Mexican composer transforms fire and ritual into a musical journey of rebirth

MEXICO CITY Composer Mara Leonora approaches each performance with the intensity of preparing for battle. Her tribal-inspired makeup, layered attire that she removes during the show, and a protective amulet over her belly button all set the stage for a transformative experience. I look into the mirror and I sort of go to war, she said before a recent concert in Mexico City. I brace myself to walk through the fire and whatever happens happens.

Her 2025 series, titled Through All the Fire, links each concert as a chapter in a larger narrative. Leonora sees both music and fire as forces of renewal. A fire can burn and destroy, she explained. But if you make it through, you can be reborn.

The concerts draw inspiration from the pre-Hispanic temazcal, a steam bath central to Mesoamerican ritual and social life. Leonora describes its transformative power: You may suffer as you enter a temazcal, but you put up with it. You sweat and your ego cracks. Even if you dont want to, heat breaks you.

Archaeologist Agustn Ortiz noted that temazcales held deep ritual and cosmological significance. Constructed from stone or adobe, they could accommodate dozens of participants and generated steam by heating stones and pouring water over them. The temazcal was seen as the Earths interior and a passageway between the living and the underworld, Ortiz wrote. It was conceived as an entrance to the beyond. Many were situated near ceremonial ballcourts, highlighting their ritual connection. While still in use today, the earliest examples are found in Maya cities like Chichn Itz and Palenque, as well as in central Mexico at sites such as Tlatelolco and Teotihuacn.

Finding Renewal Through Music

Leonora discovered the healing power of music at 16, during a turbulent period in her life. She embraced punk rock and learned drums, performing on stage for the first time. I was able to transform so many things just by playing and standing in front of an audience, she recalled. I can honestly say it saved my life. She continued to explore multiple genres and collaborate with other musicians.

In Through All the Fire, Leonora presents a diverse repertoire designed to guide audiences from darkness toward renewal. Music is a powerful tool that connects you to Earth, life, the universe, and other people, she said. It helps you uncover and understand parts of yourself. Her performances are immersive, blending sound, visuals, and lighting to draw attendees fully into the experience. Producer Diego Cristian Saldaa adds, We want the audience to feel enveloped in each song, immersed in the emotions and sensations the music evokes.

Audience responses reflect the concerts impact. A viewer attending three shows shared that each performance was profoundly fulfilling, while another woman described arriving exhausted but leaving revitalized. We encourage people to actively participate, Leonora said. To dive into an internal journey.

Ritual on Stage

The concert opens with her voice inviting attendees to cross the symbolic salt circle, leaving the outside world behind. Songs evolve from themes of love to heartbreak, with Leonora gradually removing makeup and layers of clothing as the emotional intensity builds. The climax mirrors a temazcal experience, inviting participants to howl, scream, or perform personal rituals, culminating in collective singing.

Our last song is like the first ray of light, Leonora said. You can reflect on your life and move forward toward luminosity.

Author: Aiden Foster