After spending decades writing music mainly for himself, folk artist Mauricio Morales, otherwise known as just Mauricio, is bringing us soft and traditional acoustic tracks on his debut release, Ridículamente Romántico. Born in Colombia but now based in Riverview, New Brunswick, Mauricio stuck to his roots on his new EP and wrote the lyrics to all of its four tracks in Spanish, his mother tongue.
Though he typically writes and plays rock and pop tracks, Mauricio pushed himself out of his comfort zone for Ridículamente Romántico, finding a folk sound that to him feels like home. In addition to the Spanish-language element, he crafted the tracks to fit a ’50s and ’60s-era Latin-American folk sound, which for him draws up memories of music playing on the old radio at his grandparents’ house.
Each of the four tracks on the release carries a soft, emotive and raw sound with an authentic feel.
“When thinking of the album title, I thought, ‘these songs sound pretty old for the digital era and are so romantic; I don’t hear this type of romanticism on the radio anymore. It sounds like songs coming out from my grandparents’ old radio in Colombia,” says Mauricio.
“My children, my niece and my nephew will think this is ridiculous, [but] I don’t care. . . . [I am doing this] just for me, so I will be ridiculous and romantic: . . . Ridiculamente Romántico.”
The tracks were all written separately over the span of twenty years, and they each hold their own significance. But the song that kicked off the idea of the release was the EP’s opening track, “Abuela Amelia.” Written about his wife’s late grandmother, Amelia, the track was crafted out of memories of the woman as a tribute to her after her passing. It carries a light and soft energy and serves more to celebrate her spirit than to dwell in her absence.
“When I decided to write [“Abuela Amelia”], I chose to do it in a Colombian style, to give it the taste of the land where she was born. It is intended to be a mix between Güabina and bambuco, very traditional rhythms from the province where she was born,” he says.
“I thought that releasing just one song wasn’t worth it, so I went back to my files to look for songs that have a vintage style (in Spanish), preferably with at least a South-American style from the ’50s or early ’60s. And that’s how I chose the other three.”
The first track written out of the bunch is “Desde Esta Mañana,” which Mauricio says he had worked on slowly over the course of the past twenty or so years. Though it comes across as a love song, the track actually encompasses a number of critical and pivotal moments in the artist’s life during the span of its creation.
The third track, “Sueño de Locos,” spins the tale of two lovers whose fates lead to a physical distance between them but who will never forget each other. Written in 3/4 time, the track was written in the style of an Ecuadorian or Peruvian waltz but with the guitar and ukulele elements layered three times over for an original twist.
The final track, “Una Razón para No Amarte,” is among the more upbeat tracks of the release. Also spinning a fictional tale, this track was written in a retro Mexican bolero style and was finished for inclusion in this release.
A solid debut, Ridículamente Romántico gives us only a glimpse into Mauricio’s style and repertoire. The artist comes off as versatile and prolific, and we are hopeful to hear what else he may have in store.
Mauricio: SPOTIFY | NAPSTER | AMAZON MUSIC