INTERVIEW: Maya Ixta Talks About Her First Bilingual Single “Time”!

Upcoming LA-based singer-songwriter & actress Maya Ixta has just released her first bilingual single “Time”, which explores the anxiety that comes with facing the passage of time.

Co-written alongside her mentor & producer, Daniel Jimenez Afandor, this Spanish/English language track presents Maya with an opportunity to showcase her songwriting talents, along with her vocal dexterities through synthy vocalizations & layers of harmonies.

Maya is no stranger to music as she began professionally training at a young age & in 2022, was named the youngest student to complete the “Music Industry Essentials” Certificate Program from the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Maya also has a truly inspirational desire to give back & help fellow students by founding the non-profit HeARTs Of Maya, which awards educational scholarships to artistic youth. So far, HeARTs Of Maya has given out 50 scholarships & in 2019, was awarded the SPARK! Award for her philanthropic contributions.

Maya has kindly taken the time to speak with Fierce & Fabulous Revolution regarding the release of her first bilingual song & the journey behind it. You can find the full interview below.

Hey Maya, thank you so much for this interview. Can you start by introducing yourself to readers who might be unfamiliar with your music?

Maya: My name is Maya Ixta Delgado and I’m a 17-year-old singer, songwriter, and actress from Los Angeles. I have been singing and acting since I was 8 years old. I was born in Chicago, moved to Dallas, TX when I was 4, and then to LA when I was 13. Throughout my life, I have been able to express myself in various ways through the arts including musical theatre, acting and music. I am also the founder of a non-profit organization called “HeARTs of Maya”, where we award scholarships to youth who want to train in the arts (singing, acting, and dance). To date, we have awarded 50 scholarships to deserving youth who want to pursue the arts. Most recently, I have been working on my upcoming EP which will be released this Fall.

When did you first discover your passion for music?

Maya: When I was very little, I loved singing around my house and putting on shows for my family and friends. When I was 7, my abuela (grandma) suggested to my mom to take me to vocal lessons because of how much I loved singing. I initially started singing covers and performed at various venues in Dallas before I moved to LA.

Have you always known that you wanted to pursue a career within the music industry?

Maya: When I was younger, I did a lot of musical theatre. I thought that was going to be my career path because I loved singing, acting, and dancing. I was always told I was a triple threat, so I figured musical theatre was the best path for me. During that time, I was also auditioning a lot theatrically and booked some fun projects.

Although I had been performing and singing covers, I always had a calling for writing music. As a freshman in High School, I completed two 1-year certificate programs from New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. One was for Performing Arts and the other was from the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. I was able to learn more about both industries, the business aspects that artists should consider, and how to develop and evolve as an artist. They were both amazing programs and I’m proud I put in the hard work to complete both in one year! It was through the Music Certificate Program that I learned there is so much diversity in the music industry for a career path. I realized that there are so many aspects of the music industry that call to me. Now that I am a Junior in High School and getting ready to apply for college, I have decided to major in Music Business.

How would you currently describe your musical style?

Maya: For the last couple of years, I have been writing about very personal topics. I have also evolved in my artistic growth from teen to young adult. I mostly write pop/alternative tracks and I write in Spanish too. I love to incorporate my Spanish language into my music. I try to experiment with different genres as well because I’m always discovering new elements that I like to incorporate into my music.

On May 2nd, we’ll see you release your first bilingual song, “Time”. The song explores the anxiety that comes with facing the passage of time. How did the idea to create this song come together & what does it mean to you to be releasing it?

Maya: “Time” reflects my anxiety about the future, especially when there’s so much I want to achieve. The fear of not having enough time can be overwhelming, but I know that every moment presents an opportunity to take a step towards my goals. Writing this song was very therapeutic because it allowed me to be very introspective and recognize my weaknesses, which many people can’t do. I realized that sometimes, I have to “stop and smell the roses.”

You co-wrote this song alongside Daniel Jimenez Afandor. What does it mean to you to work with Daniel & how do you find each other’s creative process?

Maya: He might not realize this, but I consider Daniel a mentor. Besides being an amazing producer and songwriter, Daniel is an elementary school music teacher and he is very passionate about educating the next generation of musicians. He also speaks Spanish and that made all the difference with this song. The songwriting process is different in Spanish for me because I think in Spanish about the feelings I want to emit through the lyrics. You can’t really think in English and then translate to Spanish because it will not invoke the same meaning. Because Daniel and I are bilingual, we “got” each other and the meaning we were trying to convey.

What does it mean to you to be releasing your debut Spanish/English language track?

Maya: “Time” is my first bilingual song. My mom is first-generation Mexican and my dad is first-generation Cuban, so I like to call myself “CubaMex!” My first language growing up was Spanish so writing a bilingual song has been a long time coming. My culture and traditions are a big part of who I am and I plan to write a lot more bilingual and full Spanish songs.

What message would you like listeners to take from this song?

Maya: Through this song, I want listeners to know that despite life’s demands, it’s crucial to carve out moments for ourselves, to breathe, to live fully, and to nurture our mental well-being.

What advice would you offer to someone who was looking to pursue a career within the music industry?

Maya: It’s been said that in this industry, you will get 100 “No’s” to every 1 “Yes” but in today’s climate, I think it’s more like 100 “No’s” to every 1 “Maybe.” Perseverance is everything! Personally, I have surrounded myself with good people, people who genuinely care about my professional and personal well-being. Align yourself with people who are passionate about the art. Sometimes, those people are not necessarily the most recognized in the industry but are passionate about music. Also, allow yourself to evolve as an artist. This industry is ever-evolving and I am also growing as a person with it. This industry is full of possibilities if you have dedication, perseverance, and a hard work ethic.

Finally, is there a message that you would like to share with the readers of Fierce & Fabulous Revolution?

Maya: Please follow me on social media! I have some exciting things in the works, along with my EP coming out this Fall. I’m always up to something!

You can check out “Time” on Spotify below or on more platforms here.