Florencia Ruiz at Espacio Dada (Photo: Fernando Stefanelli)
Born in Haedo, Buenos Aires, in 1977, she graduated as a guitar teacher from the Conservatory of Morón and besides being a well-known musician, continues to teach at a school in the Buenos Aires province.
Describing music as her way of “connecting with the world”, she was just ten years old when she began composing songs, and by 19 was encouraged to record.
Her debut album, ‘Centro’, was released when she was 23 years old, and bringing together a collection of songs already written, it served as a resume of her life up to that point. A second album, ‘Cuerpo’, followed in 2003 and lasted only half an hour with nine songs.
Like ‘Centro’ it was recorded at home rather than in a studio, and incorporated both strings and piano compositions that added a great sense of atmosphere to the record. Another simply named album, ‘Correr’, completed the trilogy in 2005, and achieved international success in both Japanese and Mexican markets.
Though she doesn’t see the need to classify her music, Florencia claims her style is a mixture of experimental and minimalist pop/rock. Her sweet and dreamy vocals lend a distinctive overlay to chilled-out electronic beats and some occasionally heavy drums that have attracted the attention of national and international artists seeking to remix her work.
The album ‘Fogón’, released in 2006, consisted solely of remixes and new versions of her previous songs by known musicians from Argentina and abroad.
A fourth solo album, ‘Mayor’, followed one year later as well as ‘Ese impulso superior’, an album recorded in collaboration with rock guitarist Ariel Minimal. The albums were promoted with a solo tour of Japan and Mexico in 2008 where she remains popular.
Usually sparse with words, her lyrics are intimate and personal, often discussing themes of loneliness and childhood in poetic and sentimental songs. Her most recent album, ‘Luz de la noche’, explores the darker more difficult times of life but maintains the positivity of her earlier albums.
Recorded throughout 2010 in both Rio de Janiero and Buenos Aires, the album was released in May of this year as a joint production shared between record labels in Japan, the United States, Mexico and Argentina. Edited by Carlos Villavicencio, a musical icon for Florencia since the beginning of her career, it features 14 songs and an assortment of internationally acclaimed musicians including Uruguay’s Hugo Fattoruso and Jaques Morelenbaum from Brazil.
Describing the album as a ‘labour of love’, Florencia claimed that making the album changed her life. After a major tour of Japan, taking in the cities of Hokkaido, Nagoya, Kyoto and Tokyo, she also contributed a song ‘Ocho años despues’ to the album ‘31 songs for Japan’ released yesterday.
Genre: Alternative pop / rock
Dates active: 2000 – present
In her own words: “To me, music is the soul of life”
Most famous song: Correr
Best Lyric: From the ocean, I come to see you, I come just to see you, I come to see your skin..
Famous for: Her feminine blend of minimalist pop/rock, and seven successful albums
Best to listen to: In transit
