Vengo de Muy Lejos is a heartfelt ranchera written by Guadalupe Diaz Knott, reflecting on the immigrant experience — the joy of new opportunities and the sorrow of what is left behind. As the matriarch of her family and a guiding light for immigrants in Luray, VA, Lupe’s story and music embody resilience and cultural pride. The song paints dreamlike memories of her childhood in Mexico, blending nostalgia with a wish that her life be remembered as a celebration. Recorded as an Appalachian mariachi waltz, the arrangement fuses mariachi trumpets and violins with Appalachian fiddle, guitar, and bass, bringing together talented musicians across borders, including remote contributions from Mexico. The result is a vibrant homage to Lupe’s legacy and the rich intersection of cultures.

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I’ll Smile When I See You, written by high school junior Luna Berzonsky, is a poignant country gospel ballad that speaks to the longing and nostalgia at the heart of the immigrant experience. As the daughter of musicians Estela Knott and David Berzonsky, she has grown up surrounded by music and performs with Lua Project on multiple instruments. The only fully English song in this collection, its intentionally vague lyrics reflect the universal ache of missing someone—whether a child, a parent, or a loved one left behind or lost along the journey. As Luna says, “It is my hope that when I sing it, at least they will have someone that comes to mind.”

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At the heart of this project is a recording of songs, written by the Lua Project extended family– Estela Diaz Knott and Dave Berzonsky, their children, Luna and Mareana Berzonsky, and Estela’s mother, Guadalupe Diaz Knott. The goal of the recording is to paint a portrait of an emerging confluence of cultures, Latine and Appalachian, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The songs are a reflection of our family history, but also the story of Latine immigrants who have settled in this part of the world, nestled as it is, in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, on the frontier of Appalachia and the wider world. And so we have endeavored to lift up their stories, while also sharing a bit of our family story, as it weaves together with the larger story of America, a constantly evolving tapestry of cultures, material and metaphorical. 

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