Maria Jose Montijo, known as “Majo,” embraces her identity as a “cosmic, queer islander,” weaving her experiences as a migrant, healer, and Puerto Rican woman into her debut album, Esotérica Tropical. “It’s all about protecting the Earth,” said Majo of the title track. “But it’s also a song of belonging … As a migrant living in California, I feel like this place loves me back.”
Majo’s life and music are deeply intertwined with her spiritual practices. She’s a trained acupuncturist, performs “biodynamic cranial, sacral work,” and has studied Qigong and Tai Chi. “I have this deep desire to heal, and my music is part of my healing journey.
Esotérica Tropical, Majo said, describes the kind of music that she does: medicinal, political, and very earnest. Her group will perform in San Francisco on December 8 at The Chapel during the 43rd annual Encuentro del Canto Popular, hosted by El Tecolote’s nonprofit publisher, Acción Latina.
Blending ancestral traditions with modern sounds, Esotérica Tropical’s ensemble includes Majo as the lead vocalist, Denise Solis on the Afro-Puerto Rican barril drum, and lush harmonies from Karla Rivera and Grace Guerrero. Together, they create a sonic landscape that is both grounding and otherworldly, merging the earth’s pulse with cosmic vibrations.
A journey through sound and spirit
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Majo grew up singing with the prestigious Coro de Niños de San Juan, a children’s choir that toured internationally. “It was super intense,” said Majo, adding that she would practice nine hours a week, but “got to travel all over.”
While swimming at San Juan’s El Escambrón Beach, a lifeguard friend asked, “What are you doing with music?” Majo admitted she hadn’t been performing. The next day, that friend handed her a harp from the trunk of their car—an unexpected gift that would forever change her music.
Finding community — and Bomba — in the Bay Area
In Oakland, Majo’s immersion in Bomba — the Afro-Boricua drum and dance tradition — further shaped her artistic identity. Under the guidance of Julia Cepeda from Puerto Rico’s legendary Cepeda family, Majo found Bomba to be more than music; it was a spiritual practice, a communal experience that gave birth to many of her songs.
Hurricane Maria in 2017 marked a turning point for Majo’s music, especially with her song Huracán, which emerged from the grief and rage sparked by the disaster. “Bomba taught me that music can be healing, that we can grieve and process our pain in community, especially as immigrants.”
The album: Esotérica Tropical
Released on September 6, Esotérica Tropical is a love letter to Puerto Rico. The album includes collaborations with Bomba legends like Jesús “El Tambor Mayor” Cepeda, Latin jazz virtuoso Charlie Gurke, and indie powerhouse Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards, alongside cutting-edge electronic producers like Luis Maurette (Uji), Heidi Lewandowski (Kaleema), and Adam Partridge (Atropolis). Across ten tracks, Majo fuses traditional Afro-Boricua rhythms with modern electronic sounds to convey messages of environmental and social justice.
“My songs are medicinal,” Majo explains. “I’m in the process of decolonizing my heart, body, and mind. Colonization is still very real — what’s happening in Puerto Rico is a slow kind of genocide.”
With Esotérica Tropical, Majo offers more than just an album—it’s an offering of love, healing, and resistance. Through her powerful vocals and layered compositions, she invites us to reconnect with the Earth, heal from our collective trauma, and resist the forces that threaten our world.
Majo and Esotérica Tropical will perform in San Francisco on December 8, 2024, at The Chapel during Acción Latina’s 43rd annual Encuentro del Canto Popular. Tickets are available at cantopopular.eventbrite.com.