You're listening to Song Exploder, where musicians take apart their songs and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. I'm Rishikesh Herway.

A few days ago, Natalia Lafurcade won four Latin Grammys, including the 2015 song of the year and record of the year for this track, Astalara Yis, which translates to to the root,

maybe, or to the core.

Deep down to the core. Yeah, that is a good way of saying it.

In this episode, Natalia breaks down the writing and recording process behind the song, which borrows from a traditional Mexican folk music called Opango.

But still also includes a Juno synthesizer and pop sensibility.

I went to my friend's house. His name is Leonel Garcia and he is a great composer from Mexico as well.

I really wanted to share the song writing process with others.

And I know him since long ago, we get to see how the other was growing up.

That was one of the persons I really wanted to try to see if we could make something together, and especially because the love we have to each other.

We were talking about the importance of keeping your roots and keeping all the things that build you as a person.

The things that you are, even though you might go very far away from home.

The importance of keeping all the things that build you, your home, your friends, your family, your experiences.

I wanted to sing about something that would remind me of Mexico and home.

I was talking to him like, I don't really try to look at a very traditional riff from Mexico.

This was Opango, on the guitar, and he picked it up.

So he started playing that Opango.

There is Opango in many areas in Mexico, but I never tried to put any music into my music and mix it with this pop sensation of a song.

It was like a very inspiring moment because the song was coming like fast, super fast.

I started trying to put the words together and to make the phrases of the song.

So he went into the studio, he started recording the guitar, and then he asked me to go into the studio and sing the song.

So I went into the studio, so I had the paper and I started singing the song.

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