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Mexican Composer Maria Leonora prepares for each concert as if she were preparing for war.
There is a tribal edge to her make-up. Her clothes are arranged in layers which she takes off as soon as the show begins. An amulet above his navel acts as protection.
“I look in the mirror and I start going to war,” she said before a recent presentation. Mexico City“I prepare myself to walk on fire and whatever happens, happens,”
His 2025 performances were conceived as chapters linked by a common thread. He named the series “Through All the Fire”, believing that both music and fire have a powerful renewing quality.
“Fire can burn and destroy,” he said. “But if you succeed, you may be reborn.”
The same idea of warmth and renewal is present in the atmosphere of his shows. Their concerts take inspiration from the pre-Hispanic steam bath known as “Temazcal”, which played an important role in Mesoamerican social and religious life.
“When you go into Temazcal, you may suffer, but you endure it,” he said. “You sweat and your ego gets bruised. The heat gets you bruised even if you don’t want to.”
In a publication from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, archaeologist Agustín Ortiz wrote that temazcales had a ritual function and a cosmological significance for Mesoamerican cultures.
Built in stone or adobe structures, each bathhouse could seat dozens of people and produced steam by heating the stones before adding water.
Ortiz wrote, “Temazcal was seen as a passageway between the Earth’s interior and the world of the living and the underworld.” “It was conceived as a gateway to ‘beyond’.”
Most of them were located near ceremonial ballcourts, underscoring their connection to the ritual dimension of the game.
Temazcales are still in use today, but their earliest forms have been found Maya Cities like Chichen Itza and Palenque, and places like Tlatelolco and Teotihuacan in central Mexico.
path of renewal
Maria Leonora encountered the healing power of music at the age of 16.
While going through a difficult period in adolescence, he embraced punk rock. And after learning to play the drums, she stepped onto a stage for the first time.
“I was able to change a lot of things just by playing and standing in front of an audience,” she said. “I can honestly say it saved my life.”
Since then, he has spent years playing with other musicians and working in a variety of genres.
In “Through All the Fire”, she interprets a variety of lyrics in an effort to lead her audience from darkness to a feeling of renewal.
,music is a powerful tool that can connect you EarthFor life, for the universe and for other people,” she said. “It’s a means for you to dig and discover things about yourself.”
She describes her shows as “immersive concerts”, meaning that sound, lights and visuals play a role in shaping attendees’ participation.
Producer Diego Cristian Saldana said, “We want the audience to feel overwhelmed by the experience of each song.” “Emotions and specific sensations are what music triggers and we are deliberately looking for that.”
This intention is reflected in how the audience describes the experience.
In a video released by Mexico City’s Ministry of Culture in late November, a young man who had seen María Leonora perform on three occasions said that each experience had felt very gratifying. Another woman mentioned that she felt tired before the show, but was full of energy, wanting to move on with her life.
“We continue to encourage people to actively participate,” he said. “To dive into the inner journey.”
ritual on stage
“Through All the Fire” begins with her voice inviting the audience to cross the “salt circle”, meaning leaving the outside world behind.
As the lighting remains warm and subtle, their first song talks about love. Then the repertoire moves towards Golmaal. The pain of separation is reflected on the stage.
As the show develops, María Leonora explores deeper emotions, and she slowly removes her makeup and sheds layers of clothing. Then comes the climax.
He said, “As soon as my character gets tired, falls on the ground, he starts breathing again.” “It’s time to pass through the fire, as you would in Temazcal.”
To free themselves with her, attendees are encouraged to yell, scream, or engage in any rituals they feel the need to do. Once freed from the burden that burdens them, they sing.
He said, “Our last song is like the first ray of light.” “You can look back at your life and move forward toward brightness.”
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Associated Press religion coverage is supported by the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from the Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.