Guatemaya by DOCTOR NATIVO

“The Mayan identity is being eroded every day and it pains me to see children being ashamed and even afraid of their own culture, I believe music can help. This is our way of carrying on with the struggle“ — Doctor Nativo

Guatemala’s Doctor Nativo is one of Central America’s most exciting new talents. His music layers Mayan spirituality, social activism, and folk wisdom over a propulsive sound combining reggae, cumbia, hip hop, and pre-Columbian instruments. His debut album, Guatemaya, (due out September, 2018 on Stonetree Records) is a call for social justice for his country’s indigenous majority.
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Doctor Nativo (real name: Juan Martinez) grew up in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. In 1990, during the bloody cold-war era Guatemalan civil war, Nativo’s father, Arturo Martinez, was assassinated along with five of his friends. Nativo’s childhood, which began so happily, came crashing down. His earliest memories working as a DJ when he was as young as five at his dad’s restaurant, “El Copetín”, turned tragic.

“At ‘El Copetín’, there was always music playing, Salsa, Reggae, Boleros, Cumbias…music was the only escape from the… more
credits
released September 14, 2018

Produced by Ivan Duran
Written, composed, & arranged by Doctor Nativo Additional arrangements by Ivan Duran & Danilo Rodriguez Recorded & mixed by Ivan Duran & Al Ovando at Stonetree Studios, Belize & Montreal, Canada Mastered by Ryan Morey Mastering

Doctor Nativo: Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, & Sound Effects
Danilo Rodriguez: Marimba, Trombone, Bass, Cuatro, Charango, Harp, Chirimilla, & Backing Vocals Ivan Duran: Electric Guitar & Bass | Guayo Cedeño: Lead Electric Guitar | Carles Estruch: Sousaphone Sebas Sax: Saxophone | Chela Torres: Backing Vocals | Rosa Bermudez: Backing Vocals
José López: Backing Vocals | Joshua Arana: Garifuna Drum & Maracas | Eli Levinson: Samples & Programming | Eduardo Santella: Drums | Tzutu Kan: Maya Rap Vocals on Guatemaya, El 20 & Zion M.C.H.E: Rap vocals on El 20 | Al Ovando: Maya Guitar | Juan Chacaj: Shirin

Additional recordings engineered by Danilo Rodriguez at Andes Studio in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala & Marcelo Ponce at Machuqua Studio in Barcelona, Spain. | Cover photography by Eny Roland | Inside Photography by Katia Paradis Graphic Design by Team MID 51 & Tim O’Malley

Special thanks to my great inspirations: my father, Arturo Martinez, for gifting me music as my inheritance, and my mother, Flor de Maria, and my sister, Adriana, for always supporting me and my dreams. This album is dedicated to my children, Sebastian, Naia, Inti, and Ilan, and to my beloved Guatemaya.

All songs published by Stonetree Music, all rights reserved.