Michellar explores grace in complexity on new EP 'My Alma Latina'

Some collections arrive like fireworks; while Michellar’s debut 'My Alma Latina' is more like a candle flame; small, steady, and quietly illuminating. Across five beautifully composed songs, the San Francisco artist builds a body of work that honours her roots while carving out her own path, balancing reverence with reinvention.

The standout 'Ave Maria' immediately sets her apart. Rather than cloaking faith in grandeur, Michellar strips it back into something intimate, more whispered prayer than cathedral hymn. Her delivery feels less like performance and more like an offering, inviting us into a space that’s contemplative and deeply human.

That introspection finds its foil in 'Samba with Me', a song alive with rhythm and communal joy. Its celebratory pulse carries echoes of street gatherings and late-night jam circles, the kind of track that insists on shared movement. It’s here that Michellar taps into her more extroverted side, leaning into groove without losing the honesty that anchors her.

Elsewhere, 'The Deep' and 'If It’s Only for One Night' turn inward, drifting into a quieter register where longing and memory take centre stage. These songs grapple with distance, belonging, and the inheritance of cultural memory. They may be understated, but their emotional weight lingers long after the final note.

Taken together, 'My Alma Latina' is a debut that resists spectacle in favour of sincerity. Michellar steadies her voice, embraces her dual heritage, and shows us how vulnerability can be its own form of strength. It’s an introduction that feels both personal and timeless, hinting at an artist with much more to reveal.