Sofia Kourtesis' new EP "Volver" comes to us a mere 18 months after her breakout debut album "Madres." On it, the Peru-born and Berlin-based producer and musician pays tribute to the trans women who inspire her creatively.
Speaking about that inspiration to WUNC, Kourtesis said "they're strong and fearless, even though they're a very vulnerable part of society. The way they protect their community really inspires me."
Kourtesis is currently on a tour of the United States. That tour includes a stop at The Fruit in Durham on October 11 where she'll be headlining the Slingshot Festival.
While living in Berlin these days, Kourtesis still spends a lot of her time in Peru. It's where she was born and raised and a place that she still holds dear.
"I always say that Peru is my heart and Berlin is my motor, so I try to split my time in both worlds," she said. "I get inspired in South America but I find the perfect drums and bass in Berlin and finish up there."
Kourtesis left Peru at a young age to escape the homophobia she said she experienced first hand. She says that while there has been some progress since she left, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.
"Over the last few years I've seen some hope, but then it feels like everything starts to go backwards again," she said. "It's very difficult for queer people to express themselves. I love my roots and I love where my parents came from, but there's a lot of work that needs to be done."
On "Volver," Kourtesis teamed up with the legendary producer Dan Snaith on the track "Unidos." Snaith most commonly performs under the moniker Caribou, but also releases music under the name Daphni. "Unidos" is the first time that he has collaborated with another artist under that name.
"Working with Dan is a big dream come true. He's my mentor and I love him so much," Kourtesis said. "He sees me, and I could only do this EP because I had him pushing me to be my best. I feel so humbled and honored and I still can't believe it."
As a student of film, Kourtesis also says that her music is inspired by filmmakers from around the world. "Werner Herzog has always been one of my favorites, but if I had to pick two it's always going to be Guillermo del Toro and Pedro Almodóvar," she said.
"Volver" was directly inspired by the 2006 Pedro Almodóvar film of the same name. "His muses are always strong women who often support each other. "Volver" is such a strong word, I really like it because it means coming back stronger than you were before," she said.
While her music career is taking off, that's not the only thing occupying her time. Kourtesis is also currently studying medicine at Humboldt University in Berlin.
"Both of my parents died of cancer, so I'm very interested in the mutations of cancer cells," she said. "Right now I'm studying for my exam and after that I'm hoping I can be in a place where I can help make some changes for better."
The Slingshot Festival takes place October 10-12 at The Fruit in Durham. Other performers include Marie Davidson, GRRL, and Nick León.
