An interest in ancestral Latin American cosmology runs through the music of Ecuadorian music producer Nicola Cruz. His creative process entails an attentive search for the living roots and rituals that are part of his South American identity – its Andean and African origins in particular – focusing on its rhythms, oral traditions and instrumentation. His first record, Prender el Alma (2015), explored the development of consciousness and spirituality, and how they connect with the music of his forebears.