Sarah Palafox, an African American woman who sings regional Mexican music, poses in Moreno Valley, Calif., in this undated photo. Palafox, who goes by the name Sarah La Morena, was born in Southern California but raised in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. The 23-year-old has sparked many emotions following a series of viral video performances on social media. (Edward “E-Dub” Rios/Silent Giant Entertainment via AP)
RIO RANCHO, N.M. (AP) – Before clicking the Instagram video, the sight intrigued most. Sarah Palafox, a Black woman, held an iPhone while standing in front of mariachis. When users turned on the volume, they heard a woman belting out a heartbreak interpretation of Jenni Rivera’s “Que Me Vas A Dar” in perfect Spanish of Mexico’s Zacatecas. Instagram users said the short clip made them cry. Others demanded more.
But most wondered: Who was this woman with a voice like the late Tejano star Selena? And what’s her story?
Palafox, an African American woman raised by a Mexican immigrant family, has generated excitement online with her versions of regional Mexican music.
Born in Southern California but raised in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, 23-year-old Palafox, who goes by the stage name Sarah La Morena, has sparked emotions following a series of viral videos on social media. The clip of Palafox singing with mariachis spawned a half of million views on Instagram and another 200,000 on Twitter. Other videos of her singing banda – another form of regional music from Mexico’s southwest coast – also have been shared thousands of times. (She is working on an album.)
However, as Palafox has been stroking a frenzy with her voice, she’s also been to the target of a racist backlash online over her love of Mexican music. A few Black social media users accuse of her being ashamed of her Blackness. Some Latino users sling racist slurs and accused her of appropriation. The insults come in English and Spanish.