STEFA* (aka stefa marin alarcón / pronouns: they/them), is the self-proclaimed “genderless” and “genreless” vocalist, composer, educator and multimedia performance artist who is bringing a refreshing take on experimental music. Since releasing their debut EP Sepalina (2018), they continued with a slew of releases that touch on a myriad of topics ranging from self-awareness to soul-searching with a touch of introspection. Their latest release “Sonambula” is a cinematic and dynamic piece that explores the swirling feelings and emotions that come with looking within. Bolstered by an ominous and haunting soundscape that soars with rich synths and strings, STEFA delivers a stunning vocal performance ripe with lilting melodic runs and heartfelt lyrics like
“For a different way
Of dealing with my
A peculiar feeling
A peculiar feeling
To be so willfully
Even when stirring
apathy
asleep
Hold me, Hold me”
Their last release Born With An Extra Rib: The Film (2023) won the Queer|Art|Prize for Recent Work, a Jury Award at TRANSlations Seattle Film Festival, and premiered at The Kitchen as a one-night sold-out engagement. Regarding the film, they stated as follows “The questions that I was asking myself were coming from a place of rage and I wanted it to feel that way,” describes STEFA*. “I wanted it to feel very grand and was thinking about scale. I was thinking about ‘Costillas’ almost as a film and what it would look like on screen, and that then went back to what it was going to sound like. I was thinking about the voice and taking up space and also using my voice differently, thinking about opera and these bigger vocal pieces.”
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