Juana Molina is a singer/songwriter from Argentina whose quirky, atmospheric songs bring to mind modern chanteuses such as Lisa Germano and Beth Orton. Best known in South America as a comedic television actress, Molina debuted in 1996 with Rara, which initially seemed like just another celebrity vanity project. However, the album was simple, direct, and intimate: three things that usually fall outside the ego scope of most celeb music projects. Apparently, Molina was happy pursuing other interests and it wasn't until 2003 that she returned with a follow-up album, this time recording for the U.K.-based Domino label. Segundo had all of the intimacy of Molina's earlier work, but the prominence of electronics on the album clearly signaled a departure. A third album of electronica-enhanced songs, appropriately titled Tres Cosas, appeared soon after, in 2004. She spent much time touring the world and showing off her deft ability at backing her vocals with guitar and delay pedals (much like the style KT Tunstall made popular in 2006), then recorded her third album for Domino. The much more organic and acoustic guitar-based Son was released in May 2006. Un Dia followed in October 2008, charting the same course of organic and acoustic material. ~ Wade Kergan & Tim Sendra, All Music Guide
Following the military coup in Argentina of 1976, Molina's family fled the country and lived in exile in Paris for six years. She grew up in a musical environment and her tango-singing father taught her guitar from the age of five.
Juana Molina started her career in 1988 as a comedic television actress in Argentina on the show La Noticia Rebelde. She later starred in Juana y sus hermanas, a hit sketch show across the Spanish-speaking world, for which she remains better known in Latin America.
In 1996, she pursued singing and has released several albums since. The lyrics on her albums are sung in her native Rioplatense Spanish, except in "The Wrong Song," sung in English, from Segundo, and "Insensible," sung in French, from Tres Cosas, and often accompanied by acoustic guitar among other instruments. Her music features elements of ambient and electronica, and she is often compared by critics to Björk, Beth Orton, and Lisa Germano. She usually writes, mixes tracks and performs on her own. Her second album, Segundo, was named Best World Music Album 2003 in Entertainment Weekly and gained a Shortlist Award 2004 nomination. Tres Cosas was placed in the Top Ten Records of 2004 by the New York Times.
