The initial core of Mawaca was formed in 1992 by Kitty Pereira and Magda Pucci, the group's founders, with the participation of singers Marta Espírito Santo, Fabiana Lian, and Valéria Piccoli, friends and choir members from choral groups that Kitty and Magda conducted in the 1990s.
During this period, several instrumentalists participated in the group, some for a short time, others to this day. Between 1992 and 1994, the singers met weekly as a study group where they experimented with vocal sounds from various parts of the globe, with the collaboration of native specialists in the languages they sang.
The professional debut of the group Mawaca (still spelled with a K) took place with the show From Pygmy Songs to Scottish Songs, at the Hall Theatre and the Paulista Theatre, in 1995. In the preceding years, between 1992 and 1994, the singers met weekly as a study group where they experimented with vocal sounds from various parts of the globe, with the collaboration of native specialists in the languages they sang.
In 1996, still with the first lineup: Kitty Pereira, Magda Pucci, Fabiana Lian, Marta Espírito Santo, Valéria Piccoli, Cristiane Mariano, Rosana Araújo and Viviane Querino, the group presented the scenic show Sequenzas, at the Tuca-Arena Theatre, under the direction of Kleber Montanheiro. Subsequently, they participated in the International Festival of Early Music and Oral Tradition in Curitiba.
In 1998, with a new lineup, the group released its first album, CD-Plus Mawaca, at the Itaú Cultural Institute and the Ática Bookstore, with support from the São Paulo State Cultural Incentive Law. This show had stage direction and costumes by Kleber Montanheiro. Mawaca's first work seeks to emphasize, in a panoramic way, the musical diversity of the world, and travels from Africa to the Celtic world. The album includes a multimedia track, with playful and educational content, created by Maurício Nacif, with musical research by Magda Pucci and iconographic research by Itamar Vidal, where each song is approached within its cultural context. In the same year, Mawaca participated in the World Music Festival, curated by Jean Yves de Neufville, at the Sesc Vila Mariana theater, alongside World Music artists such as the English group Baka Beyond, the Iranian Jamshied Sharifi, the Senegalese Baaba Maal, and the Moroccan Hassam Hakmoun. Translated from: https://mawaca.com.br/biografia/
