Mexican band MUVA tosses together an array of aspects to call their own, such as progressive, metal, tribal, epic, and much else. The band has released two full-lengths to date, with a whole lot more music coming soon! The band talks of some plans set, with shows a possibility, with lots more in-store for them!
1. Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
The history of MUVA started as a solo effort, where I originally made music just to give it away on cds with my friends, but as time went by, more people got into the music and now MUVA is a relatively large multidisciplinary crew. In fact the first album was just me on all the instruments and in the solos I would invite some friends who happened to pass by my studio at some point. Currently the musical lineup of MUVA is more like a collective, there are people who are part of MUVA, but they don't always go to the concerts. Usually for tours we go 5 or 6 people, but the ones I'm active and currently working with are: Miller Aguilar on vocals, Gerardo Aponte on viola, Yuri Nilo on Cello, Adrían Lopez on electric guitar, Miguel Sabbagh on drums, and me, Chatrán González live on percussion.
2. What’s the origin of the band’s name?
Originally it was a pseudonym that I used to produce music that filled my soul more than my pockets, but since the first album was called MUVA, it became the name of the project. MUVA refers to the saxon slang allusive to movement, in fact, at some point that name came to me by a dj of a famous Hip Hop band who told me, “My friend you are tha MUVA” and I liked it, because I feel that it quotes cadences and cycles.
3. Where is the band based out of and what is your music scene like there? Are there any local bands you could recommend?
MUVA is based in Mexico City. At least as far as MUVA is concerned, there is no fusion scene as such, usually MUVA plays in metal, prog, world music or even jazz stages. But because of the current governmental guidelines where social trends are prioritized over everything that is a cultural proposal, MUVA's path on the stages of Mexico is gray and gloomy. In Mexico much more space is given in big festivals to music styles that arrive recycled from the USA or reggaeton.
Being in a country of 132,000,000 inhabitants, the cultural offer is enormous, but personally, my tastes lean more towards proposals that dare to fuse Mexican elements with sounds from other cultures, from here I like Troker, Klezmerson and Sonex.
4. How would you describe your style?
Originally I thought I was doing cinematic music, as it is the style that restricts me less with stylistic protocols and in many occasions I use audio design elements, like in a movie. But now I have been integrating terms that I feel have become more descriptive. The music in essence combines metal, prog, electronica, classical, ethnic and tribal elements from different parts of the world, colored with epic cinematic atmospheres and I always try to play with colors or traditional Mexican elements, whether modern or pre-Hispanic Aztec.
5. What have you released so far and what can someone expect from your works?
Until today, we have released 2 albums, the first one called MUVA and the second one called Yum Chaak (Yum Chaaak is the Mayan god of the sea). So far we have released 2 singles with our new label from Holland, Audiomaze. And I hope that by the middle of this year we can be releasing the third album.
What can you expect? An honest proposal not linked to chasing to be accepted by commercial goals. Music without protocols, made to be listened to by ears in freedom.
6. Do you have any new music in the works?
Yes, there is a lot of music coming soon. I'm producing a collaboration with a mexican electronic music producer to remix Dojo's track. There is also a collaboration with Arsen Petrosyan, who is a prominent Armenian musician and master of Duduk. I am working on another track to make a video in collaboration with a group that rescues prehispanic dances and songs. And then the new album, which I am still in the recording process.
7. How about playing shows and touring, have anything planned out?
In Mexico, at least at the moment, we have a couple of invitations to festivals in the second half of the year. There are some other invitations for forums in Mexico City, and we are trying to arrange something for Europe, but at least for the moment, it's all nice expectations.
8. What plans do you have for the future as a band?
If I made music thinking of integrating myself to some trend and which obliges me to have concrete plans in the short term, I could. But as in my case making music is as necessary as breathing, I can tell you that there is and there will be MUVA for the rest of my life.
9. Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
MUVA's music is on all platforms and can be found as MUVA MUSIC MX, and on spotify as MUVA, written only with capital letters. The other merch, at least in this moment, is only available in Mexico.
10. What is it you’d like a listener to remember the most when hearing your music for the first time?
I like to think that the people who listen to my music are transported as I am while I compose it, to dreamlike places that are usually only visited in dreams. May they allow us to fill their ears with the colors of imaginary places.
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