MAU Y RICKY
For Mau y Ricky, music was never just a career, it was a calling coded into their DNA. Raised in a musical dynasty – their father is legendary Latin artist Ricardo Montaner – the brothers gravitated toward music early on.
Growing up in a musical family, just seeing when we were younger how our father would connect in a deep way with people that he didn’t necessarily know … I think that all generated a need to also want to connect with people in that way,” Mau Reglero remembers. Of course, he adds with a grin, “We started writing songs first and foremost to get girls. We weren’t very good looking growing up.”
That desire to connect deeply, honestly, and creatively, has driven every evolution of the Venezuelan-born duo’s career. From chasing crushes as awkward teens through songwriting, to now helming their own record label with the 2024 release of Hotel Caracas, the journey has been as personal as it has been professional.
“We’ve learned more than you can imagine,” Mau says of launching their label. “This album will also be my son’s … and the idea that I get to give that to my child is something that means a lot to me.” It’s not just about the music – it’s about legacy, autonomy, and coming full circle. “It’s allowed us to be able to return to Venezuela,” Mau says. “And tell the story exactly like we want to tell it.”
That story is layered, intimate, and deeply collaborative. “We like making music with our friends,” says Ricky Reglero. Hotel Caracas, was a deeply collaborative experience, made alongside longtime friends and creatives Malay, JP Saxe, and John the Producer.
We created kind of like this creative hub of these five people … we became family,” Ricky says. “This album, being our baby, is my favorite collaboration so far.”
As a duo, their strength lies in knowing when to lead and when to lean on each other. “We’ve understood and learned the importance of leaning on each other’s strengths,” Mau explains. “There’s things that I’m not as good as him in … and being able to hone in on that for the benefit of the career itself,” Ego takes a backseat. “It’s all about our why, more than it is about our egos and trying to get in the way of that happening.”
Their artistic identity, built over years of writing for themselves and others, is ever evolving. “Finding your unique style comes with knowing yourself,” Ricky says. “We’ve always wanted to move around in waters that haven’t happened before … reinventing ourselves with every project.”
But reinvention doesn’t mean abandoning authenticity. “How do we stay true to ourselves but also stay relevant? This is truly an extension of our hearts and our souls and our life,” Ricky reflects. “Be very private in your album making,” he offers to other artists. “You have to be sure of what you’re making.”
That certainly is what drives Hotel Caracas, and what gives it soul.
A thousand percent there is truth in most of the lyrics behind this album,” Mau says. “That’s why you also can hear the funny moments. We find humor to be an amazing way of communicating.”
For Ricky, that emotional range speaks to the spirit of Latin music itself. “Latin music has a certain warmth that people like. Before, that gap [with American music] was much broader, but we’re pulling our weight now,” he explains. “I’m super proud to be a part of this generation.”
Even as technology shifts the creative landscape, the duo remains open but anchored. “AI is cool to use as tools,” Ricky says. “But what will stand out on the other side, is that kind of human interaction. Artists that do stuff with their hands, play with a band – that human experience.”
Looking ahead, the vision is clear. “In five years, I really hope to still be making music that is true to us and touring our music as well,” Ricky reflects. “And I hope to be even more present and more in love with what we do.”
With Hotel Caracas, Mau y Ricky aren’t just adding to their discography, they’re building an immersive universe, one track, one collaboration, and one deeply honest moment at a time.