Mercedes Escobar
Mercedes Escobar
Image courtesy of the artist
Growing up performing blues in Guatemala wasn’t easy, but Mercedes ultimately created a space for it in Central America. She’s been dubbed by newspaper Siglo 21 “la peregrina del blues,” The Blues Pilgrim. Mercedes’ unique raw, guttural—and at times even violent—vocals have often been compared to a mix between Chavela Vargas and Patsy Cline, creating her unique genre which blends the rawness of old blues/country with the cultural and sonic traditions of her Latin home culture. Her song "Sangre Negra" from her EP "The Blue Devil" was a Latin category finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. She’s shared the stage with artists such as Rubén Albarrán (Café Tacvba) and Gaby Moreno, among others. Mercedes is featured in the soundtrack of acclaimed independent films Temblores (2019) and Cadejo Blanco (2022). In the latter she also worked as music supervisor. Long a fixture in the independent music world of Guatemala, Mercedes moved to Boston in early 2020, where she received a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music as a vocalist. She’s also a grant recipient of Club Passim’s Iguana Fund and Newport Festivals Foundation. Mercedes is currently working on a new Latin Americana album in Spanish and English.