Flores releases emotive vision of cultural beauty / Mayahuel
We're bending this one like Beckham.
“Wait a minute“, I hear you exclaim.
“Isn’t Flores a Mexican-American songstress?”
Yes, dear soul loving reader, this is true; however, because she is currently based in the picturesque city of Stavanger, Norway, it’s enough for us to share her in our Scandinavian soul scene.
Inspired by her roots, her new single and video, Mayahuel, honours her culture wrapped in sumptuous R&B, produced by Maths Time Joy. Seeped in Aztec mythology, Mayahuel is a female goddess associated with maguey, a central Mexico plant.
“I wanted to pay homage to the female deities of our indigenous ancestors. I wanted an omnipotent voice that was seeking retribution for the exploitation of her love, land, or her body. It isn’t merely a sad love song, but emancipation from Machismo,” explains Flores.
The stunning video (see top video) came to life through the documentarian and filmmaker Mariano Renteria Garnica. The video, shot in Flores’ birthplace of El Paso, is designed to portray the violence that women in the region have suffered for decades. In particular, it’s a homage to the femicide in Las Muertas de Juarez, where more than 370 women were killed between 1993 and 2005 – a tragedy the town has never forgotten.
It is a sombre subject matter revealed in a compelling single. Singing in English and Spanish, Flores vocal melodies are liquid gold – glistening golden and warm. Underlined by an exquisite beat with hints of strings, this is sublime R&B.
We may break the rules now and then, but you clearly hear why.
