Trans singer songwriter Luisa Almaguer posesses one of those rare voices where the second you hear it, you are transfixed. It radiates all the emotion, strength and beauty. So when Damon Albarn was looking for local, indpendent musicians in Mexico to collaborate with on the upcoming Africa Express album, Africa Express Presents…Bahidorá, he dropped her a personal invitation.

That was 2023. Since then Luisa has written, performed & recorded with the global music project, including artists like Malia’s Fatoumata Diawara and Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The group performed Luisa’s song, ‘Hacernos Así‘ in the sessions with the video released last week. Next Africa Express is touring Europe this summer with the album out 11th July.

Luisa jumped on zoom to talk with Loverboy from Mexico City about her experience working with Africa Express and her cinematic crush…Nosferatu!

Luisa, the video of your beautiful performance went live a week ago. How has the response been?
So great. I feel so proud that now all over the world people are listening to this song that I wrote about trans people and trans love. I never imagined it would travel so far. A few days ago we had the opportunity to play the song at Cannes and it was my first time in Europe. So it has been really beautiful. The whole Africa Express experience has been life-changing for me.

How did the process begin for you?
Well, in 2023 I received an email signed by Damon inviting me to be part of Africa Express. It was so exciting. He had been doing his research and I was so lucky to be offered the opportunity.

Am I right in thinking it was originally about focusing on African musicians but is now expanding?
Right, it was originally about wonderful African musicians who are now joined by Mexican artists. I feel so proud to be there. 

Tell us your experience of recording the album.
I describe it as a musical orgy because we were sixty musicians from all around the world. Everyone came to Las Estacas, a beautiful nature reserve in Mexico. In the hotel they made these little improvised studios where we were hanging out and playing. It was all about the music. I wrote a song with Baba Sissoko even though we don’t speak the same language. Just music. Everything at Africa Express is really organic. In fact the email I received said, ‘We want you to be part of this but we need you to be able to flow and improvise.’ Everything happened like that.
We gave this five-hour-long concert at Bahidorá festival. It was crazy to have all these artists on the stage at the same time performing. When the concert ended I thought that was the end, like, ‘Oh my God that was so beautiful, I’m so proud to have been part of it.’ But then we stayed at the hotel, recorded the album and now we are touring Europe.

 

‘Hacernos Así’ is a song you originally released in 2019. Whose decision was it to use this for Africa Express?
Originally the team suggested another song of mine called ‘Azotea’ but I chose ‘Hacernos Así’ because of its message. The artists didn’t initially know what it was specifically about. Damon listened to it, started to play it on the piano and it was such a magical moment. I began to sing and then people were crying. I didn’t expect that. I don’t know what was happening the day we recorded the performance, something was in the air, we were all so moved. The song is the ballad on the album so when we were recording, everything was so quiet. You could hear the birds singing. We definitely felt something special that day. We were all crying.
Also I am so glad Nick Zinner and Joan As Police Woman play on the track. It was really special for me to have all these musicians from around the world play on a song I had written about trans people. Everywhere but in Mexico especially, violence against trans people is something we really have to deal with. So suddenly watching all of this come together was so special.

Was there an event that made you write ‘Hacernos Así’?
Yes, I had a trans male boyfriend at that time. I wrote it to him.

Your voice is so beautiful. I wondered if you could tell us about your relationship it through your transition.
Yeah, it has been a journey because before my transition I was so proud of my voice. It was so low. But then when I started transitioning I was so scared to have this big masculine voice. I even considered having surgery on it in Korea. But instead I used all these reverbs and effects to try and soften it, to hide it. I don’t do that anymore. I came into this world to sing. I feel proud knowing my voice has such an effect on people.
Also trans female friends have told me that my voice helps them deal with the fact that we have to have ‘one’ specific voice. Women are supposed to sound sweet and soft or whatever because that is ‘feminine’. Fuck that. We sound like we want. We all have different voices and we should be proud of them. If we have a low voice, we have to use it, right?

What else is happening for you in 2025?
I’m so excited because on Monday I’m opening for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs here in Mexico City. I was so excited and nervous to meet Nick Zinner at Africa Express. When they released Show your Bones in 2006, I was a young gay boy afraid of everything and that record saved my life. I was so moved to get to know Nick, work with him and for him to appear on my song. I can’t believe I get to be a small part of  Yeah Yeah Yeah’s history. Karen O is one of the reasons I am a singer. I saw her once and she was so crazy with this potent and beautiful voice. 
Then in November I’m opening for another big big band, Fangoria. I love Alaska so fucking much. My boyfriend too. We are going crazy that I have the opportunity to open the concert. So yes this year is about meeting my heroes.

 

June is officially Pride month, although we celebrate all year! Who are your Pride icons?
Here in Mexico we have trans icons like Kenya Cuevas who is a survivor. She has made such a big difference here to society, pushing trans rights. I was also in Madrid last week and saw the plaque honouring Cristina Ortiz, La Veneno. She is also such an icon, I love her so much. Also there are my friends without whom I would not be here.
This particular Pride feels weird because trans people are the target of so much violence and trauma. Trump and Musk don’t stop talking about us. Right now we are feeling more rage and anger than celebration. I am angry about all the shit happening in the world to trans people. We are proud of ourselves though and always have been.

I’ve been doing some snooping on your socials and enjoyed this post immensely, ‘Quien diría q mi libido regresaría gracias al Nosferatu.’ Can you tell us more? <3
Haha…yes, my libido returned after watching the film Nosferatu. I don’t know why but I love him. It’s something really stupid and romantic. My latest record is called Weyes, which means men, guys, boys and I’m always talking about their relationships with trans women and how complicated that is here in Mexico. We always need to be careful. In some ways it’s like Nosferatu, this monster that could kill you but it could also give you more tender and romantic moments. Maybe that is something I should check with my therapist.

Finally we are named after the biggest selling single of 2001 so we always ask what is your favourite Mariah Carey song?
Oh my God. She has one of the most amazing voices in the fucking history of the world. It’s always so funny to see her defrost at Christmas time too. I love that she has a sense of humour, that she is a diva and so unapologetic in that sense.
I don’t know if you know that Mariah was in a relationship with our Mexican diva, Luis Miguel. So I’m going to say that some of the songs he sang about Mariah are my favourite Mariah songs.

Africa Express is on tour across Europe next month.
New album ‘Africa Express presents… Bahidorá’ is out 11th July via BMG.

Photo: Camila Jurado