Siempre fui yo follows Lupe, a 22-year-old college student who must leave her quiet life in Mexico and travel to Colombia after receiving shocking news about her father. The news is further complicated by her father’s status as El Faraón (‘The Pharaoh’), a mega famous musician in Colombia. Lupe meets Noah, her father’s assistant, and together they embark on an adventure filled with mystery and music.
I was not sure what to expect starting this series and figured I might just watch the first few episodes before writing a preliminary review. However, to my surprise, I ended up binging all 10 episodes because I totally got into it. Here’s why.
First, I have not been to Colombia but wow, it was such a pleasure going there from the comfort of my couch. The scenery, the style and the atmosphere are conveyed as incredibly vibrant and warm. It paints a welcoming picture which is worth seeing, especially since most of us have not done much physical traveling in the past few years.
Second, Siempre fui yo has a beautiful soundtrack. I find myself listening to it long after finishing the show. I also have a fondness for Latin-based languages so enjoyed listening to the beauty of the Spanish language throughout the series. Since I do not understand Spanish, I watched it with English subtitles. If you, too, do not understand Spanish but prefer not to watch with subtitles, there is of course the English-dubbed version. However, I think a lot of the integrity and transporting quality of the original work is lost if you choose the dub route. Plus, dubs tend to make almost all scripts sound extremely cheesy. Regardless, if you are watching with subtitles or dubbed, I believe the music is (thankfully) still in Spanish. It is my understanding that the soundtrack features nine tracks performed by one or more of the characters and they are all gorgeous pieces of music. If these are the sounds of Colombia, I have been missing out until now. Third, the show explores lessons in loss, learning and overcoming one’s fears. Most of the characters arcs are compelling. While the overarching setting for these lessons is a national music competition, which is reminiscent of many reality television programs, the script, direction and actors do a good job of downplaying the “soap opera” vibe in favor of more engaging, more ‘real’, viewing. (However, the introductory credits are very soap opera-esque. Just as one should not judge a book by its cover, do not judge this show by the opening reel if soap operas are not your thing.) Fourth, the characters have great chemistry beyond just the romantic pairings. Young and older actors strike a moving chord in their scenes together which makes each episode continually engaging. The romantic pairings – both opposite and same-sex – are also thoughtfully executed. Lupe and Noah, as well as the supporting characters who develop feelings for one another (I won’t name them because spoilers), light up the screen. The spellbinding music certainly helps. Fifth, in addition to beautiful scene-setting shots, the camera techniques used when watching the music competition, El camino del Faraón (‘The Road of the Pharoah’), take you from drama TV to reality TV. This approach changes up the type of viewing and again, keeps the show engaging. If televised talent competitions and drama series pique your interest, ‘It Was Always Me’ might just be right up your alley. Still not sure whether to check out It Was Always Me? The trailer might assist in helping you decide: Siempre fui yo premiered on July 20th and is available to stream now on Disney+.
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