Mabe Fratti defied all stereotypical expectations of a cello performance from the moment she took the stage shoeless at The Englert Theatre for Mission Creek’s twentieth annual festival.
Her first note fell not as a gentle caress, but a growling thrum, doled with an iron thumb, immediately signaling that this was not your typical cello performance.
Fratti, accompanied by Hector Tosta — stage name I la Católica — on the guitar and Friso Van Wijck on drums, delivered a genre-bending performance to a packed crowd Friday night. The show preceded Englert’s headliner, Mannequin Pussy.
With 50.8 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, Fratti has made a name for herself as an avant-garde cellist and vocalist. Characterized by her refusal to be easily categorized, Mabe’s compositions float between dreamy pop melodies underpinned by dissonant cello textures to punk rock cacophonies of beautifully balanced noise.
Fratti, originally from Guatemala, was a highly anticipated performer this weekend due to her international acclaim. Becca Brezeale, Englert’s patron services manager, explained that Mission Creek is always on the lookout for artists who can bring new cultural perspectives to Iowa City.
“We were excited to get Mabe because of her international origin. We are always trying to expand the realm of Mission Creek. Bringing in artists from other countries or other places that don’t have opportunities to play here is not something you get the opportunity for very often. Being Guatemalan and experimental offers a cool new voice and new perspective,” Brezeale said.
Mabe’s performance held true to her reputation as an experimental virtuoso. Throughout her 45-minute set, she danced between genres, mirroring the shifting melodies with her body, oscillating between sitting pin-still as she delivered technically stunning cello strokes and headbashing wildly as the band erupted into moments of punkish energy and furious string snaps.
At one point, Fratti shouted out fellow avant-garde cellist and composer, Arthur Russell, from Oskaloosa, Iowa.
“We are very happy to be in Arthur Russell’s hometown,” Fratti exclaimed to a roaring crowd.
As fervent as the band got, however, Fratti’s expertise rang true. Concert attendee Gianni Criotti wasn’t familiar with Fratti until the show but praised her genre-melding and technical skill.
“The singer was very classical. She had an incredible voice, but the guitar and drums were so rock-heavy. It was such an interesting blend of classic and contemporary,” Criotti said.
Fratti was classically trained growing up but began composing and experimenting in different genres as a teenager. Her style, though ever-fluid and ever-evolving, solidified during her 2015 residency at the Goethe Institute in Mexico City, where she became involved in the improvisational music scene.
Fratti released her fourth solo album, “Sentir Que No Sabes (Feel Like You Don’t Know),” in 2024 and is currently touring across the U.S. and Canada. She also belongs to Amor Muere, a Mexico City-based experimental music collective.
This dedication to pushing boundaries was a key draw for many in the audience, including Fin Deevy, who praised Fratti’s unique sound.
“I like weird sh*t. I saw avant-garde, so I was sold,” Deevy said. “It’s interesting to hear music from different cultures, and because I don’t understand the words, it’s easy to let it wash over you.”