Vinyl LP
Mexican-American trio Sávila describe their second LP, Mayahuel, as “music for our ancestors, made for the club.” Sung almost entirely in Spanish, Mayahuel features breathtaking vocals, clean guitar riffs, and rich percussion, creating a vibrant mix of cumbia, dream pop, and jubilant Afro-Mexican rhythms.
The album’s opening track, “Mayahuel,” is a sonic invocation: the shimmering guitar played by Fabi Reyna floats beneath Brisa Gonzalez’s voice, which slowly rises in a call to the song’s namesake deity. Album standout “Nuestro Amor” features Papi Fimbre’s masterful drum textures, which provides a steady groove beneath Gonzalez’s lyrics about love and devotion, Reyna’s guitar effortlessly punctuating each verse. In “Caballeras,” a delicate balafon pattern blends with the sound of the pre-Columbian instruments the band picked up during a trip to Oaxaca. (As Reyna and Gonzalez explained in an email: “Guerrero and La Costa Chica are homes to Mexico’s largest population of Afro-Mexicanos, and we were lucky enough to incorporate those sounds and integrate some of that influence, which is such a huge part of Mexico’s story, into this album.”) The rhythm of cumbia, which permeated their 2018 debut, comes into sharper focus on Mayahuel. Surf-like guitars, intricate percussion, and effortless poetry combine to create a triumphant record—one that’s equal parts danceable and reflective. By honoring their Mexican lineage, Sávila continues down their creative path: making music that advocates for joy and inter-generational healing.
