Mon Laferte “The Voice of Resilience”
Image from : Vogue Mexico
Imagine a young woman with a dream, a guitar, and an unmistakable voice as an artist who left her homeland in search of an opportunity. She faced rejection, violence, and illness, yet she never stopped singing. Today, her name is known around the world Norma Monserrat Bustamante Laferte.
She was born on May 2, 1983, in Viña del Mar, Chile. From an early age, her love for music was clear. At nine years old, she received her first guitar and began to play and write her own songs. Her childhood was marked by creativity and a deep desire to express herself through art though it was far from easy. Mon grew up in a humble neighborhood of Viña del Mar, raised by her mother Miriam, her grandmother Norma, and her younger sister. At the age of seven, she was a victim of sexual abuse, a trauma that would leave a lasting mark on her life. By eleven, she had begun drinking and smoking as she later confessed in an interview and at thirteen, she was exploited by a man twenty years older who posed as her manager and took half of her earnings.
Despite everything, music became her refuge. At fourteen, she left the conservatory in Viña del Mar to dedicate herself fully to her passion. She performed in bars, buses, and circuses. At seventeen, her grandmother suffered a stroke, and Mon had to care for her alone. She sang in the streets to afford clothes and sewed by hand to survive.
In 2003, she participated in the Chilean reality show “Rojo: Fama Contra Fama”, where her unique voice and charisma earned her national recognition and the chance to record her first album, La Chica de Rojo, under the name Monserrat Bustamante. The album was an instant success, achieving gold and platinum status in Chile. However, Mon felt that the commercial pop scene did not truly represent her artistic identity. In 2007, she left Chile and moved to Mexico, carrying only a suitcase and her guitar. The first years were extremely difficult. She slept on friends’ couches and sang in bars to make a living. In 2009, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which left her with facial paralysis and without a voice for several months. After a long recovery, she retrained her voice and came back stronger than ever.
In 2011, she released her album Desechable under the artistic name Mon Laferte, finally finding her true sound. Her music blends bolero, rock, and blues, creating a unique style. In 2015, she released Mon Laferte Vol. 1, which includes hits such as Tu Falta de Querer and Amor Completo. In 2017, she released La Trenza, her most acclaimed album, featuring the song Amárrame, which won a Latin Grammy Award.
Image From : Hola Magazine
Mon Laferte doesn’t just sing, she lives every song, conveying raw emotions that deeply connect with her audience. Beyond her music, she is a woman committed to social causes, often speaking out in defense of women’s rights and gender equality. She is also a visual artist; in 2021, she painted a mural in Valparaíso titled Día 1, representing the menstrual cycle and the female experience.
Today, Mon Laferte is one of the most powerful voices in Latin American music. With eight albums released, she has explored genres such as reggaeton, opera, hip hop, and salsa. Her legacy goes beyond music; it includes her art, her activism, and, above all, her resilience.
“I’ve been a very sad woman, truly very sad, and the only thing I know how to do is work.
But do you know what else I did all that time? I painted, and painted, and embroidered, and cried while I painted.
While music gave me something to eat, painting saved me from all the shit I had to go through.”
— Mon Laferte
Image from: Studio 92
My favorite song of Mon would have to be ” Otra Noche de llorar ". It means “Another Night of Crying”, and it’s about pain, loneliness, and the difficulty of overcoming a heartbreak. The song expresses the inner struggle of someone trying to move on, yet feeling trapped in the pain of seeing their former partner already moving forward with their life. The lyrics describe heartbreak, vulnerability, and feelings of loss, reflecting a deep sense of melancholy.