Published on November 19th, 2020 | by Guest Contributor

Who Is Rubio?

Rubio is the personal project and artistic experiment of the renowned Chilean drummer, producer, and front-woman Francisca Straube. Blending Pop, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Ambient, and Ethnic music elements, Straube launched the project in 2015. Last month she released her second album, Mango Negro, gaining the attention of US mass media, such as Billboard and KEXP.

Due to the COVID lockdown, Rubio was forced to cancel their US tour, but still, we had the opportunity to chat with Francisca and find out more about her new release and passions.

Rubio is not your first music project, you actually had a pretty well-known band back in Chile called Miss Garrison. What did you find in Rubio that you didn’t in your previous music projects?

I found my own voice and a message to share, which I believe it’s very important when making art. At last I feel rooted with this project, I’m very emotional about it, as well as grateful for the team behind it.

When did you decide to pursue music on a professional basis?

Ever since I was very young, music has been in my life, it’s in my blood. My professional growth has been quite organic, but there has been a big change since there was a team supporting the development of my art. You can’t do everything alone, so it’s been very beautiful to feel people backing me up, genuinely believing in me and my music.

Mango Negro is Rubio’s second album, what’s the main difference between Pez and this new record?

I think the difference is that PEZ felt like it was seeking something, and now instead, MANGO NEGRO is navigating in Rubio’s language, which has been very beautiful to find and explore. It’s not an easy path, but I’m full of energy and inspiration to continue creating, and it’s very exciting to envision what will come next.

This new album has many different influences, from trap, to dream pop and electronic synths, how was the process of composing the record?

I consider myself a music lover, therefore I listen to a wide range of music styles. I’m not attached to just one style, that’s why Rubio is so eclectic, very chameleon-like, so I have no prejudices when it comes to composing. I seek to explore different shades and styles. Also, when composing there’s a close correlation with cinematographic images, so the songs naturally develops into a journey without prejudice, connected through what I feel and to what intuitively flows through the composition.

And what’s the process for writing the lyrics?

It’s a lot of my inner world and my imagination. I’m open to messages that come to me from the universe, which I feel is my mission to share. I believe people are very disconnected from their internal source, from looking inside, so my message aims for you to dig within yourself. Also, many of the lyrics are a way of talking to myself. They are very emotional and embrace many areas, always in depth, as it’s difficult for me to talk about banalities, it doesn’t come out naturally.

We know you were planning some shows in the US that had to be postponed due to Covid. Are you planning on playing here anytime soon?

Yes, I would love to, as soon as traveling is possible. For now I’m fine, immersed in nature at the Chilean mountains. But I feel my art has to be shared around the world, that is my big dream, I want to deliver my message. I think Rubio is timeless and intercontinental, I don’t feel it belongs to one country, more like music from the universe and nature.

And talking about covid, what were the main lessons you learned as a musician these past few months?

I’ve thought a lot about this. I think it has made us connect with the essential, which is quite lost. As I mentioned before, humanity is disconnected from its source, from what really matters. Covid has made us value that more. Nature is crying out to be heard, and we are not doing it well enough. We are immersed in a consumer society, of haste and productivity, and I think that’s not our mission as human beings. This is something I’ve realized long ago, and that’s what I always try to communicate with my music, so today I feel my music makes even more sense.

Your videos and pictures have great production, what’s the importance of visuals for your releases. Do you think in images while writing the songs?

Yes, it’s very important to me. I believe music, like cinema, can encompass all arts. It’s a perfect and complete way to create an imaginary world. I don’t just create music, I want people that listen to my music to travel and feel what I feel in my imagination. For that, I seek visuality as a complement, either with photography, videos or in live shows. I believe it is important to communicate through different levels. It’s perfect for me and it’s exciting knowing there’s a world of possibilities when it comes to creativity in terms of image.

Is there anything I left out, or just plain forgot to mention? And, lastly, any “closing” thought(s) for our readers?

I can only reinforce that we must not forget our source. The human being is not only body and mind; spirit and soul play a very important role as well. Life is magical and deep, is full of messages we must learn to listen, and we must make ourselves responsable and conscious again. Capitalism has sickened us and has made us feel disconnected from nature, when actually we are part of it. And instead of taking care of it, we are destroying it. I believe it is important to heal internally so we can flourish and connect again.

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Tags: Mango Negro, New Music, Rubio