Mabe Fratti is an experimental musician based in Mexico City. Born in Guatemala and born in 1992, she plays cello and works across ambient pop, art pop, experimental and electroacoustic music. Her background combines formal instrumental study with collaborative work in live settings and multidisciplinary projects.

Early life and musical training

Fratti starts cello at the age of eight and studies it in her home city. She also attends a small music academy in Guatemala, where Alfredo Mazariegos helps shape her development as a musician. She later leaves the school after its strict teaching style clashes with her approach.

Growing up in Guatemala in the early 2000s, she experiences a violent social environment, and she describes the idea of a “mental space” as a form of relative freedom and escape.

Move to Mexico City

She moves to Mexico City in 2016, in part because of the limited musical infrastructure in Guatemala. In Mexico City she becomes active in local music circles, performing live and working with visual artists and other musicians. Her name becomes associated with radios, art institutions and a range of music venues in the city.

Recording style and releases

Fratti’s debut full-length LP, Pies sobre la tierra, is mixed and mastered entirely by her. The record combines ambient and electronic sounds with cello, voice and chamber-like textures. It contains eight tracks and is marked by an expressive and emotionally charged character.

Her use of synthesizers alongside her voice and cello becomes a key part of her sound, and she continues to develop this through live sets and SoundCloud releases.

Ensembles

Fratti is also a member of Amor Muere and Titanic.