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Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Paulina Rubio has met the challenge that haunts the children of famous personalities: Is it all in the name? “We have to show—with facts—that our parents had nothing to do with what we’re doing. And forget about giving explanations.” The daughter of Mexican superstar Susana Dosamantes doesn’t have to worry about how she’s being judged. The Latin Grammy Award nominee, and winner of Billboard Awards and Univision’s coveted Premio Lo Nuestro, shines on her own. Presently, Rubio is making inroads in the Anglo market with Border Girl, her first album in English. “We’re prepared to compete in the big leagues and I’m very motivated,” she says with confidence. After the launch of her new album on June 18, she’s been busy, appearing on the syndicated TV program Access Hollywood and on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno; and as the opening act of the ALMA Awards on ABC. It’s not easy for a big star, pampered and adored in her own country, to start from scratch worldwide, and in a different language, but Paulina Rubio seems to take it all in stride. “It’s great to be able to express myself. I’m a modern woman trying to connect with the world. Actually, the challenge is not the language but crossing borders with my music. To me, music is the universal language.” Actually, Rubio is fluent in her native Spanish as well as English, French and Italian. Raised in Mexico, Los Angeles, and in Spain, Rubio admits that being exposed early on to her mother’s career made an impact. “My mom was shooting many films in Europe when I was young, so I was traveling with her around the world, surrounded by artists: writers, painters, singers, filmmakers.” The international scene must have influenced her in developing an indomitable and independent spirit. When Paulina turned 8, she decided to pursue a career of her own, and two years after having enrolled in a prestigious performing arts school she was chosen to become a member of Timbiriche, a popular Mexican children’s group. It was nearly a decade later that she was ready to go solo. “Acting was like a hobby for me,” Rubio notes, as she recalls her early film and television roles. But these days music is where her heart is. “The truth is, I’m a lot happier when I’m singing.” Today, better known as "La Chica Dorada," 30-year-old Paulina Rubio is ready to spread her wings and create an uproar with a new bilingual album that bares her soul. “It’s an adventure. This album is all about a woman who believes she’s in a planet with no boundaries. But at the same time, she realizes that boundaries do exist in relationships and in our minds.” Then there’s the music, prominently featuring her Mexican roots. “The sound of guitars that cry, that’s Mexico; the sound of flamenco guitars, my grandmother’s rebellion, they’re there; and there’s also rock & roll, my own rebellion. So, I chose the guitar, a feminine instrument, to express my innermost feelings, and that’s Border Girl.” According to Rubio, the album also has a tint of nostalgia. “Yes, but it’s not sad; on the contrary, it’s a nice feeling about family, mariachis and tequila. About memories of my first holy communion; my early years, everything that’s within me. What’s in my blood, my genes...” Her music also responds to the free-spirited Paulina, the Golden Girl who likes rock & roll, who looks sexy and acts that way on stage. “To me music is like love, like giving a kiss. It’s sexual. Pure feelings, deep feelings. It’s something that helps me breathe and keeps me alive. It makes me feel free.” Actually, they don’t come much freer than Paulina Rubio. You sense it when you see her perform and also as you talk to her. “I’m a rebel,” she admits. “A rebel in my ideas, in the way that I express myself.” Then she adds: “It doesn’t mean that I don’t listen to what other people have to say. As a matter of fact, I love to listen, and then be able to disagree, to have a discussion. You see, I love to be free to say what I think.” What moves her? This is a complex woman, with many sides to her personality. “I am an artist. I’m puro sentimiento, very sensitive. Everything seems to inspire me to write a song: The rain, a child, loneliness, traveling.” According to her, there’s also “a darker side.” Rubio admits to having moments of depression and sometimes needs “to lose things in order to get them back,” or “feel weak to show that I can be brave.” In love? “Yes!” is the quick answer. For several years, Rubio has maintained a romantic relationship with Ricardo Bofill, a jet-setting Spanish architect, who was formerly married to Julio Iglesias’ eldest daughter, Chabeli. Career, romance and a personal life are not easy tasks for any performer, especially for those who become international stars. “Once, I tried to divide Paulina, the singer, with Paulina, the human being,” she says. “It’s not possible. The woman who’s singing and dancing before an audience is the same one that fights for what she wants when she’s offstage. She can’t be divided, because she’s whole.” Having grown up amidst a mix of musical genres, this Golden Girl is a typical product of her generation. “I’m influenced by the music of the Beatles, Kiss, Styx and the Rolling Stones, but I also grew up listening to Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi,” she recalls. “That was the music my grandmother used to play. So I’ve been brought up in a way that I understand and like every type of music.” As the conversation progresses, it’s very clear that Paulina Rubio’s family is a central part of her life, and that her grandmother, Micaela, played a pivotal role in her development. “My mother and my grandmother have been and always will be very important women in my life. They will be with me always. I always remember something my grandmother told me regarding time and our journey through life: ‘Como te veo, me ví. Como me ves, te verás.’ Meaning we pass what we are to our children.” A true citizen of the world, Rubio’s home is everywhere between Barcelona, Mexico, Los Angeles and Miami. But wherever she is, this young woman lives life to the fullest. “I believe in destiny, but refuse to be told what’s going to happen. I don’t like my fortune to be read and I don’t believe in astrology. I believe that we are the masters of our future. I believe that our actions have consequences and those consequences are part of our karma.” When you ask Paulina Rubio how far she wants to go, what she wants to achieve, the answer is clear. “I want to conquer the world. Dreams do come true and you must be prepared to make them happen.” Is Paulina Rubio really for the challenge of her life? “Yes,” and that was the last thing she said. |
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