Homenaje a Julieta, Mami y Los Tigres del Norte

It was the summer of 2003, and I had just graduated from college. My eyes were set on my new destination for the next three months--St. Petersburg, Flordia, where I was to learn everything about journalism as a fellow with the Poynter Institute. I sold most of my junky college belongings, stashed the rest at my parent's and then-boyfriend Jeremy's house and packed the rest in my reliable Toyota Corolla (which my mom still drives.)

The plan was to cover hundreds of miles from Austin to Florida on a road trip. But my mom, worried that her youngest daughter would make the trek alone, decided I wasn't going unless she was in the car with me. So the two of us left Texas to begin our roadtrip adventure. While mom worried about safety and all the other things moms worry about, my biggest concern was music. What would we listen to that we would both enjoy? It was afterall, a looong trip.

I popped in a CD by Tijuana-born singer Julieta Venegas and the song "La Jaula de Oro" began playing. Before that trip, I really hadn't paid much attention to the lyrics but liked the music. My mom recognized the modern song, which she said was actually a remake of an old hit by the famous Norteño band Tigres del Norte. She was right. The classic lyrics and the new beat made "La Jaula de Oro" our road trip anthem.

We saw Julieta Venegas in concert last night in Mexico City's awesome Auditorio Nacional. Although she did not play this song, it made me think back to that one tune which I had not heard in a long time. "La Jaula de Oro" is by far my all-time favorite Julieta Venegas song-- maybe it's the meaningful lyrics that highlight the struggles of immigrants like my parents who sacrificed everything to follow the American Dream or maybe it's just that it always reminds me of taking that cross-country journey with my mother. Either way, after a great concert, I had to listen to that song once again. And I want to share it with all of you...

Just press the play button: