Photo: César Mansilla
Maribel Tafur
Award-winning composer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer and performer. Her creations involve ambient, downtempo, experimental and her classical piano early formation. Her sound is defined as a multisensory universe of unique atmospheres, warm melodies, textural layers, rhythm exploration, hypnotic beat making and field recordings manipulation.
In 2022, Forbes included Maribel Tafur in the list of the '50 Most Creative People in Peru'. In 2024, she received the prestigious Golden A'Design Award in Music, Audio and Sound Design 2024 for 'Central Soundscapes' project. Her work has been highlighted by international press such as DJ Mag, Remezcla, Sounds and Colours, RTVE, 3Cat, Movistar TV, Deia, El Comercio, Thump, Bandcamp Daily, Leonardo.
Maribel has released music with Sound Earth Legacy (Spain), Delicieuse Musique (France), XLR8R (US), Synesthesia (US), Hummelrund auf Erdenflug (Germany), New Latam Beats (Chile), Random Collective (Costa Rica), Unsbeat (Brazil), Matraca (Perú), Noot (Peru), Blankhaus (Peru) and Surrounding (Peru).
She has performed in festivals and venues in Europa and America such as Amplify, Serra Madre, SEL Week, L’A Inaugural, Disseny Hub, Ruidosa, Yavería, Fiesta de la Música, Cultura Libre, Lima Mon Amour, Feria de Artes, Espacio Fundación Telefónica, Casa Montjüic and more.
Her music has been recently showcased in Loop Festival 2024 for the installation 'Cuerpos Errantes', collaborative project with Institut de Ciències del Mar, Espronceda and Inervo. Artistic residencies: Fabra i Coats (Barcelona, 2024), Luz Líquida (Barcelona, 2024), Remezcla tu Ciudad (Lima, 2021), Red Bull Bass Camp (Chile, 2016). Workshops offered: "Soundscapes Creation for Experiences and Space Designs" at Flama Festival (Malaga), "Mixtura: Musical Production between Textures" at Centro Cultural de España in Lima. Talks offered: "Music and Technology", by Municipality of Lima and "Technologies and Music Production: New Perspectives", by Giramos Music Platform.
For Maribel music creation is a multi-process which involves moods, sense, honesty, basic and complex tools and blend of music genres. Also visual elements are important for her inspiration journey. Her commitment in every production is to transport the listener to another place and make a sensory impact.
In December 2013 she released her debut EP "Mysteries Of Love", an electronic/ambient EP. Between 2015 and 2016 she released the singles "Summer Dreams" (Delicieuse Musique) and "InWi" (Independent). Then she was invited to produce a track for "South-American Women In Electronic Music" Compilation. On October 8th 2018 she released "Hidden Years" (EP) via Blankhaus Label. In february 2019 the Orbita compilation of brazilian label Unsbeat was released with her new track 'Muya'. She has released 'Intimpa' in the compilation New Latam Beats from Peru and 'Grevillea' in the recent compilation of the german label Hummelrund auf Erdenflug.
In 2019 Ian Urbina asked her to participate in The Outlaw Ocean Music Project, by producing an EP. Ian Urbina is a Pulitzer winner, journalist at The New York Times, contributing writer in National Geographic and author of the book 'The Outlaw Ocean'.
In 2020, she released "Tipuana" for the Matraca FEMINX compilation. In 2021, she produced a remix for the song "Harawi" by Peruvian artist Liberato Kani for the compilation "REMEZCLA/PE". That year she released her single "Coral". and her fourth EP "2106", a production dedicated to her parents.
In 2022, she presents the collaborative album "Mater Soundscapes of Peru", developed in synergy with the biological and cultural research center Mater Iniciativa and the chef Virgilio Martínez (owner of Central Restaurante). A record inspired by the ecosystems, altitudes and biodiversity of Peru.
In 2024 she released the album 'Ultranatura' on Sound Earth Legacy Label, wihch was presented at the Earth Day event organized by Bye Bye Plastic Foundation.
The visuals of her Live performances are made by the Peruvian visual artist Juan Carlos Yanaura: www.yanaura.com
She is also a member and co-producer of the electronic folk band Budapest, winner of Ibermusicas and incentives of Ministerio de Cultura for Music Video.
She also colaborates with the tech designer Katia Vega (www.katiavega.com) in her technology and wearable computer projects.
She is founder of Intune, her own company dedicated to audio branding projects, sound design and music creation for experiences. She wrote and produced the background music for the gastronomic experiences of Peruvian chefs Virgilio Martínez and Pia León: Central, Mil Centro, Kjolle, Mayo, Olluco and Maz. All projects involved more than 300 ambient and soundscape tracks specially created for the sensory experience inside the restaurants. She also has done musical curator for more than 80 brands and music production for film, video mapping shows and audiovisual projects.
You can access to her music design portfolio here.