Veracruz

Veracruz,( beɾaˈkɾus ) formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (Spanish pronunciation: [beɾaˈkɾus ðe iɣˈnasjo ðe la ˈʝaβe]), officially Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (Spanish: Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave), is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is Xalapa-Enríquez.

This state is located in Eastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north, San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo to the west, Puebla to the southwest, Oaxaca and Chiapas to the south, and Tabasco to the southeast. On its east, Veracruz has a significant share of the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico.

The state is noted for its mixed ethnic and indigenous populations. Its cuisine reflects the many cultural influences that have come through the state because of the importance of the port of Veracruz.

In addition to the capital city, the state's largest cities include Veracruz, Coatzacoalcos, Córdoba, Minatitlán, Poza Rica, Boca Del Río and Orizaba.

Coffeehouse

A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment which primarily serves hot coffee, related coffee beverages (e.g., café latte, cappuccino, espresso), tea, and other hot beverages. Some coffeehouses also serve cold beverages such as iced coffee and iced tea. Many cafés also serve some type of food, such as light snacks, muffins, or pastries. Coffeehouses range from owner-operated small businesses to large multinational companies such as Starbucks.

In continental Europe, a café is a traditional type of coffeehouse, but elsewhere the term "café" may also refer to a tea room, "greasy spoon" (a small and inexpensive restaurant, colloquially called a "caff"), transport café, or other casual eating and drinking place. A coffeehouse may share some of the same characteristics of a bar or restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. Many coffee houses in the Middle East and in West Asian immigrant districts in the Western world offer shisha (nargile in Greek and Turkish), flavored tobacco smoked through a hookah. Espresso bars are a type of coffeehouse that specializes in serving espresso and espresso-based drinks.

Natalia Lafourcade

María Natalia Lafourcade Silva (Spanish pronunciation: [naˈtalja lafurˈkaðe]; born 26 February 1984 in Coatepec, Mexico) is a Mexican pop-rock singer and songwriter. Her band's name is Natalia y La Forquetina. Lafourcade's voice has been categorized as a lyric soprano.

Biography

Lafourcade's parents were musicians. Her father is the French-Chilean musician Gastón Lafourcade and her uncle is writer Enrique Lafourcade.

She attended Instituto Anglo Español, a Catholic middle school, and studied painting, flute, theater, music, acting, piano, guitar, saxophone and singing. When she was 10, Natalia sang in a Mariachi group.

She then lived in Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico, where she studied music with her mother, imitating artists like Gloria Trevi and Garibaldi.

In 1998, Natalia was part of a girl trio called Twist. The group was unsuccessful and they split up the following year.

When she was 17, Loris Ceroni gave Natalia the opportunity to be in a pop/rock group under his guidance, but when she wasn't sure, he encouraged her to go solo. Ceroni produced her first LP under the label of Sony Music. It was recorded in Italy and was cowritten with Aureo Baqueiro. Sabo Romo played in 2 songs. Natalia Lafourcade is a mix of pop, rock, bossa-nova and Latin rhythms. It features the songs "Busca Un Problema", "Elefantes", "Te Quiero Dar", "Mírame, Mírate", and her biggest hit, "En El 2000".

Mi Tierra

Mi Tierra (English: My Homeland) is the third studio album by Cuban-American recording artist Gloria Estefan, released on June 14, 1993 by Epic Records. Produced by husband Emilio Estefan, it is her first Spanish-language album and pays homage to her Cuban roots. The album features Cuban musical genres, including boleros, danzan and son music. Recorded at Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, Florida, Mi Tierra features notable Latin musicians such as Arturo Sandoval, Cachao López, Chamin Correa and Paquito D'Rivera.

The album was an international success, selling eight million copies worldwide as of 2006. In the United States it was the first record to reach number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart, and peaked at number twenty-seven on the Billboard 200 chart. Mi Tierra has sold over one million copies in the US and Spain. The album received favorable reviews from critics, who praised the album's production, songs and Estefan's vocals. Its success won the singer a Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album. Mi Tierra spawned seven singles: "Mi Tierra", "Con Los Años Que Me Quedan", "Tradición", "Montuno", "¡Sí Señor!...", "Mi Buen Amor" and "Ayer".