of us'. We all at the studio cried with him, including Tony. All that magic and hard work, nuts of stagnated emotion from our past generations came out right there, and you can feel it in the album.

Your story and artistry resonate so strongly with themes of resilience, family, and cultural pride. What do you hope younger generations, especially young Latinas, take away from this album?

EV: If you have a vision in your heart, never stop believing and taking action until you see it crystallized. Look at me, if I started with nothing, you can do it! You can do all you wish! It requires action! Trust your feelings, trust your sigh, trust the voices in your heart. Trust your vision, trust your fear, because the truth is coming from inside. At the end, if you work for a bigger purpose, it all comes along; you just have to be aware of the signs and the people that will help you in that purpose.