Mon Laferte Opens Up Healing Through Her ‘Te Amo’ Documentary on Abuse, Success, and Strength
Telling her story in a documentary was a reflective journey for Mon Laferte. The Chilean-Mexican singer-songwriter revealed to Billboard Español that narrating her past on camera evoked a “certain nostalgia,” especially when recalling her pregnancy and the birth of her son. “I think how crazy I was, going singing when I was three months pregnant, with my belly all over the place — and then with my baby, three months after birth, and I was on stage!” she recounted from Mexico City, chuckling.
The documentary, Mon Laferte, Te Amo, released on Netflix on August 1, offers an intimate look into her life. It showcases her journey from a challenging childhood in Viña del Mar, Chile, through her rise to stardom in Latin music after moving to Mexico in 2007. The film, directed by Camila Grandi and Joanna Reposi Garibaldi, is described by Laferte as “a story of strength, of resilience.”
The documentary captures Laferte during an international tour, mere weeks before becoming a mother. In scenes that oscillate between concert stages, dressing rooms, and her home, Norma Monserrat Bustamante Laferte (her real name) delves into her complex past. She reflects on her father’s abandonment, economic hardships, and the tensions that distanced her from her mother.
A particularly painful chapter in her life involved her mother’s relationship with an alcoholic man who abused Laferte sexually. “Talking about my mother in a documentary was very healing,” she said. Despite their tumultuous relationship, which was marked by periods of love and conflict, Laferte expressed a growing empathy and understanding for her mother over the years.
Motherhood serves as a central theme in Mon Laferte, Te Amo, weaving through the narratives of her grandmother, her mother, and herself as a new mom. Laferte drew comparisons between her experience and Beyoncé‘s, referencing the documentary Homecoming (2019), which chronicles Beyoncé’s preparation for her 2018 Coachella performance. Laferte noted, “I remember in the documentary, she was rehearsing all day, she was with her baby, and in my ignorance I thought, ‘She should go home to rest, and then come back.’ But when I became a mom, I understood her a lot because there is something about needing to feel again like yourself before pregnancy and giving birth.”
The documentary also explores Laferte’s early singing career in Chilean bars, her emotionally and economically abusive relationship with an older man who became her first manager, and her breakthrough on the Chilean television show Rojo. It details her move to Mexico and the subsequent struggle to establish herself in the competitive Latin music market.
Laferte hopes that many women will see themselves reflected in her story. “Not all of them are singers, but it is like the daily life of a woman — facing the challenges that society demands of us, and that we demand of ourselves. I demand a lot from myself to be a great artist, but also to be the best mother in the world,” she added with a smile.
As Mon Laferte, Te Amo premieres, the artist continues her Autopoiética Tour, promoting her 2023 album of the same name. Additionally, Laferte is confirmed to participate in the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week, set for October 14-18 at The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason in Miami Beach, Florida.
