On the occasion of the collaboration “Tambora” on Virgin Records (Intercord) / Tomorrowland Music, we asked 6 questions to the Spanish duo MËSTIZA, formed in 2021 by Pitty Bernad and Belah with over a decade of individual experience and known for fusing electronics with flamenco and to the Colombian singer Martina Camargo, nominated for a Latin Grammy and among the most recognized voices in the global Latin House scene since “I Robaste El Sueño “a” Guataqui!
Title: Faul & Wad, MIASTIZA, Martina Camargo – Tambora
Release date: September 5, 2025
Label: Virgin Records/Tomorrowland Music
1) “Tambora” blends Afro-Latin rhythms, deep house energy, and organic vocals into a track that feels both ancestral and modern. How did you approach the creative process together and what do you like more about your collaborator?
MËSTIZA: “Tambora” was born from the desire to merge the pulse of Afro-Latin percussion with the hypnotic energy of electronic music. We wanted to create a track that feels alive, like a ritual that connects the dancefloor to something much older and deeper.
Our creative process is very intuitive: we start by exchanging ideas and textures that move us emotionally, and from there we let rhythm and melody lead the way. What we love most about our collaborator is the balance, the respect for tradition, but with a modern sensibility. Working together felt like a true dialogue between cultures and generations.
MARTINA CAMARGO: “It’s interesting that DJs like my music and feel inspired to combine it with electronic music. I have always created by listening to and remembering my village, with the sole intention of continuing the musical dynasty of this tradition in which I was born. So, I value my collaborators greatly. It inspires me to hear that this remix preserves my native drums. That shows a sensitivity that not all DJs have.”
2) Your journey as artists has brought you to explore Afro-Latin house sounds with distinct identities.
Can you walk us through the key moments that shaped your artistic path? Was there a specific turning point — a track, an artist, a place, or an experience — that made you realize this was the sound you wanted to pursue?
MËSTIZA: There were several moments, but one of the most defining was playing in Latin America and feeling how people connected instantly to the drums, the chants, the ancestral energy behind the rhythm. That was when we realized that what we were doing wasn’t just about sound, it was about memory and emotion.
Traveling through places like Colombia, Mexico, and Spain also shaped our palette. Each experience gave us a new layer of inspiration, and we understood that our path was to blend the spiritual and the electronic, the past and the present. That’s the essence of MËSTIZA.
MARTINA CAMARGO: “Well, I live from oral transmission. I come from a musical family. My father was a singer and dancer of this traditional music. And since I was born amidst it, it marks my life as an artist. I take it very seriously and with great responsibility, because traditional music is respectful and has great value.”
3) Your vibe is really having its moment globally and even evolving through new blends. How do you see Afro House evolving from here — do you think there’s a risk of it becoming too standardized, or will it keep reinventing itself through new crossovers or by reconnecting with its authentic roots?
MËSTIZA: Afro House is in a beautiful place right now. It has visibility, but also responsibility. The challenge is to keep it authentic, to respect its roots while letting it evolve naturally through collaborations and cultural exchange. We believe the future of Afro House lies in connection: not in standardizing it, but in opening it to new influences – Latin, Arabic, Asian – without losing the soul of where it comes from. When it’s created with respect, it keeps reinventing itself.
MARTINA CAMARGO: “Nothing is static in the world; everything transforms. Those people who work with our traditional music—in this case I’m talking about the tambora—must be very careful. I always emphasize respect, never going above these musics because they are sacred; these musics ground who we are. Within them there is a very deep feeling, a great essence of our ancestors, our territory, and the Magdalena River. As my music crosses borders, I want it to preserve all the love and the spiritual dimension of what it means to my people.”
4) In April 2025 PTDJA Report, a new wave of young producers seems more focused on social visibility than on genuine musical development. At the same time, global platforms and major festivals are increasingly embracing Afro and Latin-inspired house sounds. From your perspective as artists, do you see this trend as an opportunity to reach wider audiences — or as a challenge to preserve artistic credibility in a scene that sometimes rewards virality over depth?
MËSTIZA: It’s both. Visibility can open doors and help spread these sounds to new audiences, which is positive, but only if the message behind the music remains genuine. For us, it’s crucial to protect the artistic essence. The real opportunity is to show that you can be visible and meaningful, that you can make people dance and still tell a story, represent a culture, evoke emotion. That’s what keeps music timeless.
MARTINA CAMARGO: “I believe that traditional music deserves greater visibility because it has much to teach the rest of the world. As I said before, reaching other spaces, other countries, means it will touch more souls, more hearts. Because music brings joy, but within that joy it must also carry a positive message to the world. I don’t dream of the globalization of my music out of ego, but in order to bring happiness and, hopefully, so that young people learn to care for life and the planet.”
5) With streaming algorithms and playlist placements now playing such a dominant role in how dance music is discovered, how do you think about positioning your work within that ecosystem — especially when your sound carries cultural and emotional weight that might not always fit neatly into algorithmic categories? Do you feel pressure to adapt your creative choices for discoverability, or do you prioritize artistic integrity and trust the right audience will find you?
MËSTIZA: We’re aware of how algorithms work, but we try not to let them dictate our creative process. Our priority is emotional and cultural honesty, to create music that moves us first, and trust that it will find its people. We do think about how to present our sound, visually, narratively, so that it reaches the right audience. But we’d rather connect deeply with a smaller group who really feels it, than chase numbers. Authenticity always resonates more strongly in the long run.
MARTINA CAMARGO: “I never think about the algorithm or the playlists. I like to think that our music makes whoever finds it happier, but we don’t control nor seek to control those technologies.”
6) Coming from a Latin American background and now operating within the global electronic music scene, how has your cultural heritage influenced not just your sound, but also your approach to production, performance, and storytelling through music? Do you feel a responsibility to represent or reinterpret those roots, or is it more of an organic, personal expression?
MËSTIZA: Coming from a Spanish background, music has always been part of our lives, something we grew up with at home, surrounded by rhythm and tradition. Our roots naturally flow into everything we create. It’s not a responsibility, but an organic expression of who we are, a bridge between our culture and the global sound we’re part of today.
MARTINA CAMARGO: “My roots are lobanas (from San Martin de Loba in the Colombian Caribbean), of the tambora (the music tradition), and I could never separate the two. There are no roots without my music, and no music without my roots. Because it is my family and ancestral heritage, I have the responsibility to pass it on to my daughters and granddaughter from childhood onward. And now that I have the privilege of being heard in other countries and continents, I take on the responsibility of sharing my tambora tradition with the world. As a little girl I was taught to care for nature, and in the same way I want all people to care for all forms of life in the world. That’s what I express in my songs and in my everyday life.”
Listen to the YouBeat Selection by FAUL & WAD for “Tambora”!
[Thanks to The Media Nanny for the opportunity!]
