Maya Jupiter swings to Latino Flavor in LA

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Aussie Hip-Hop artist with Mexican & Turkish roots, Maya Jupiter teamed up with the acclaimed East LA band Quetzal to co-produce her new, self-titled sophomore album with neo-soul singer Aloe Blacc.

Growing up with parents from two different cultures (a Mexican father and a Turkish mother) left an ineffaceable mark on Maya Jupiter. She grew up listening to traditional Turkish and pop music as well as Spanish-language jazz and soul music.

Having felt limited in Australia, Maya Jupiter moved to LA in 2008 on a musical mission. The underground MC was set on creating a hip-hop album firmly rooted in her Mexican heritage, while at the same time incorporating influences from other musical genres.

"..The sample-free, original instrumentation on her self-titled effort adds to her music's unique appeal. A Latin American harp, requintos, jaranas, electric guitars, trumpets and keys round out her melodies, and there's a striking use of live percussion instruments such as the quijada, cajón, tarima and pandiero instead of MPC drum beats.

In her sophomore set, Jupiter sends out messages of female empowerment in her socially conscious rhymes. "The songs that come easy to me are always about topics that I'm frustrated and angry about," she says, "or songs in which I'm talking to women."

But for all the emphasis on the instrumentation of her new album, she takes her most creative leap on the mic itself by singing on songs such as "El Secreto" and "Like Water."

"It's a big step for me, personally, to put that out there," she admits. "I never wrote a love song before. It was always easier to talk politics!"..("Woman of the World: Maya Jupiter crafts global hip-hop with her music.")