Nathalia Shares Her Powerful and Moving Album ‘Mil Colores’

Nathalia is the Columbian born licensed music therapist who moved to the United States to study music therapy. Her deep background in therapy and early education gave her the idea to use her talents, skills, and tools to help teach her own children Spanish. What came from that was an accidental album that she later released and has since become a staple in children’s music. Her South American heritage and passion for bilingual education has served as a major influence in the music she creates.

Her most recent album, Mil Colores, is an album of empowerment for children by promoting self-awareness, discovery, and curiosity. What she delivers in Mil Colores that you won’t find in other children’s music is something that only Spanish can deliver: passion, emotion, and sensation. There are some stories that can only be told in Spanish due to it’s emotive nature. English doesn’t accomplish the same feat. The same goes for trying to explain why Mil Colores is phenomenal, though I will do my best.

The album opens with the Latin rock song “Arcoíris en mi Corazón,” or A Rainbow in my Heart. She hopes to normalize feelings and expressing those feelings. She valids them and encourages kids to own their them by giving each color a corresponding emotion, singing “Tengo un arcoíris en mi corazón/Tengo mil emociones, todas de un color,” roughly meaning “I have a rainbow in my heart/I have a thousand emotions, a color for each one.”

“Frida Pinta” is an ode to the great Frida Kahlo. This gypsy jazz song is upbeat and spunky, beautifully capturing the life of the painter. Despite all her setbacks, Frida kept pushing forward, she kept creating even when things were tough. Nathalia uses Frida as a source of inspiration for listeners to never give up, to keep creating and pushing when things get hard.

“Los Más Pequeño” is a Latin pop-rock song about the mightiness of the small. If we stop and look around at the world around us, we can learn something new even from the smallest of creatures. Even though something is little doesn’t mean it’s impact is. She relates the ant to strength, the grasshopper to power, and the mosquito to persistence. It’s by far one of the most impressive poems I’ve listened to in a while.

“Niña Poeta” is a bolero style Latin jazz song that was actually inspired by Nathalia’s own daughter who started writing poems to cope with a cross country move and the pandemic. “This song was my way of encouraging her to continue writing, to express her feelings, and be herself,” shares Nathalia. She wants to listener to stand up for what they believe in and use their voice to make change. “Niña Poeta” is also an homage to Maya Angelou, Gabriela Mistral, Rupi Kaur, Julia de Burgos, Pat Mora and Juana Ines De la Cruz.

“Unplug and Play” is the first bilingual song on the album. It’s another Latin pop-rock-esque song that promotes discovery, free play, and imagination. She wants kids to seize the day and find out what the love through play and creativity.

“Cinco Sentidos” is a Latin pop song that carries an afro-Latin beat and tempo. It’s fun and light and the music really takes your body prisoner. It’s a song about the 5 senses and how we use them to guide ourselves through the unknown and the world around us.

“Tú y Yo” is the ballad in the album and it’s about accepting each other’s differences, that we are all different in many ways, but that’s what makes us the same. It’s beautifully written and one of the songs that would not work in English. She sings “Tú y yo, somos diferentes, tú y yo/Pero por dentro igual /Porque nos late, late el corazón,” or simply put, we are different but alike because our hearts beat the same.

“Let’s Go to the Beach” is the island pop song that even includes a dance section. What’s fun about this song is the way the music dances. The music does all the work in this song to provide the emotive nature of Nathalia’s songwriting. It’s spontaneous and the percussion, ukulele, and horns all come together to create a summertime song that makes you want to groove along.

Mil Colores closes with the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard, “Sueños ys Deseos.” Musically, it’s reminiscent of a music box with the light bell-like twinkles. It’s a lullaby with sweeping cellos and an absolutely stunning dreamlike quality. It was written for her kids as they are now older and becoming their own people. She can’t save them or fix things for them like she could when they were younger. “My lullaby is some sort of wish, that no matter what hardship presents to them, they can always remember a melody that will remind them how much they are loved,” says Nathalia.

Listen here:

I cannot truly express in words the effect this album had on me, an adult. I cannot explain the way the songs express themselves in a way that’s beyond moving. Mil Colores is a brilliant and beautiful piece of songwriting that can only be described as immaculate. Nathalia not only delivers powerful lyrics, but her music and her voice take on a role of their own. Be sure to listen to Mil Colores and any of Nathalia’s other works. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

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