Aldana, Vedala and Ceci of DARUMAS Talk Making Music and Their Self-Titled Debut Album

With a bold and funky sound combining Latin music with soulful pop, musical trio DARUMAS are unlike any other group we've heard.

Their eclectic sound makes sense given its similarly diverse members,  consisting of musicians and vocalists Aldana Aguirre, Vedala Vilmond and Ceci Leon, all from different parts of the world, yet eager to bring their own musicality to the collective for something truly special. What brings them together is a passion and love for music, and a desire to make their industry dreams come true. Today, the three artists released their debut album, the self-titled DARUMAS, and we had the pleasure of chatting with them all about the band and the new music in an interview below.

Sweety High: Can you each introduce yourselves? What are your backgrounds, and what would you say are your "roles" within the group?

Aldana Aguirre: I'm Aldana, bassist and producer. I have been in the music scene for many years playing for great Latin American artists. Now in this new facet of my life, with DARUMAS, I am the bassist and also producer and musical director.

Vedala Vilmond: I am Vedala. I am a Haitian who has lived in Chile for eight years. I am a singer and I also play the piano a little. I have always liked music for as long as I can remember. When I moved to Chile, I started to take music seriously, and at the age of 15, I was able to sign with Sony Music Chile and released a couple of songs. Three years later, I find myself in this band DARUMAS and I fulfill the role of being the vocalist of the band.

Ceci Leon: My name is Ceci. I am a second-generation Cuban American born and raised in Miami, and I sing and play guitar in DARUMAS. I've been studying guitar for around 10 years, and have been singing ever since I can remember. Before DARUMAS, I was a working musician—I was gigging at bars and restaurants in Miami, I taught guitar and vocal lessons and I was a full-time student. I dropped out of college last year when Aldana reached out to me about this project, and since then, I have been playing guitar and singing in DARUMAS.

(Photo credit: Lucía Olmos)

 

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SH: What does the name DARUMAS mean to you? Why did you decide to self-title this debut album?

Aldana: The name DARUMAS is directly related to the Daruma doll, a Japanese amulet that speaks of perseverance and hard work until achieving your proposed goals. This album was made in a very artisanal, detailed and very organic way. There was hard work and a lot of perseverance, so that's why we believe that the name of the album has a lot to do with all that.

Ceci: I think DARUMAS means something a little different for all of us, but for me, my dream my entire life was to make and release music, to have people hear it and for that to be my career, and in this stage of my life that's exactly what's happening. Being a part of this project is a huge accomplishment for me in and of itself, and I'm here doing the thing, making a career out of what I love

 

SH: What do you feel are the overarching themes of the album? What kind of feel do you hope fans take away from it?

Aldana: I hope that those who listen to our songs find freshness, motivation and joy. Even though some lyrics talk about heartbreak, the music is always up and groovy. I hope you have fun and feel like dancing or picking up an instrument and playing along to the songs!

Vedala: I hope that each of the people who listen to the songs on the album can connect and enjoy them since they are quite joyful rhythmically and some are also motivating.

Ceci: More than anything, I just hope that fans enjoy the songs. They're upbeat and fun and I think they bring something new to the table.

 

SH: How would you describe the album's sound? Production-wise, how did you go about bringing these tracks to life?

Aldana: It has a very organic sound, with a lot of power in the bass lines and old-school disco elements, but at the same time, with a certain modern touch that brings it to today's times.

Vedala: The album has a very refreshing sound with old and new sounds.

Ceci: I think production-wise, it has a really cool balance of old-school funk and a modern pop sound. It really wasn't difficult bringing the songs to life in the studio. A huge part of making music is the people you're doing it with, and the three of us really connected in the studio together and everything really flowed.

 

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SH: What are your favorite songs on the album? Why?

Aldana: There are many that are my favorites, but if I had to choose one, it would be "Mago" because it is an example of what the DARUMAS sound is—good and groovy and with some amazing brasses that transport you to a  different time. Furthermore, the lyrics have a certain mischief that I love.

Vedala: I have several that are my favorites, but I really love "La Llamada," since I like what happens there vocally, and I love the sniper lyrics.

Ceci: My two favorite songs on the album are "Mago"—for me personally, it has the most fun guitar part to play and it's one of the most upbeat ones we have—and "Cero de Cien." I just really like a good prominent bass part.

 

SH: Was there anything that surprised you about the process of recording and putting together your debut album?

Aldana: Yes, absolutely everything. Each stage that I went through during the process of creating this album has been one of constant learning. But if I had to highlight something, it would be the power of collaborating and sharing music with friends and colleagues, because songs have a much higher flight when you share and exchange knowledge and experiences with others.

Vedala: For the recording process of this album it was very fun. Through the recordings I added some adlib melodies as well, and I gave each song a personality vocally. We also shared ideas and I was able to learn a lot from my colleagues, which I will never forget.

Ceci: I've been in recording studios and recorded for myself and other people before, but never anything super high-end or fancy, so I was really floored at how much attention to detail really went into the recording and production of these songs. We were in the studio for months on end recording and rerecording to get everything sounding exactly how we wanted to.

 

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SH: How are you feeling about releasing it to the world?

Aldana: I feel happy and also very curious about how people will receive these songs.

Vedala: I am very happy and I am also very anxious that people can now enjoy this album that we have made with so much effort and love.

Ceci: We've all put so much time and love and care into this music, so I'm just excited for it to be out in the world for people to hear.

 

SH: Is there anything else we should know about DARUMAS?

Aldana: We are musicians making music, wanting to bring freshness and something new to the current Latin music scene.

Vedala: We are a band that is very thirsty for shows and also to motivate everyone who listens to us.

Ceci: We are music.

(Photo credit: Lucía Olmos)

 

For more stories about our favorite new music, click HERE to read our interview with Riah on her introspective new single, "Bed."