Our story

MUSAS grew from a belief that music can do more than entertain—it can help us make sense of what we live through, give voice to experiences we don't always hear reflected back to us, and remind us that we aren't carrying them alone.

I started making music in my teens, at a time when women were still too often overlooked in rock and alternative music. Over the years, I had the privilege of watching Chicago's independent and Latin alternative scenes grow and evolve. More spaces opened, more women and queer artists began appearing on festival stages, and I was fortunate to be welcomed onto many of those stages myself. Those opportunities and the relationships I built along the way helped shape the artist and producer I am today.

As the daughter of immigrant parents from Mexico, sharing and celebrating our culture has always been important to me. My own life experiences also taught me how powerful it can be to hear our stories reflected in music—to feel seen, understood and less alone.

As a survivor of gun violence, I learned to use my own platform to speak about the issues that shaped me and my community. Over time, culture, identity and social justice became naturally intertwined in my artistic practice. Music became a way to celebrate where I come from, process what we live through, challenge injustice and connect through shared experiences.

Throughout my lifetime in Chicago, I had never experienced a live music festival built entirely around women, queer/LGBTQ+ and Latine artists. I wanted to build on the progress I had witnessed in our city and create a space where these artists, their original music, cultures and stories could come together intentionally.

In 2021, that vision became MUSAS.

Founded in 2021, MUSAS is one of Chicago's first documented live music festival platform created specifically to center the intersection of women, queer/LGBTQ+ and Latine artists. MUSAS was never meant to be only a stage. It was about connection, expression and community—bringing artists and audiences together while building greater unity among women and independent artists. We wanted artists to collaborate, share knowledge, support one another and create opportunities for each other.

That vision grew beyond festivals into artist workshops, education and community-building, often bringing learning and live performance into the same space.