Muwa Debuts With Beautifully Dreamy Folk Song “Estrellas”

“Estrellas” is the debut single of new artist and indie soul Muwa. The single was released in a pair, along with a track titled “Animist,” both of which are songs that brings to life a beautiful sound of dreamy folk.

Muwa is the project of Berkeley musician Maxwell Maynard. The name Muwa means three things: it is the sound “AUM” in reverse, a Japanese name meaning “dream of peace and harmony”, and a “little kissy sound,” as described by Maynard.

On the creation of “Estrellas,” Muwa has said as such:

“I’ve been describing [the track] as ‘acoustic Brazilian-ish singer songwriter space rock.’ The song opens with the lines ‘everyone I’ve met so far is descended from a star’ which becomes the thesis of the song. This song is simultaneously a celebration of the unique individual lives of each being brought forth into this world, and a tribute to my mom, who passed away 5 years ago.”

Overall, “Estrellas” holds its charm from its clean and tasteful production, one that allows the single to give plenty of space for its poetry and emotion to shine. Perhaps its most heartfelt moment is found in the lines “puedo ver tantas estrellas,” translated into English to be “I can see so many stars,” followed by the line “and I wish you were here with me to see them.” The emotion displayed in the performance of these lyrics are clearly and beautifully genuine, even more so when learned that this song is said to be a tribute to Maynard’s late mother. The track is worth multiple listens, for both its sound and content, and any fans of atmospheric folk and lofi rock this single alone is proof that Muwa can’t be an artist to miss.

Muwa also will be releasing a new song for every month of 2023, and updates for each new release and more can be found on Instagram.