| Jazz |
Camila Meza’s Portal: A Cinematic Journey of Voice, Identity, and Transformation
If you’ve never heard of Camila Meza before, her sixth album might just change that, and perhaps shift the way you think about the possibilities of the human voice in contemporary music. The Chilean singer, composer, and guitarist does more than simply float her vocals effortlessly through the air; she anchors them with a distinctive stylistic force, crafting melodies that move nimbly between jazz, world music, and pop. The result is a kind of borderless soundscape, an immersive, unfiltered journey through a deeply personal and emotionally charged universe.
While echoes of her vocal phrasing might be familiar to fans of Spanish guitar virtuoso Juan Carmona, Meza’s artistry is never reducible to language or genre. It is, instead, the product of meticulous creative architecture, from her richly textured vocal timbre to the intricate compositional frameworks and symphonic arrangements that give Portal its grandeur. There’s something almost cinematic about the entire work, as if each track were a scene in a larger narrative arc, both intimate and epic in its scope.
Among contemporary artists, perhaps the most fitting comparison is with Portuguese singer Carla Mendes, not because they sound alike, but because both pursue a similar ambition: a musical language that is expansive, symphonic, and emotionally resonant. Yet Meza pushes further, diving deeper into the songwriting process, bringing forward lyrical content of rare depth and spiritual clarity.
A native of Santiago, Chile, Camila Meza has quietly carved out a place for herself as one of the most singular voices in the global jazz landscape. Her music resists easy classification, weaving together the improvisational complexity of jazz with the warm pulse of Latin American traditions, Brazilian harmonies, folk storytelling, and the accessibility of modern pop. But beyond genre, it is the emotional honesty and magnetic presence of her performances that have captivated audiences, from South America to New York City, and increasingly, around the world.
“She is a young singer and guitarist with promise,” wrote The New York Times, “attuned to folk traditions as much as pop.” Pianist Aaron Goldberg goes further, describing Meza as “a natural multi-instrumentalist and exceptional improviser, both as a vocalist and a guitarist.” He adds, “She unites the Americas into a single, multilingual supercontinent, a Pangaea of swing and harmony.”
Such praise is not lightly given, and Meza has proven herself worthy of it time and again. In New York, where competition is fierce and talent abundant, she has been called upon by some of the finest musicians working today, Ryan Keberle, Fabian Almazan, Aaron Goldberg, Sachal Vasandani, Dave Douglas, Arooj Aftab, and many others. What draws these artists to her is not only her technical mastery, but the imaginative depth of her artistic vision. Her music conjures vivid, almost mythic imagery, so much so that, at times, words themselves feel secondary to the landscapes she creates.
Still, her lyrics are no afterthought. In the creation of Portal, Meza says she was guided by recurring visions of archetypes, the mother, representing unconditional love, and the Wise Woman, a bearer of ancestral knowledge, especially in moments when we’ve strayed from our essence. “This album became my deepest call to a world where we can manifest our ideals,” she explains, “to reclaim our unity with what we call Nature, to live in harmony with it, with one another, and with ourselves.”
She continues: “A world where we challenge the status quo, where polarities return to balance, where we redefine what is truly essential. I didn’t know then that I was also writing my own portal into motherhood, into that infinite love. I wanted to invent this vibrant, beautiful world for my son.” Portal is not an album that politely asks for attention, it commands it. And it does so not through volume or virtuosity alone, but through the quiet confidence of an artist fully inhabiting her truth. There is reverence here, and also joy, not the fleeting kind, but the deeper joy that emerges when art aligns with purpose.
In its sweeping arrangements, its spiritual lyricism, and its profound sense of intimacy, Portal is both a gift and a challenge: to feel more, to listen more deeply, and perhaps, to reimagine the world we want to create, for ourselves, and for those yet to come.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, May 20th 2025
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Album release show: June 4th, 2025 @ Joes Pub, NYC
Musicians :
Camila Meza, vocals
Shai Mastro, Keyboards
Ofri Nehemaya, drums
Marharet Davis, harp
Tracklist :
Utopia
The Nurturer
Harvesting Under The Moon
Transmutación
Portal
Nieno La (La Eterna)
Uncovered Ground
Overgrowth
Remecer
Mandorla
Persistir