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With a style all her own, Ana Victoria has slowly but surely been winning the hearts of the Latin public in the US in recent months. Her new album, Casi Amor, features classic songs never interpreted by a woman before.

“Each step is reflective of growth, and us being here in the US now promoting this new project is justified based on the success we’ve already had in Mexico. That allowed us to come over and introduce this material and present this well-known repertoire to the Latin fans here. Basically, it opened many doors for me.”

That is how our exclusive conversation with Ana Victoria began. In an exclusive interview, she shared with us her musical beginnings and her development as an artist, as well as her philosophy and what it means to be unique under her famous parents’ enormous shadow.

Ana Victoria is the daughter of Argentine singers Amanda Miguel and Diego Verdaguer. With music in her blood, she began singing at 13 years old, and from the very beginning, her enormous talent was obvious. Ever since then, she’s been developing her own style and has demonstrated her great potential.

Her first album titled Ready was released in 2007, followed up by AV in 2010. Both projects were produced independently and have been successful in Mexico and some parts of Latin America. Finally, she released her latest album, Casi Amor, in early 2013. This project has gained her a lot more notoriety and has helped her reach a wider audience. it also earned her a Latin Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Notable singles from the album include “Simplemente Amor” and “Si Manana No Me Ves.”

When discussing her latest work, Ana Victoria said, “The album has gone Gold in Mexico already. So far, we’ve released 3 singles, and thank God that so far, it’s all gone very well. The concept is simple – it’s an album of covers that have never been sung by a woman before. This opportunity to share this with the American public is very exciting, and we hope it will have the same success as in Mexico.”

Color Amor includes classic songs by legends such as Jose Jose, Julio Iglesias, Enanitos Verdes, Marco Antonio Solis, and Ricardo Montaner, as well as a song in English by Lenny Kravitz – all of whom have either been musically influential or part of her personal life. “All of these are great singers, and I’ve always followed their careers – and have always wanted to sing their songs. For me, this project has served as a way for me to pay tribute to them, while still adding my own personal touch. It’s been a challenge getting it all just right, and it’s not something most people would want to try. I knew I was taking a risk, but I’m glad how well people have received it.”

Despite being a covers album, Ana Victoria admits her latest project has been the most successful of her career. “I really feel this one is mine. The difference being, I feel this one shows my growth as an artist and it felt much more organic and comfortable. Most importantly, I feel my voice is at its best on this project.”

Ana Victoria also discussed the extent of her involvement with Casi Amor. “I was very involved with everything, from the visual concept to the photography, wardrobe, and repertoire selection. The album turned out very dynamic, and that was in part because I was given so much freedom to share my ideas and opinions. The album also has heavy influence from Alejandro Marcovich, who’s a legend in Spanish Rock, as well as from my parents and the other musicians involved. It was definitely a group effort.”

Despite all the success she’s been enjoying in recent months due to her independent hard work, Ana Victoria admits that her parents’ shadows loom over her career, and she truly wishes to be recognized for her own unique talent and style. “I knew from the very beginning that I would always be compared (to my parents), but I started doing this because I genuinely loved it – not as a way of proving anything to anybody. Always remembering that has helped me to not tie myself to my parents’ history. Any artist with any integrity will always want to sincerely forge a connection with the public, and the only way to really do that is being yourself. It’s been a challenge for me in particular because adversity is a big way in which the public can relate with you, and many people think because of my background that it’s all been fun and rosy, when in reality it has been the complete opposite. People assume I have used my parents’ fame to help my own career, and always ask me when I’ll be doing an album of covers of my mom’s songs. That is the LAST thing I want to do. That’s not what my career is about.”

However, despite her independent spirit, she doesn’t deny that she got her talent from her parents, and that in itself has helped open doors for her, as well as close some. “People will always have something to say about me and criticize, but I don’t pay any mind to that. If I did, I would be where I am today. I always state what an honor it is to be my parents’ daughter, and it’s helped me to always have a window into the music world, and to learn from that. I’ve always had a great home and lots of love, and that along with all the musical history makes me very proud of who my family is and in turn, who I am.”

We concluded our talk with her reflections on who she’s become throughout her career. “I’ve always been a warrior chick. I’ve come to learn the world is made up of people who are daring, and people who are not. I love challenges, and I love to just go for it. I love doing things that are not expected of me, and I don’t like to look back. If I make mistakes, so be it. I’ve always defended my right to an independent career, and fought negative critiques throughout my career. I’ve always just cast them aside. I’m finally at a point in my career after several years where I can begin to enjoy it all. Doing it my way has been hard but I wouldn’t have it any way.”

Color Amor is now available at record stores and online platforms. For more information, visit www.anavictoria.com.

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