The Miami-based producer, engineer and songwriter discusses mixing punk, pop and reggaeton, disregarding perceived rules when it comes to genres, and collaborating with artists from Alea to Paula Arenas in the latest episode of Studio Radicals – the new podcast series from dCS & Kate Hutchinson
Studio Radicals features in-depth interviews with some of music’s most innovative minds.
The series spotlights composers, producers and engineers who are building distinctive sonic worlds and bringing a fresh approach to music production. Across eight episodes, we talk to them about their process, passions and inspiration. We also explore how music is made and what it takes to create a hit record.
In Episode 6 Kate meets Miami-based songwriter, producer and engineer Maria Elisa Ayerbe. Maria was born in Bogotá, Colombia and moved to Miami 10 years ago from Nashville. Her work spans multiple genres and disciplines: she’s worked on projects with Mary J Blige, New Kids on The Block and Kronos Quartet as well as some of the biggest names in Latin rock and pop, from JLo to Ricky Martin.
Maria has received multiple GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominations, including several nods for collaborations with Colombian singer-songwriter Paula Arenas. In 2021 she received a Latin GRAMMY award for her mixing on Petrona Martinez’ acclaimed album Ancestras.
Alongside her production, songwriting and engineering work, she supports upcoming Latin artists through her independent record label, South Mountain Music.
Maria’s diverse output reflects her varied musical tastes and her love of pushing boundaries, whether it’s challenging narrow perceptions of Spanish-language music, or people’s expectations regarding musical genres…
In this episode of Studio Radicals, she talks to Kate about growing up listening to punk and metal alongside salsa and merengue songs; finding new ways to approach and push her craft, and staying connected to her roots…
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Studio Radicals Episode 6 Playlist: Maria Elisa Ayerbe spans numerous genres with tracks from Il Divo & Paula Arenas as well as Adriana Lucia, Petrona Martinez and NYA.
