Niaem Ambient live-looping duo: voice, guitar and singing bowls, created in real time

Niaem is a voice and guitar duo from Guadalajara, Mexico, that builds ambient soundscapes in real time. Paula Aparicio (voice and vocal loops) and Ernesto Mercado (guitar and guitar loops) layer live loops, singing bowls, percussion and, at times, piano into music that appears, evolves and fades away. No two performances are ever the same.

Three formats

• Concert - a listening performance built around our original pieces, for theatres, museums, galleries and cultural venues.
• Immersive sound experience - the room, the seating and the act of listening become part of the performance.
• Live music for meditation and contemplative listening - live music that accompanies a session of breathing, attention and stillness, adapted to corporate wellbeing programmes, retreats and private gatherings.

What to expect

A 90-minute set of original music, with pieces such as Nebula, Confluir and La espera, performed entirely live. The duo format keeps logistics light and works both indoors and in natural settings: gardens, terraces, forests, galleries and unconventional spaces.

The duo

Paula Aparicio is a singer and psychologist with a Master's degree in Human Development and a certified yoga coach. She has led collective experiences for audiences of more than 300 people at large festivals. In Niaem her voice works as both melody and sonic material, looped and layered in real time.

Ernesto Mercado is a guitarist, composer and educator with more than 20 years of experience, and the leader of the Ernesto Mercado Quintet. He uses guitar, loops and improvisation to build open structures and evolving landscapes.

Formed in 2020. Music to inhabit the present.

• Nuages Jazz Band
• Páramo