HUMAN SYNTH
Maethelyiah is mainly an accomplished international performer and composer.
Her voice has been classified as Rossinian Soprano with nearly 5 octaves vocal range and huge flexibility, spacing between low contralto notes to high pitch singing as bird song.
Opera wise, Maethelyiah is former soloist soprano in what is now called Roma Tre in the late nineties.
She is also an alternative rock singer and song writer.
Her specialty is choral harmonies and melodies recorded on multitrack resulting in a pure Maethelisation instantly recognisable, sometimes pushing into experiments in quarters of tunes and turning fragments of magic rituals into music.
Inspired by the vocal experiments of Demetrio Stratos, Maethelyiah has always loved turning her voice into a human synth, where she experiments different coloraturas, singing male parts, sometimes using her voice like a human synth or researching into new expressions to become a million of different people singing in one.
Her first inspiration was her Grandmother who used to be an opera singer, and then she fell in love with the voices of Italian singers Mina and Giuni Russo and the sound of Pink Floyd, Joy Division, Lucio Battisti, Adam & the Ants, The Danse Society, Peter Gabriel and Franco Battiato.
Maethelyiah started making music in the age of 12. The first song she ever sang in public was Whitney Houston‘s The greatest love of all. Italian singer Marco Ferradini commented that gig saying she doesn’t hit high notes but ultrasounds.
Compared to vocalists like Italian Mina and Giuni Russo, then to Diamanda Galas, Siouxsie and Kate Bush you can have an idea on how wide her range can go, especially because these wonderful performers have nothing to do with each other, apart from their amazing talent.
In a few words, rather than a singer, Maethelyiah is a living riddle.
COMPOSITIONS
Maethelyiah is a prolific composer and songwriter. This site is currently under construction and the discography page is being updated with full list of records, including collaborations and compilations as well.
More recently her voice with The Danse Society featured in a special edition of Emmerdale, critically acclaimed film St@lker and Upside Down .
In the past she has composed scores for theatrical and ballet use under a male name in her teens. She also featured on TV and radio channels (BBC , Videomusic and Italia 1) magazines world wide (Rockstar, Rock Sound, Rumore, Rockerilla, Vive le Rock, Prog magazine amongst them), featured in books (journalists Mick Mercer and writer Igor Patruno amongst them), and keeps giving headaches to a significant number of people who try to pronounce her name on a daily basis.
PERFORMANCES
Her theatrical presence has enchanted in hundreds of gigs inside and outside Europe, fronting post punk legends The Danse Society, Blooding Mask as well as featuring as guest of Italian prog band Il Segno del Comando.
She has featured alongside artists and bands like Marilyn Manson, Claudio Simonetti‘s Goblin, Spear of Destiny (Kirk Brandon), Il Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Eugenio Finardi, Clan of Xymox amongst them. She has performed at various festivals like national Italian Festival Arezzo Wave, German International Festival Wave Gothik Treffen, British Festival Whitby Goth Weekend, Lumous Festival in Finland and many more.
She recently started a new opera venture, Opera Nera, where she is now gathering older and newer interpretation of classic opera arias, mainly Italian.
OTHER INTERESTS
Maethelyiah is also a writer, presenter, videomaker and activist.
BOOKINGS
Please email enquiries(at)maethelyiah.com