When Costa Rican singer/songwriter Debi Nova writes on her favorite guitar, everything feels enchanting.
In this episode of It Goes to 11, Nova introduces her Mexican nylon-string guitar, an heirloom that entered her family line as a 30th birthday gift to her mother. Although Nova has played the guitar since she was a little girl, she didn't officially inherit the guitar until she moved to the United States alone.
"This guitar was like a lucky charm my mom gave me when I moved here," Nova explains. It was a symbolic pass of the torch from her mother, who originally inspired Nova to pursue her musical dreams.
Nova recognizes that this guitar might not be the most glamorous, but it's the sentimental value it holds that makes it meaningful. "It's very easy to look at guitars that cost thousands of dollars and acknowledge that they're better instruments than this one, but this one has something that is priceless."
The guitar has become more like a reliable friend to Nova, offering support and, sometimes, a burst of creativity. "There's some magic when I start playing chords. There's a spark and suddenly a song comes out. And that has happened to me a lot with this guitar."
Press play on the video above to learn more about Debi Nova's nylon guitar, and keep checking back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of It Goes to 11.
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