Guido Voza is a musician from Salerno, Italy, who has worked with various groups ranging from hard rock to reggae. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays the guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums. Voza decided to embark on a solo career as a way to have full creative freedom. He recorded his 9 track album, “Maya” between November 2015 and January 2016. A special note about the cover artwork: The Tenèrè tree depicted on the cover of the album, was an Acacia which stood in the Niger desert. In existence until 1973, it was considered the most isolated tree in the world since there were no others within 400 km. “That tree reminds me of the human condition,” says Voza.
Instead, the title, “Maya”, refers to the Hindu goddess, the goddess of illusion, as Guido Voza goes on to explain, “The Indian Vedas handed down for generations that the Mayan Goddess after creating the earth covered it with a veil that had the function to prevent men the knowledge of the true nature of reality, making the world as we perceive it, as just the manifestation of our perception. The reality in which we live, we know only because we see with our physical senses, our limited senses are not able to perceive and express the whole of which we are part, so every conception of reality, every experience, every attempt to understand the reasoning, every philosophical disquisition is “Maya” or illusion.”
The themes which Guido Voza discusses above are translated into musical pieces on the album, “Maya”. In fact quick scrutiny of some of the standout song titles – “Maya”, “Motion”, “Boulder”, “The Veil” and “Tènère”, confirms as much. The album is a treasure in the world of instrumental music. It’s rhythmically complex and involved, but dynamic and fiery. Gently inflected rock made accessible to nearly anyone who appreciates rock with sophistication – but, sophisticated doesn’t necessarily mean feeble, as this music is bursting with energy and intensity.
“Maya” displays emotional and an almost metaphysical aura in its arrangements. These metaphysical leanings can be latched onto, or they can simply be ignored – intentionally or inadvertently, either way, the music is powerful enough to outweigh any cogitation on the underlying motives of the music. It more than likely will grab hold of you in the biggest way possible, regardless of your disposition towards the meaning, because the rhythms and melodies will appeal to your ear.
The music on this album simply burns at varying temperatures, and at times the intensity of the guitar is movingly impassioned. Guido Voza does not ground his playing on technical pyrotechnics, but searches inside the grooves, between the assertive and the contemplative, where he finds mind-teasing rhythmic patterns that run parallel with the highly melodic lines. Easily capable of shifting from symphonic-like walls of sound to edgier rock and back again, Voza shows that he is a technically versatile player. With high-quality musicianship and taste to match, fans of guitar-driven instrumental rock should soak this album up.
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