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- Latin-Grammy winner Ana Tijoux brings her fearless, politically-charged rhymes and seductive rhythms to the Chan Centre
Latin-Grammy winner Ana Tijoux brings her fearless, politically-charged rhymes and seductive rhythms to the Chan Centre
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia, as part of its EXP series, is bringing one of the most important Latin American artists of all time to its stage: Ana Tijoux. The Chilean-French artist was ranked third in Billboard’s list of the “Most Essential Spanish-Language Rappers of Yesterday and Today,” and is known for her fiercely political messages, giving voice to the marginalized and oppressed. Her performance on Friday, May 2 2025 at 8PM is in support of her newest critically-acclaimed album, VIDA. Tickets to the general public go on sale Friday, January 31 at 10AM.
“Ana Tijoux is one of the most compelling hip-hop artists of her generation. She is not only an incendiary rapper, she is also a passionate voice for change that sings truth to power with her music and we are thrilled to welcome her to the Chan for her debut performance in Vancouver.”
Jarrett Martineau, Curator-in-Residence
Born in France to Chilean parents who fled the repressive regime of Augusto Pinochet, Tijoux’s music has always been a testament to resilience, resistance, and revolution. Living in Paris, her mother’s work as a social worker left a deep impression on her and planted the seeds of her activism. Soon after the fall of Pinochet in 1990, she returned to Chile with her parents. In the late ‘90s she began her three decades-long career, “offering refuge for those seeking ways to sing of their outrage and heartbreak.” (NPR) Prior to VIDA, her last album was 2014’s Vengo, for which she was nominated for a Grammy.
With VIDA, Tijoux shows that her time away has only proven invigorating. While the album tackles heavy themes—the inhumane treatment of migrants and refugees, climate change and pollution, and even the death of her sister to cancer—VIDA, as its title implies, is ultimately a celebration of life. Praised as a “joyous look at grief in all its forms,” Pitchfork notes that her “unflinching optimism remains one of the most refreshing parts of her work.”
Ana Tijoux continues to break barriers with every release, using her platform to empower others and to challenge the status quo. VIDA cements her status as a legendary musician who serves as a torchbearer, providing an inextinguishable light against the darkness of the world. As she declares in the final song of the album, “If the end of the world is coming, let’s dance naked together.”
