The Puerto Rican artist and healer Maria Jose Montijo has released a joy-inducing single and video “Realismo Mágico”, the second off of her forthcoming debut album Esotérica Tropical, due out next year. The song features production contributions from Atropolis and vocals from Merrill Garbus of TuneYards.

‘Realismo Mágico’ is an ode to the magic of the ordinary- “Realismo Magico is a way of perceiving that is full of wonder and appreciation of the magic in all things. There is something childlike and innocent about being able to tap into these dimensions that are always here, where wonder and awe recide. Were spirits from the beyond guide us and bless us with light, joy, and levity. These are ancient practices that support our communal wellbeing, through connection to the unseen, ceremony and celebration. Archetypes our deepest joy and authenticity longs for us to embody,” says María José Montijo about the song.

The song is also a celebration of queer magic- dedicated to the authenticity and the beautiful strangeness that resides in the margins. It touches on the dynamic between love and freedom, the power of choice, agency, with the awareness of the ephemeral nature of life.

Musically, the song is carried by a tropical and infectious pulsating baseline as Majo’s impactful voice guides alongside an unconventional and captivating melody. Vocals from Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus can be heard wafting throughout the song, adding undeniable depth. ‘Realismo Mágico’ is the second track off of the forthcoming album Esotérica Tropical, part love-letter to Puerto Rico, part balm to ease the deep pain of constant oppression and the intergenerational wounds of colonization- made to make imagining a different world feel more possible than it was before.

The video, was directed by Ana Paula Teixeira, a Brazilian/Puerto Rican queer nonbinary filmmaker and photographer whose work poignantly captures the escapism of the queer community in the Caribbean. It was filmed in Puerto Rico- in La Perla and El Malecón de Cataño. Dancing throughout the video is a striking figure draped in rainbow fabric shreds, a magical creature- the Omi (the Yoruba word for water), that is meant to infect people with joy and dance- designed by mixed-media artist Jimena Lloreda. The video features performances by a cadre of unique and queer Boricua artists- Pó Rodil, María José, Roberta, Paola Jupiter, Vashti, and Paulina Pagán. The star, of course, is 4 year old Cielo, Paola Jupiter’s daughter.

Watch the video here: youtu.be/2c4oBsPLSeU