By: Jenny Castro
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 11/25/25
On October 24th, acclaimed singer Ana Cristina Cash officially released her latest single titled “La Llorona,” which features Grammy Award–winning guitarist and songwriter Chris Pérez. Of Cuban American descent, Cash grew up in Miami and later immersed herself in the Nashville music scene, establishing herself as a versatile vocalist across genres such as Country, Pop, and Latin music.
Reflecting further on her background, Cash loves exploring her roots and is bilingual, allowing her to connect with both English and Spanish audiences. “I’m a child of immigrants,” Cash said. Adding, “My parents immigrated from Cuba in the 1960s when Castro came to power and communism was established.” Cash’s Cuban heritage has had a profound influence on her artistry as she continues to explore Latin music, including her latest single titled, “La Llorona,” produced by her husband John Carter Cash, the song is rooted in Mexican folklore and highly associated with the Dia de los Muertos holiday. “I have always been in love with the melody of La Llorona, and think it’s a very haunting melody with minor chords, and when I went to record it, I found out it was public domain.”
For those unfamiliar with the meaning behind the song, it’s a Mexican folktale that’s over 100 years old, which is quite tragic in essence as it tells of “La Llorona”, the “weeping woman,” whose husband or lover abandoned her. Overcome with grief, she cries in despair which leads to the drowning of her children. Accounts may vary as some say she deliberately drowned them, while others suggest her tears formed a river that led to their drowning. Speaking more on the creative recording process of the song, Cash explains, “While I’m not Mexican American, Chris is, and I thought this was something we could do together, and it’s a song I’ve always wanted to vocalize and sing. So, I ended up writing Spanglish lyrics, and to my knowledge, I don’t think there have been English lyrics before so I think this is the very first Spanglish version of the song.”
In collaboration with Chris Perez on guitar, Cash flawlessly sings the iconic ballad effortlessly, blending haunting emotion with Pérez’s heartfelt expressive guitar work. Speaking on her working relationship with Perez, Cash offers insight, “We met through a mutual friend actually, “ she said. Adding, “From here in Nashville, our collaboration on that track came together, and he later joined John and I onstage at the Opry for Opry 100, during the show dedicated to John’s parents.”
Cash has since performed her latest single on the Opry, marking her first time singing on the show in Spanish. Speaking of Perez, he is currently in the band Grupo Metal and operates many side projects and business ventures. He is also the husband of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, whom Cash has always admired. ‘She’s our queen,” Cash said. Further explaining, “Selena was a representation to me and to thousands of other people just as Gloria Estefan was and later on Shakira and Jennifer Lopez.
Marrying John Carter Cash in 2016, (the son of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash), the couple often collaborate on music. Reflecting on her marriage and the family musical legacy, Cash explains, “There’s a lot of history connected to my husband’s parents, and it’s important to respect both that history and the artist. I’ve also seen the business side of it, especially after the artist passes, and that has been very insightful for me as I develop my own music. These works are not just songs, they are intellectual property and forms of art that inspire in many ways. Even though the person is gone, their music remains, and it must be respected while their legacy is promoted.”
Concerning her Cuban heritage, Cash also wants to reiterate her love of her heritage and people, “I would start off by saying I wish as many Cubans and Cuban Americans can see a free Cuba someday. It’s been over 60 years that they’ve been under communist control, and essentially it’s one of the worst human rights abuses in history and one of the largest holdouts for communism in the world. It’’s a very complicated situation, and growing up I always asked my parents if they wanted to go back as I wish I could go for educational purposes. But, I’ve also been very conflicted because my family were so hurt by what happened. So, I grew up with a lot of stories of fear of visiting the country even though I would like to see it with my own eyes someday. I think I grew up with a scarcity mentality because I’m the child of immigrants, and I always felt like I needed to seize every single opportunity. Growing up, I often heard about the hardships my family experienced arriving with absolutely nothing except the clothes on their backs, and how education opened doors for them allowing them to become who they are today. It’s a community filled with stories of resilience, perseverance, and hard work.”
Follow Ana Cristina Cash on Instagram.
Check out the music video for “La Llorona” here.
https://www.anacristinacash.com/
