500 years – that’s how long the Mapuche, Chile’s indigenous population, have resisted foreign (colonizer) influence amidst war, oppression, and continued encroachment on their lands and resources. Despite continuous conflict with the Chilean government, they have continued to thrive, leading to revitalization efforts to keep their language, Mapudungun (Mapuzugun) alive. To this end, after re-recording their first album, Kollong, in Mapudungun to erase the Spanish influence, Mawiza comes back swinging with their newest record, Ül, evoking the history of continued Mapuche resistance and eulogizing those who have fought against colonization.
One of the first things gleaned from Ül is how overt its intentions are. For example, first track “Wingkawnoam” (transl. “To Decolonize”) is a call to action. A call that asks every single person regardless of nation and creed to witness Mawiza – and to an extent, the Mapuche – reclaim what was taken from them. While Chile has cities and towns with Mapudungun names, the Spanish influence remains, rebaptizing things into another bloodline and another language that is easier for the foreigner to understand. By asking us to leave our perceptions at the door, Mawiza presents a perspective that is entirely connected to their ancestry and customs which gives us a glimpse into what things could be. For a moment, we can see what they can: a connection to nature, to land, to the blood that was shed to fight back, to the heart of everything.
However, it’s the presentation that makes it incredibly poignant. Mawiza melds the modern – the production, the intensity of the music, the instrumentation – with the traditional, creating a musical coexistence that doesn’t push one way or another. For example, there’s “Mamüll Reke,” a song that starts with the guitar imitating a whistle, as if calling forth the gods so they can punish those who have wronged them. Then there’s “Pinhza Ñi pewma” which combines the intensity of the guitar with vocalist Awka’s syncopated vocal rhythm creating a high-intensity song that screams about the future of war and how only one party will come out as the victors. This leads straight into the progressive melody of Nawelkünuwnge” which reminds me of Gojira and, to an extent, Devin Townsend. This song is heavier than its predecessor, moving with an energy that reminds me of both “Amazonia” and “Universe in a Ball!” emitting a wall of sound that grips and doesn’t let go. Ül wants us to see that there can be peaceful coexistence, even amidst the background noise of conflicts, the revision of history, and the constant push-and-pull of rejected proposals and broken agreements.
Ül is also a window into learning and understanding what has happened to the Mapuche since the Conquest of Chile. To this end, tracks like “Nawelkünuwnge” and “Wenu Weychan” take on a more historical approach discussing how the foreigners have not only tried to undermine and kill their way of life, but also tried to exterminate everything so they could colonize their lands. Although many died of disease and war, the Mapuche refused to accept what was offered to them knowing that anything coming from their enemies would not help or benefit them. After all, who’s not to say that this kind of peace comes with conditions and stipulations? “Wenu Weychan” makes it abundantly clear that no one will obey and conform to the rules set forth by another, so why bother? Throughout, and despite of, everything they have been through, they have persisted. This all comes to a head on final track “Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan” which critiques the current state of things; the way the earth has been transformed and how, even though the country has become the facet of a modern player in its continental and international relations, history lingers. Underneath the rot and the grime of the city lies the heart of everything, and it calls for resistance and respect. It calls for home.
All in all, Ül is a testament of defiance that has survived into the modern era. Although I may not understand Mapundungun, as I grew up speaking Spanish at home, having the lyrics and its translations while writing this review made me appreciate and understand the history of Mapuche-Hispanic Chile relations and how the country and its government should do more for its people. Perhaps, one day, these two entities will reach a form of peaceful coexistence that will lead them both to prosper, one that doesn’t involve the almost-erasure of its people’s history and the oppression and violation of their rights and their voices.
— Hera
Ül is available now on Season of Mist. For more information on Mawiza, visit their official Facebook and Instagram pages.