Biography
Ximena Sariñana emerged as a Mexican singer-songwriter after first entering the entertainment world through childhood acting roles. Her music centers on introspective adult alternative pop that incorporates understated jazz influences and revolves primarily around piano as her core instrument. Often likened to Regina Spektor and Norah Jones, she launched her recording career in 2008 with the album Mediocre, which peaked at number two on Mexico’s album chart. Thereafter she concentrated chiefly on music and served as a judge for the television talent show Mexico Tiene Talento in 2014, the same year her third studio album, No Todo lo Puedes Dar, appeared.
Born Ximena Sariñana Rivera in Guadalajara in 1985, she is the daughter of film director Fernando Sariñana and screenwriter Carolina Rivera as well as the niece of actress Angélica Rivera. Sariñana made her screen debut in her father’s 1994 feature Hasta Morir, then took parts in the telenovelas Luz Clarita (1996-1997) and María Isabel (1997), for which she performed the theme song. Over the subsequent decade she accumulated roles in roughly a dozen additional feature films and shorts, among them Todo el Poder (1999), Amar Te Duele (2002), and Dos Abrazos (2007), most involving at least one parent. The soundtrack for Amar Te Duele marked a breakthrough on both acting and singing fronts, highlighted by her contribution “Las Huellas.”
In 2006 Sariñana fronted the jazz-funk ensemble Feliz No Cumpleaños alongside Alex Sanchez on guitar, Alex Cuevas on keyboards, Levi Serrano on saxophone, Hugo Chavez on bass, Gerardo Balandrano on percussion, and Uriel Herrera on drums. The group issued its independent release La Familia Feliz that year. The following year she contributed vocals to Volován’s track “Luna” from the album Monitor, and in 2008 Warner Music issued her solo debut Mediocre. The project achieved both commercial and critical success, securing a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
Sariñana followed with a self-titled release in 2011, her first album sung primarily in English. She appeared in her father’s 2013 film Los Fabulosos 7 before delivering her third full-length, No Todo lo Puedes Dar, in 2014. The record was co-produced by Grammy winner John Congleton, Spoon’s Jim Eno, and Plastilina Mosh’s Alejandro Rosso. Its release overlapped with her judging duties on Mexico Tiene Talento. A recurring role on the comedy series Un Man Date came in 2016, and Warner issued her studio album ¿Dónde Bailarán las Niñas? in 2019.
Born Ximena Sariñana Rivera in Guadalajara in 1985, she is the daughter of film director Fernando Sariñana and screenwriter Carolina Rivera as well as the niece of actress Angélica Rivera. Sariñana made her screen debut in her father’s 1994 feature Hasta Morir, then took parts in the telenovelas Luz Clarita (1996-1997) and María Isabel (1997), for which she performed the theme song. Over the subsequent decade she accumulated roles in roughly a dozen additional feature films and shorts, among them Todo el Poder (1999), Amar Te Duele (2002), and Dos Abrazos (2007), most involving at least one parent. The soundtrack for Amar Te Duele marked a breakthrough on both acting and singing fronts, highlighted by her contribution “Las Huellas.”
In 2006 Sariñana fronted the jazz-funk ensemble Feliz No Cumpleaños alongside Alex Sanchez on guitar, Alex Cuevas on keyboards, Levi Serrano on saxophone, Hugo Chavez on bass, Gerardo Balandrano on percussion, and Uriel Herrera on drums. The group issued its independent release La Familia Feliz that year. The following year she contributed vocals to Volován’s track “Luna” from the album Monitor, and in 2008 Warner Music issued her solo debut Mediocre. The project achieved both commercial and critical success, securing a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album.
Sariñana followed with a self-titled release in 2011, her first album sung primarily in English. She appeared in her father’s 2013 film Los Fabulosos 7 before delivering her third full-length, No Todo lo Puedes Dar, in 2014. The record was co-produced by Grammy winner John Congleton, Spoon’s Jim Eno, and Plastilina Mosh’s Alejandro Rosso. Its release overlapped with her judging duties on Mexico Tiene Talento. A recurring role on the comedy series Un Man Date came in 2016, and Warner issued her studio album ¿Dónde Bailarán las Niñas? in 2019.