Majo Aguilar –Majo is short for María José– is a descendant of one of the most recognized and traditional families in the world of music in Mexico. However, unlike her famous cousins, Angela and Leonardo Aguilar, her decision to become a singer was not up to her for many years.
“I made music since I was little,” said the interpreter. “The ‘problem’ was my dad, who wouldn’t let me.”
The interpreter is the daughter of Antonio Aguilar, the eldest son of the deceased singers of traditional Mexican music, Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre. She, in turn, is the niece of Pepe Aguilar, perhaps the most famous character of this entire dynasty.
When Majo, 28, tells this anecdote, she does so with a laugh, and it is because now, she says, she understands that her father did not allow her to start her career when she was little because he wanted her to be sure that she was choosing the right profession.
“I was going to release a record when I was 13, but my dad said ‘no,'” he said. “He told me that he had to study, go to school […] Now I thank you because we all have our processes; the clear example is my cousins, who started from small, [pero] there are people for whom that doesn’t work so well, and my dad didn’t want to take that risk.”
In 2017, Majo released “Tributo”, an album that includes interpretations of songs that his grandparents had made famous, such as “Cielo rojo”, “Cruz de olvido” and “Albur de amor”. But since 2016 she started uploading to her social networks music that she had recorded and produced.
“Now I can tell you with certainty that this is what I want to sing,” he said in relation to his decision to play brave music, like the rest of his family. “If I had done it since I was little, I don’t know if it would have turned out as well.”
Majo is currently promoting “Te mentiría”, a song recorded with an original mariachi by the Peruvian singer-songwriter Gian Marco. This song is part of the EP “Una Buena Ranchera”, which will be released this month and will include five singles.
And although for now Majo’s priority is ranchera music, that does not mean that he will limit himself to interpreting this genre. Proof of this are the collaborations he has done with artists such as El Bebeto, a corrido singer, and with Aarón and his Grupo Ilusión, which performs cumbia and vallenato.
“El ranchero is a genre that makes me vibrate a lot when I sing it, when I listen to it,” he said, “and I feel that I have a lot to contribute to the genre. […] The mariachi makes me feel very powerful.”
The artist plans to tour the United States soon, and although she does not yet have scheduled dates, she promises that she will offer “very fun” shows because, in addition to mariachi, she includes a Sinaloan band at her concerts.
“You can’t imagine the party that is going on,” said the artist, to whom the future smiles as much or more than her famous cousins.