Mariana Masetto‘s new single, “Numina,” is a hauntingly beautiful ode to the goddesses Ceres, Artemis, Minerva and Aphrodite. With an ethereal and powerful voice, Masetto sings in both Spanish and Italian, bringing the listener into a world that’s at once familiar and otherworldly.
As a musician, singer, percussionist, writer and teacher, Masetto has a deep understanding of the power of music to transcend boundaries and connect people across cultures. Her previous albums have been nominated for numerous awards, and “Numina” is sure to cement her reputation as one of Argentina’s most talented and innovative musicians.
The song begins with a simple, repetitive acoustic guitar riff that sets a somber, introspective tone. Masetto’s voice enters soon after, her vocals rising and falling in intensity as she sings of the goddesses who inspire her. The percussion builds gradually, driving the rhythm as the song reaches its climax with the swirling lead melodies ebbing and flowing in dazzling fashion.
What makes “Numina” so special is the way Masetto seamlessly blends different musical traditions and languages. The song is a fusion of folk, classical and world music influences, with Masetto’s voice serving as the unifying force that ties everything together. The lyrics are in both Spanish and Italian, reflecting Masetto’s multicultural background and her desire to create music that speaks to people from different parts of the world.
As the song progresses, Masetto’s voice becomes more urgent, conveying a sense of longing and yearning that’s both personal and universally relatable. The instrumentation is spare but effective, with each note and chord carefully chosen to create a mood of contemplation and introspection.
Ultimately, “Numina” is a song about the power of the divine feminine. It is a celebration of the goddesses who have inspired women throughout history and a call to arms for all women to embrace their own power and strength. With its haunting melody and evocative lyrics, “Numina” is a song that will stay with you long after it has ended.
We caught up with Mariana to find out about her inspirations, her new single “Numina” and what she’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with Mariana Masetto below.
Hey Mariana, how’s things?
Hi, here I’m releasing the fourth song of my next album that will have the same name as the song has: Numina. On this album, all the songs will be composed in two languages based on Spanish, which is my mother tongue. Numina, the song I’m currently presenting is in fact in Spanish and Italian. What’s more, there will also be a video clip for each song! For this particular one, we have chosen a very special place in Brazil where Numina was filmed. And last but not least, this song is dedicated to 4 Greek and Roman goddesses: Ceres, Minerva, Artemis and Aphrodite. I invite you to watch and listen to it!
How did you first get into making your own music?
I felt the need to tell my own stories a few years ago when I was exploring and travelling my musical path. Although I had written my first song long before, when my nephew was born, as time went by, I began to write lyrics about what I felt in connection to nature. That was the starting point for my desire to express myself through music. Music is my favourite channel for expressing feelings.
Which artist first made a lasting impression on you?
Bob Marley was the first artist who had a strong influence on me when I was growing up. At first, it was all about exploring the English language through the lyrics and the kind of ‘upbeat’ accentuation rhythm quickly captured me. Afterwards, at my 14 years old or so, came the deep consciousness of the tremendous power and humanity of his lyrics. I still listen to him with great love and admiration.
Which artists do you draw most inspiration from today?
Today I’m inspired by Paul McCartney, Lhasa De Sela, Harry Styles, Sting, Ólafur Arnalds, Dua Lipa, to name just a few of many.
How else do you find inspiration for your music?
Mostly, reading in different languages. For example, while doing the training course in French: L’étranger of Albert Camus was awe-inspiring, or the Norwegian author Bård Borch Michalsen with his book on how punctuation has changed history, helped me in writing my songs in new directions. Reading inspires me in many different ways.
What do you love about the Buenos Aires music scene?
I like the great variety of artists and genres that are presented at the same time. It has all the time a very rich and lively atmosphere, that makes me think that there are possibilities for my own music. There are a lot of different ways to express oneself here, Buenos Aires is full of permanent art.
What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?
The perfect scenario could be in an open-air forest with a small sound system, so that the environment is not disturbed and with no more than 150 people in the audience. In my dreams, it would also be singing twice a week for example, made it something ordinary, like a ritual you repeat daily.
How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?
It has evolved in a great variety of ways. I started out by doing versions of well-known traditional songs. That was how I found my way of expressing my feelings when singing them. Then, with the process of writing my own songs, I found a complete new universe where the most important thing was to say what I felt. I used to think that maybe these songs could resonate with someone else and helped in some way, to make each path better.
How did you find making your new single “Numina”?
It was something unexpected, out of the blue, and at the same time much sought. Life itself takes you and drives you when you are in the process of composing all the time. Recently, while looking at the label of a bottle of wine, I saw the name Numina, it was really something very special that I was tasting in combination with a delicious meal. At the same time, I remembered reading about Numina, the Latin term for divinity or divine presence, from a book by the prestigious writer Jean Shinoda Bolen, up to my own readings about the goddesses of the Greek era. All this together led me to talk about these ideas at the same time and the best of that: in two different languages, Spanish and Italian, both of which are Romance languages, sharing the same root.
What message did you want to get across with this release?
The main message is the awareness and importance of the power of women, with all their abilities and virtues. In the past women were represented by symbols, but today, in the light of the truth, powerful women are corporeal and truly physical.
What did you enjoy most about collaborating with Ariel Gato on the song?
What we enjoy most is the back and forth in deciding how this or that part of the song and this or that part of the video should be. It’s all fun! We do it all together and life goes by so quickly as we decide what we’re going to do with each part of each song, and that comes out of what we’re hearing, listening, seeing and watching. It flows and for us that is magic.
How did you find making the music video?
In this particular case it was almost without thinking, we were on holiday in a very special place in Brazil celebrating Ariel’s birthday, surrounded by nature and for him the best present was to go out, looking for landscapes to show in this song dedicated to the goddesses. So, we spent the whole day filming and then editing each of the best parts of this encounter with nature on a great day. Unforgettable!
What artist have you been listening to most recently?
Harry Styles.
What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?
The main thing I want people to get is to have access to their own thinking in relation to the world we live every day. Also, to awaken their consciousness to live better every day by listening to nature itself, the trees, the birds and the other people around us. Listening to oneself, true listening.
What’s been your favourite live show so far?
My favourite live show was the last one in Alliance Française of Buenos Aires, a very special moment for me while receiving my diploma. The other one was a radio programme, an interview that the famous artist Guillo Espel did with me on his programme, where thanks to his precise questions I was able to express a large part of my feelings and the music from my last album Ciclo, in which there are also my own compositions.
Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?
Paul McCartney, Harry Styles and Sting, I would love to see Sting backing up Paul and playing bass on Paul’s songs and Harry covering Sting as well as Sting doing Harry’s duets. It would be a crazy generational dream but super incredible to enjoy. Surely they would not stop doing shows all over the world for a whole year.
Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?
Don’t stop thinking of your own ideas and put them into practice as soon as possible before someone tells you it won’t work.
Finally, what do you have lined up for the rest of 2023?
To complete my new album Numina, so that it will be available digitally on all platforms from July and to be able to start my next album, which does not have a name yet but I’m full of ideas that are waiting to be developed. It is what drives me to complete Numina!
Watch the music video Numina below
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