When you listen to Mabe Fratti’s music , it’s hard to imagine the artist ever being nervous. She can sing in a way that sounds tender and vulnerable, yet there’s a strength about her, too. Her cello — her main instrument, though she incorporates other acoustic and electronic sounds into her productions — can conjure any feeling, from sweet to scary.
Still, the Guatemalan musician admits that while she’s excited about the music she’s about to drop, she’s also a little unsure. Her fourth solo album, titled Sentir Que No Sabes , features more traditional song structures and a lot more percussion than her past releases, pushing her toward new territory. “It’s a good but weird feeling,” she says as she sips mezcal with tonic water at a quaint cantina near her apartment in the Obrera neighborhood in Mexico City .
“I have never done extreme sports but I think it’s a similar feeling.” Fratti shouldn’t worry much. Sentir Que No Sabes might be more traditional in structure but these songs possess a daring spirit.
Fratti’s emotional delivery is more resonant than ever, reminding listeners of the qualities that have won her praise around the world and rallied fans in Latin America, U.S. and Europe while she’s been touring and playing festivals such as Primavera Sound , Rewire, and Le Guess Who? She’s also been recognized by artists such as Oneohtrix Point Never and Efterklang; Rolling Stone has placed her albums on year-end lists for the past two years.
