Catalina Maria Johnson

1 month ago | chicagoreader.com | Catalina Maria Johnson

Mabe Fratti carves labyrinthian soundscapes that mesmerize and intrigue in equal measure. Raised in Guatemala City, Fratti began playing cello at age eight. She’s since relocated to Mexico City, where she’s become an integral part of the fertile local avant-garde music scene. Over the course of four albums and several collaborative records with the likes of German DJ Gudrun Gut and Mexican folk-rock band Belafonte Sensacional, she’s honed a singular artistic approach.

Dec 9, 2024 | chicagoreader.com | Catalina Maria Johnson

Chicago knows the power of mariachi. The city has nurtured several acclaimed mariachi ensembles, including Mariachi Herencia de México, who’ve become a national success story. Assembled by the Mariachi Heritage Foundation in 2016, the group have released five albums and received two Latin Grammy nominations. Mariachi Herencia de México hew faithfully to many mariachi traditions, but they’re not merely cultural preservationists.

Nov 8, 2024 | chicagoreader.com | Catalina Maria Johnson

Las Migas incorporate surprising but unmistakable Latin American cadences into tight vocal harmonies framed by Spanish folk–inspired violin and guitar, and occasionally punctuate their songs with full-throated flamenco howls. The versatile Barcelona collective was founded in 2004 by students of the city’s prestigious Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya in order to explore music that stems from flamenco.

Aug 29, 2024 | chicagoreader.com | Catalina Maria Johnson

With three stages of live music, a conversation tent, and lakefront views, the inaugural Evanston Folk Festival aspires to be more than a conventional music fest. Jake Samuels, organizer of the festival and director of music at beloved Evanston venue SPACE, tells me that the two-day event is the manifestation of a long-held dream of a songwriter-driven outdoor festival that champions the sort of eclectic vision of folk music presented at SPACE.

Aug 19, 2024 | chicagoreader.com | Catalina Maria Johnson

J Noa is still in her teens, but her life has already been extraordinary. On her 2023 single “No Me Pueden Parar” (“I Can’t Be Stopped”), the Dominican hip-hop star uses machine-gun staccato rapping and eviscerating rhymes to articulate four aspects of what makes her “impresionante” (“awesome”): her age (she was 16 when the song dropped), her gender, her commitment to schooling despite the limited resources of the community where she was raised, and her pride in her homeland.