Hey all you freestyle loving, late night B-96 house-heads growing up on 90’s and 80’s synths beware. Mamacita takes our beloved sounds and vamps them up from the minimal dance underground. The freestyle genre, originating from the urban Latino tribes in Miama, New York and of course Chicago, has remained relatively low in recognition, but decades after its initiation and infamy, translates curiously to Latin America and transmits back with all the dance jam splendor of the Cover Girls, Debbie Deb, and Trinere rolled up in the spectacular reinvention of Mamacita.
http://soundcloud.com/mamacita/roman-con-mamacita-tu-amor
I’m honored and blessed to present the history and work of Mamacita in an exclusive, correspondence with the Chillán born, 27 year old Chilean artist, Carolina Paz Vallejos Mendoza, now living in Santiago. Mamacita started out just making beats on her computer using programs like Garageband, but in the summer of 2010 she met some guys from Cómeme (Matias Aguayo’s very own label) which came to Chile and befriended Ana Helder. According to Mamacita, Helder “es una persona maravillosa y muy amarosa.” Helder was the one who started to show Mamacita how to use the program Live and from there she hasn’t stopped making music. Matias and Helen both encouraged Mamacita intensely, always telling her to make something, and that nobody’s opinion mattered except her own. They told her to keep going, to keep making music, no matter what. In the spring of 2010, Mamacita started out as a back up singer for Javiera Mena and in September she debuted her first solo set. A friend, Rodrigo Costa, of the band Fredi Michel (also on Cómeme) accompanied Mamacita on a Roland 505 with steady beats, but since then the show has grown a lot. With growing confidence and higher quality, Mamacita is proud to say, “el show es muuuy bueno.”
Not just tooting her own horn, Mamacita is also an accomplished artist having studied film where she learned to do makeup and since worked on several films. She grew as an artist primarily in the film world, publishing photos, videos clips, and commercials. Despite not having edited a full album yet, Mamacita is excited that the music thing has gone so well for her. She hopes to start producing and album soon with friends Arturo Saray and Raúl Durán of the band Quierostar (most famous for their Ladytron meets Timberiche hit “Ladyboy”) on the independent label Metavaron. The songs are already compiled, according to Mamacita and the only thing that is left is the slow studio stuff, “juntarse a grabar las voces, editar, postproducir mezclar masterizar, lo mas lento.”
She’s worked with a wide array of musicians including Roman S of Makaroni, Conzalo Vargas and Diego Adrian of Adrianigual, Alejandro Paz, Rodrigo Costa of Fredi Michel, Diegors of Cómeme (again), James Manuel Rodriguez and Camilizzy of Zonora Point, Dj’s Pareja and my personal favorite Alex Anwandter of Odisea. Mamacita originally does her compositions on the computer, singing over her beats. With some of her songs have been composed by friends, her live sets is usually just her all alone on stage, with pre-recorded tracks and an effects board for the vocals. She says it works well with DJ’s and close up with the people rather than on a stage, utilizing audience participation and incorporating the crowd into her act. More of an MC act than a live pop spectacle with a band, Mamacita loves being along side the people, getting to know them, making friends with the fans. And the fans equally appreciate her sincerity and involvement.
Mamacita is a happy camper, with plenty of heart and a knack for music that surprised her and has delighted countless fans around the world. She loves what she does, making music with friends, getting to know new people, traveling, dancing and the closeness she can engage with her fans. On a heartwarming note, Mamacita sends Gozamos and Chicago her love, for her deep respect and admiration of Chicago house history and representation in her work. Mamacita hopes to hit Chicago pronto, leaving us with these earnest words, “espero poder algún día ir a Chicago también y tocar ahí, porque obviamente, y se debe notar en mi sonido, soy una fan despiadada del Chicago house desde los 80s hasta ahora, y esta oportunidad que me diste de salir en la revista Gozamos, me emociona mucho y me hace sentir parte de un mundo que me fascina.”
You heard it first. Mamacita is probably the best name out there, bringing her heart and beat as one. We hope she comes to Chicago soon too. And we can’t wait for that debut album. It’s gonna be legendary, I can already feel it.