Rosalia's Homages, Monster Cat Girls and Hot Wings

Welcome to [Muse Module] where I share things I’ve done, things I’ve seen and a little something I want to share with you. Last time, I shared a character design for my ttudio mascot and namesake, Monihymn.

This week, we're talking cat thieves, reggaeton homages and hot wings. 

What I’ve Done: Designed a Mind-Hopping Cat Thief

“Ever walk into a room and forget what you were looking for? It was probably Kimera. She needed to pinch some of your memories for a tincture, but she’ll give it back…probably.” 

Kimera was a fun character to explore as a portfolio piece. One of her initial design pillars were built in cats and their mischievous nature. (They are efficient little thieves). As a creature who steals memories and feelings, Kimera needed that especially edge which led to her chimeric design. In lieu of a snake tail, I thought it would be a fun juxtaposition to have a clueless or cowardly tail to emphasize Kimera's personality. The bend of the neck-tail and the second body grafted on is a light nod to Rokurokubi from Japanese folklore. I believe it adds that dangerous edge that would emphasize Kimera's power and personality while emphasizing the irony of their scared tail.

Another design pillar was a nod to merchants in Sci-fi and Fantasy who collect powerful artifacts. A collection of tinctures and a makeshift manuscript accompany her at all times. In a future drawing, I'd love to experiment with other items of power.

Her lore is shared on my website and chronicles her scheme for lovers who rendezvous in their dreams.

What I’ve Seen: Motomami (& my Eventual Love for Reggaeton)

[Homages] can be gateways for cultural exchange and discovery.

I am usually drawn to experimental work and, sadly, I am extremely late to celebrate Rosalia’s Latin Grammy-winning Motomami (2022). Rosalia's first two albums show off her passion for classic flamenco and impressive vocal feats. The production quality and analysis of her second album, El Mal Querer, had me in such a chokehold for so long that I felt like I needed a break when Motomami released. 

Rosalia, as a cultural figure, was also a major online conversation topic for the Latine community. A white Spanish artist utilizing dembow, reggaeton, bachata, trap and other culturally significant sounds, without overt references to their sources, was a lot to unpack. At the time, I was unsure how to approach the artwork alongside these nuanced conversations. This Pitchfork article lightly touches upon these critiques but also shows off the power of homages— they can be gateways for cultural exchange and discovery. For example, her references to reggaeton in songs like “SAOKO” pointed to Wisin’s “Saoco” ft. Daddy Yankee pushed me to study more of these references.

I began looking up tutorials and interviews for reggaeton producers and other Latine artists including Tainy (Bad Bunny, J. Balvin), Tokischa and Arca who have treasure troves of wisdom for me to study. I think that that's the power of homage— it can be respectful and a portal for discovery, when overtly done. I am by no means an expert on the subject. There are many journalists from the community, like Jennifer Mota, who can cover this topic, at length. For now, I will be diving into my DAW, cooking up more sounds and digging into Latin music history.

What I Leave You With: Hot Wings!!!

This hilarious Hot Ones episode with Rosalia! There are moments where she does give some extra insight into her music production process, which is absolutely . Sean Evans always serves S-Tier questions alongside those devilishly spicy wings. (Sidenote: I’ve tried the last dab and it’s playfully powerful.)

BONUS: Check out this interview with Tayhana, an Argentinian producer who worked on Rosalia's "CUUUUuuuuuute" and has been building out their uniq sound.

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Be well!