Filling someone else’s shoes is a hard thing to do, especially if those shoes belonged to Grammy winner Julieta Venegas. But with her own charm, talent, and folkoric voice, Ceci Bastida has been able to come out of the shadows and embark on her own musical journey.
Born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, Cecilia Bastida has come a long way from her days as a Spanish and History teacher at a junior high school. She joined ska-punk band Tijuana No! at age 15 working alongside vocalist Julieta Venegas and the rest of the Tijuana No! crew. Although Bastida came into the band as a drummer and then switched to keyboardist, it wasn’t long before she began to contribute to the creative process of writing and also singing. With Tijuna No!, Bastida learned the ropes as far as composing, arranging, and performing before a live audience.
In 1993, the band released their first album titled No! which contained the song “Pobre de Ti” co-written by Venegas and Zuniga, one of the Tijuana No! members. “Pobre de Ti” was the band’s first hit and allowed for the band to travel all throughout Mexico.
Although Venegas co –wrote the song, she didn’t stick around long enough to see the fruit of her labor. She left the band to pursue a solo career in Mexico City, leaving also her place for Bastida to take over as vocalist. With her keyboard in hand, Bastida would remain with the band long enough to record Transgresores de la Ley which broadened the band’s horizons. They were soon touring and creating a strong fan base in Latin America and the United States.
"Empieza a Amanecer" (acustico)
With rumors of Bastidas’ departure from the band, they released Contra Revolution Avenue, an album that tried to relate to both the English and Spanish market. Following that album, the band released Rock Milenium and Desde Bilboa in 2002. The last album released by the band would be an album containing most of their earlier hits.
In 2002, Bastida joined Julieta Venegas as her back up vocalist and keyboard player. While working with Julieta, Bastida learned many elements of song writing, including how to write simple, good songs versus complicated, bad ones. Her friendship of many years with Venegas allowed for Bastida to turn to her for musical advice. But after three years of performing and not creating music, Bastida began missing her creative inclination towards music production. In 2005, after touring with Venegas on her Si tour, Bastida decided to pursue a career as a soloist. She began to write songs and share them with friends for feedback, one of course being Venegas herself. Although Bastida was unsure of whether she was musically prepared to pursue a career as a soloist, reassurance from her closest friends gave her the motivation she needed to venture out on her own.
Although many artists launch their solo debut at some run down bar, Bastida was faced with the challenge of debuting bandless at Austin’s South by Southwest Festival in 2007. People soon began to talk about the modern folk singer that blew SXSW by surprise. By July of 2007, Bastida was performing at the Latin Alternative Music Conference held in New York City. She has since showcased at KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic” show and performed with Volumen Cero as the opening band for Go Betty Go at Al Borde’s second Acoustic Session. Check out our Video section to find her performance.
Having broken free from the shadows of Venegas, Bastida has come a long way from her days as Venegas’ keyboardist. Undoubtedly, it is no longer Bastida that fills the shoes of another, but it is she that paves the way for her very own journey to the world of indie. And although Bastida is yet to be signed to a record label, rumors have it that she will release her first solo album in early 2008. But meanwhile, fans can get a dose of her new EP “Front BC” on iTunes.
For an exclusive Al borde interview with Ceci Bastida check out our Video section.
"Ya Me Voy" (acustic)
