Kerala’s Tribemama Marykali Returns After Three Years With ‘Scorpio Moon’

Anna Katharina Valayil as Tribemama Marykali never seems to be without the profound and the onerous macro. When explaining the 3 year reflective break she took from putting out music before returning with the resulting recently-released EP 'Scorpio Moon', she says, "I have moon and Ketu in my Scorpio so during my Ketu dasha this placement got activated. Scorpio being a very sensual and deep sign, I was in a deep reflective phase, inwards which comes through in this body of work." For the Kerala-based artist, a personal pause too is intrinsically tied to the cosmos.

It's a penchant for lightly carrying heavy themes that shows up on the 5-track release. When she paints a semi-sensuous portrait of a woman who "everybody wants" on the eponymous 'Leela', it embodies the archetype of the feminine, often subject to other's desires of controlling but eventually her own person who is bound to expand beyond such control. On the EP's most party-friendly number, the afrohouse-tinged 'Serpent', the protagonist isn't just dancing freely and moving her body but also "killing her ego". Anna, who also spent part of her life in Nigeria, also brings in amapiano influences on 'Painkiller', where she makes her postpartum experience relatable as a recollection rooted in change, challenge and ultimately confidence.

On one hand, it’s a quality that makes her multi-influenced pop and R&B bops stand out, but on the other, it can sometimes feel like there’s a lot being packed in at once. On the opener itself, Tribemama Marykali switches between contemporary singing and rapping, with brief interludes of spoken word and moments of melodic flight. The subsequent tracks too bring in multiple ideas and structural elements, which can at times make the songs feel a little less focused.

For any believers in the sentiment of "less is more", Tribemama Marykali doesn't content herself with less. However, if you have the appetite for a diverse range of musical ideas and weighty lyrical expression, Tribemama Marykali has consistently been a bold voice to reckon with. 'Scorpio Moon' is no different.

Listen to the EP below and follow Tribemama Marykali for more information.