Mexican composer María Leonora is redefining the concert experience with her upcoming performance series “Through All the Fire,” set to begin in 2025. Each concert is designed as a chapter in a transformative journey, intertwining music and ritual to foster a deep sense of renewal among her audience.
In preparation for her concerts, Leonora adopts a warrior-like persona. Her makeup features tribal elements, and her layered clothing symbolizes the shedding of past burdens as the performance progresses. “I look into the mirror and I sort of go to war,” she explained before a recent show in Mexico City. “I brace myself to walk through the fire and whatever happens happens.”
Music and Ritual: A Transformative Experience
Leonora’s series draws inspiration from the Mesoamerican steam bath known as a temazcal. This ritualistic practice holds significant social and spiritual importance, serving as a conduit for personal and communal renewal. “A fire can burn and destroy,” she remarked, “but if you make it through, you can be reborn.”
The cultural significance of the temazcal is highlighted by archaeologist Agustín Ortiz, who noted that these structures were considered entrances to the underworld and played a crucial role in Mesoamerican ceremonies. Temazcales, often located near ceremonial ballcourts, facilitated communal rituals and personal reflection. Their use dates back to ancient sites like Chichén Itzá and Palenque, emphasizing their enduring legacy.
Leonora discovered music’s healing potential at a young age. After facing personal struggles during her adolescence, she turned to punk rock and learned to play the drums, which opened doors to performance. “I can honestly say it saved my life,” she expressed. This pivotal experience has shaped her artistic vision, leading her to create a concert series that encourages audiences to confront their own challenges.
Immersive Concerts and Audience Engagement
“Through All the Fire” aims to guide attendees from darkness to renewal through a diverse repertoire. “Music is a powerful tool that can connect you to Earth, to life, to the universe and to other people,” Leonora stated. Her concerts are described as “immersive,” incorporating sound, light, and visuals to create a profound experience for the audience.
Diego Cristian Saldaña, the show’s producer, emphasized the importance of audience participation. “We want the audience to feel enveloped in the experience of each song,” he said, noting that the emotional and sensory elements of the performance are intentionally designed to provoke a deep response.
Audience reactions reflect this intent. A young man who attended multiple performances described each experience as deeply gratifying. Another attendee shared that despite feeling exhausted before the show, she left energized and eager to embrace life. “We constantly encourage people to actively participate,” Leonora noted, inviting attendees to embark on their own internal journeys.
The concert begins with a vocal invitation to cross the “salt circle,” symbolizing a departure from the outside world. As the performance unfolds, Leonora’s songs transition from themes of love to the pain of separation, mirroring the emotional journey of the audience. Throughout the show, she progressively removes her makeup and layers of clothing, symbolizing the release of burdens.
As the climax approaches, Leonora describes a moment of exhaustion, followed by a resurgence of energy. “The moment comes to walk through the fire, as you would do in a temazcal,” she explained. Attendees are encouraged to express themselves freely, whether through howling, screaming, or engaging in personal rituals.
The final song serves as a metaphorical dawn, allowing participants to reflect on their past while moving forward toward a brighter future. “You can look back into your life and move forward toward luminosity,” Leonora concluded, encapsulating the essence of her transformative musical journey.
Through “Through All the Fire,” María Leonora is not just presenting concerts; she is inviting audiences into a ceremonial space where music, ritual, and personal growth converge, promising an experience that resonates long after the last note is played.
