Concert Review: Maye Kicks Off Música Para Abrir El Cielo Tour in New York City

Review & Photos by Tara Saraf

Fans of Maye, a Miami raised Venezuelan artist who opened for and is backed by indie pop group The Marías, gathered in The Bowery Ballroom to experience the first night of the tour for Música Para Abrir El Cielo, her debut album. NYC based singer La Cassandra powerfully opened the show with songs from her own album, giving us a taste of different Latin genres. Maye’s own dad also sang and played songs for us on his guitar and did not shy away from praising his daughter on her first headline tour. 

The show started strongly with an amped up version of “Yo Me Consiento”, the album’s first single. Her band’s guitarist played impressive solos throughout the night, rightfully earning passionate applause and woos. I was worried that the slower pace of some of the songs from the album wouldn’t translate the best on stage, but Maye thankfully proved me very wrong, bringing energy to each and every performance. The most excitement was definitely reserved for Maye’s older songs such as Versos de Placer, Yours, and her most popular, Tú. The song was even featured on one of Barack Obama’s summer playlists. 

Maye’s vocals unsurprisingly never disappointed and every note she sang was done so intentionally and with conviction. My personal favorite performance was “My Love”, an r&b/indie fusion she released in 2019 that transports the listener to tropical areas and is embellished perfectly with old Hollywood strings. The rest of the show went on without a hitch, providing unforgettable moments for those who have been yearning to hear their favorite songs live and sing along word for word.

Listen to Maye here!