Track of the Day: ‘Niña De La Risa’ by Clara Serra López

Clara Serra López’s usual rational optimism takes a darker turn in this track, Niña de la Risa, as she confronts a period of emotional disorientation. Through punchy, ornamented melodies set against hard-edged electronic soundscapes, Clara wrestles with a version of herself she barely recognises, waking up to a reality that feels foreign. Yet at the heart of the struggle lies a quiet determination: a resolve to break free from the negative loop and reclaim her sense of self.

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD

“I wrote this song while recovering from a vocal injury, which really shook my relationship with my voice. I’ve been studying and working on my voice since I was a teenager, so not being able to fully rely on it was destabilising both creatively and financially, since all of my work depends on it. It took months of vocal rehab with experts who helped me realise my voice wasn’t broken; I was born with a set of vocal cords that give me a unique sound but just need a bit of extra care. After this process, and thinking I’d never properly sing again, I came out the other side with a renewed love for my voice and a deeper understanding of it.”

Coming from a musical family Clara Serra López grew up surrounded by different genres, from jazz to flamenco, Indian classical, Western Classical, Latin… Always drawn to improvisation and jazz voices, Clara moved to London to study Jazz Performance after gaining a place at the prestigious Guildhall School. Feeling the limitations of studying a creative degree in an academic setting, it was through venturing in and around the underground music scenes of the city that she was introduced to a whole a new world of musicians, cultures and people that would reaffirm her love for music.

Over the last few years Clara has been crafting her own sound combining her cultural heritage with her deep influences in jazz, middle eastern, neo soul and electronic music.

Lengua Materna (Part I) – Lengua Materna means Mother Tongue – is composed by Clara, produced by Jake Long (Maisha, Gary Bartz, Snapped Ankles…) and mixed by Oli Barton-Wood (Ezra Collective, Zawose Queens, Jordan Rakei…). Lengua Materna is a unique musical experience that intertwines Clara’s Mediterranean heritage with her jazz background and passion for electronic soundscapes. A deeply personal sonic narrative alongside a societal commentary through critical observation and lived experience.

The tracks ‘Niña De La Risa’ and ‘No Es Veneno’ are available now on all digital platforms with Lengua Materna (Part 1) being released on 25 July.

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD