Silvana Estrada

Silvana Estrada, a Latin GRAMMY®-winner for Best New Artist (2022), three-time nominee, and GRAMMY®-nominee for Best Global Music Performance (2024), is a genre-defying multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and activist. Her music takes listeners on an emotional journey, seamlessly shifting from tender intimacy to spine-tingling power, leaving an indelible impression. Estrada is celebrated for her commanding voice, blending North and Latin American traditions with the African-influenced jarocho heritage of her native Veracruz, Mexico.

Born in the quaint mountain town of Coatepec, Estrada was immersed in a world of music from an early age, with musicians frequently visiting her parents—both luthiers—to commission new instruments or repair their cherished violins and cellos. As a teenager, she was drawn to the Venezuelan cuatro guitar, a handcrafted gift from her father. «It has such a beautiful sound,» she shared in a 2022 interview with Rolling Stone. «Holding it is like an embrace.»

At just 16, Estrada was accepted into the jazz program at Universidad Veracruzana, where she began writing her own songs and performing classics by Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. Over time, she shifted away from the English-language canon and embraced Latin American folk, channeling the influences of iconic women like Chavela Vargas, Violeta Parra, and Soledad Bravo.

Her encounter with American guitarist Charlie Hunter in 2016, during a jazz seminar in Guadalajara, became a pivotal moment in her career. After hearing her compositions, Hunter suggested they record an album together. Transforming her parents’ guest house into a makeshift studio, they created Lo Sagrado, a groundbreaking collaborative album that blended contemporary jazz, indie pop, ranchera, cumbia, and bolero in an effortlessly fluid sound.

Estrada soon immersed herself in the vibrant indie music scene of Mexico City, selling out shows across the country on the heels of her self-released EP “Primeras Canciones” while also working on her debut album. 

Her first full-length, Marchita, was hailed by critics as one of the best albums of 2022, earning high praise and reviews from The New York Times, Pitchfork, BBC Radio, The Guardian, NPR Music, Rolling Stone, and more. Silvana was also honored as the first ‘EQUAL’ artist from Spotify Mexico and was chosen for Apple Mexico’s ‘Up Next’ program.

At just 25, she won the prestigious Latin GRAMMY® for Best New Artist in 2022 and received a nomination for Best Singer-Songwriter Album for “Marchita”.

Following her success, the acclaimed Abrazo EP was released followed by the singles «Milagro y Desastre» (nominated for Best Global Music Performance at the 66th Annual GRAMMY® Awards), a cover of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner,” and «Qué Problema.” The haunting live track “Cure For Me” was a collaboration with Norwegian songstress AURORA, her fellow Glassnote labelmate.

Perhaps one of her most powerful statements, “Si Me Matan” —the closing track of Abrazo— (nominated for Best Singer-Songwriter Song at the 24th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Awards) is both a testament to her musical mastery and her deep commitment to social justice. Inspired by the heart-wrenching violence against women in Mexico, Estrada wrote the song as a protest against victim-blaming, which has struck close to her heart. “Si Me Matan” has since become a rallying cry for women’s rights, transcending borders, with the BBC declaring it ‘a women’s rights anthem’ that continues to echo around the world.»

Estrada’s mesmerizing live performances have led to sold-out shows across Europe, the USA, and Latin America, consistently garnering rave reviews. She has also collaborated with an impressive roster of artists, including Cécile McLorin Salvant, Natalia Lafourcade, Susana Baca, Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil, Mon Laferte, Snarky Puppy, Helado Negro, Jorge Drexler, Andrew Bird, and Devendra Banhart, among others.

In April 2025, The GRAMMY Museum and National Sawdust honored Silvana’s remarkable contributions as an artist, activist, pioneer and trailblazer at their “Black Orchid Gala”. Previous honorees have included David Byrne, Tania León, Philip Glass, Esperanza Spalding, and many more.

Now based in Mexico City, the multifaceted artist is currently working on her highly anticipated next album, set for release in the fall of 2025.