Conversation with Gaya Waska about "La Cumbre"

Hello Gaya, can you share with us your earliest memory of falling in love with music?

Music has been a part of me since I have a memory. Perhaps the earliest memory I can recall involves inventing shows and musicals with my toys, as well as singing Italian songs with my father.

How has your cultural background influenced your music?

My cultural roots are very important for the music fusion I propose: I am half italian and half peruvian and take a lot from both cultures.On the Peruvian side, I draw inspiration from the rich South American folklore, particularly as a singer in this genre. In contrast, being born and raised in Europe has fostered my curiosity for innovation, fusion, and the distortion of traditions, especially in electronic music production.

How would you describe the evolution of your sound over the years?

I started as a singer, my biggest satisfaction lay on the imitation of great voices of blues and rock. During my teenage years, I discovered Chavela Vargas and Lila Downs, leading me to perform Mexican folkloric music. This passion expanded as I delved into Latin American traditional music while also studying jazz. As a composer, my debut on music platforms happened in 2022 with Miralamala, a reggaeton song, as a result of a fun collaboration with Fishkillah, a friend producer from Verona (IT). Just some months after this, I experimented with a collaboration with the producers Doosc and Fiordland and we released together a trilogy of songs into the Ethnotechno genre. In this phase, I enjoyed mixing traditional musical elements with electronic sounds: that led me to define further my music proposal into my latest release “La Cumbre”. This single melts together the previous ingredients with songwriting and storytelling.

Can you tell us about a pivotal moment in your musical career?

I remember a blue day in my twenties when I was looking for a song to express my feelings into. I was frustrated and couldn’t find the right mood, that’s when I wrote my first song and never stopped composing ever since! This passion took a significant step forward when I enrolled in a program for electronic music producers, where I learned a systematic approach to finishing songs, unlocking the flow of my creative process.

Can you discuss any challenges you’ve faced in the music industry and how you’ve overcome them?

Like many other emergent and talented artists, I had a hard time figuring out what steps to take and how to set priorities to achieve the goal of living fully of my own art.I am in the process of learning and assembling a coherent and powerful artistic proposal, where music is just one part of it. I believe the challenge is to offer a performance that can generate wealth, yet stay authentic and consistent in my proposal.

Can you tell us the story behind your latest single “La Cumbre”?

It was conceived while hiking in the cloud forest of Perú, in the astonishing natural reserve of Yanachaga Chemillen. I was experiencing great changes in my personal and professional life and happened to be in that corner of the world to find some peace and clarity. The song is an ode to nature and ancestral identity guiding to self-awareness.

Can you walk us through the creative process for “La Cumbre”?

It started as a melody in my head, which I recorded on the phone. I then arranged the chords with a guitar and did some tests, the chorus was not defined yet, the first input was the starting verse of the song. After coming back from my trip and pausing the song for some time, I took it again and revised it in jamming sessions until the simple “mantra” corus came out. It was a curious transformation, in the beginning I had a funky character in mind, but after consolidating the song structure it ended up being way more meditative and I like this outcome! The production of the song came several months after the acoustic composition, nevertheless I must confess most of the sounds were already hanging around in my brain for a while and it was a quick process to decide all the sounds and automation involved in the song: It took me just one week at the beginning of this summer in my music studio to produce it. After this, I recorded the final vocals in Barcelona (Spain) at La quinta al rio, where the sound engineer Roger Langvik helped me to take the vocals quality to the next level. I also collaborated with Luiggisonic in Lima (Perú) for mastering and sound balancing. I learnt a lot in the process and I am so thankful for the great professionals involved!

Is there a particular line in the song that holds special meaning to you?

The minimal chorus is a mantra that I take with me. We live in a very frenetic world that puts a lot of pressure on us as artists and human beings, so I like to remember that part of the song because it encourages me to be aware of my self-worth also through hard times.

How do you see your music evolving in the future?

My music plan for the near future is to continue producing in this fusion genre combining roots with innovation, keeping a strong foundation in my voice as a signature element, which will lead to the release of my first album and a world tour as a result of that!

Finally, what message do you want to leave for your fans and our audience today?

In the spirit of “La cumbre” I invite my beloved fans and listeners to find self acceptance in the messy journey of life. I also invite you to build a strong connection with nature within your reach, as it is a great teacher and a source of clarity! Finally, I encourage you to take an active part in rainforest protection and in the thriving of its ancestral inhabitants who watch over nature.