ABOUT JUGA
Juga is a singer, songwriter, scriptwriter and conceptual chess artist.
Born in Santiago Chile (1985), she was the first woman to graduate in
Contemporary Music Composing
in 2007, at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
She has released and co-produced 3 albums with her original songs in spanish,
while living in Easter Island (Polynesia), Buenos Aires, Budapest and Barcelona.
This September, Juga is about to release her new album in english with her songs
inspired by chess.
Her first chess song, “Oh Capablanca” (2018) was warmly received by the chess community
worldwide, and considered by experts as the best chess song ever written.
She has presented her chess songs at top events including World Chess
Championship in London 2018, European Golden Pawn awards in Monte-Carlo,
Batumi Chess Olympiad 2018, Candidates Tournament in Madrid 2022 and
World Expo Dubai 2021.
Juga has created various theatrical shows, among them Cada Isla Un Tesoro (2012)
and Juga Di Piaf, revisiting French diva Édith Piaf´s songs.
Convinced that chess is a mirror of life, Juga´s chess lyrics and music videos scripts explore
the emotional and psychological aspects of chess, as well as the symbolic and poetic elements.
Her diverse chess artistic projects include Chess Divas, a tribute to female chess legends,
among them Shakhmatistka (Lady chess player), a song collaboration with grandmaster Alexandra Kosteniuk.
Juga made parody chess songs in collaboration with ex world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik,
Grandmaster Anish Giri, Grandmaster Rubén Felgaer and International Master Anna Rudolf.
She will be performing live at the closing ceremony of Norway Chess Tournament
her newest upbeat chess song Open Files (Tunacola Remix)
and will be releasing with us her new music video "Colorblind".
Juga studied popular singing since she was 13. Her reaserch on classic rock, ethnic folk music,
italian and german opera,
as well as french chanson gave her a theatrical way of approaching composition.
In 2009, she settled for some years in Easter Island, Polynesia,
and was deeply influenced by the native rapa nui culture, both artistically and spiritually.
While she sings, she plays the guitar and the tahitian ukelele.
Social Chess
Juga´s will to promote chess as a social tool goes back 15 years.
In 2007, she was the founder of the national Female Chess Championship in Chile,
on her role of Director and now Vice-President of Chilean Chess Foundation.
In 2018, she was awarded the 'Goodwill Ambassador Award for Artistic Values of Chess’
from the Judit Polgar Chess Foundation.
Since 2019, she has been a member of Judit Polgar's Chess Foundation Advisory Board.
2021: Juga became Ambassador for Make-A-Wish Foundation in Chile.
2022: Juga became ambassador of Munich Chess Foundation (Münchener Schachstiftung).
Juga has collaborated with UN + FIDE Girls Chess Club for Refugee Camps in Kakuma, Kenya.
JUGA studied popular singing since she was 13. Her reaserch on classic rock, ethnic folk music,
italian and german opera,
as well as french chanson gave her a theatrical way of approaching composition.
In 2009, she settled for some years in Easter Island, Polynesia,
and was deeply influenced by the native rapa nui culture, both artistically and spiritually.
While she sings, she plays the guitar and the tahitian ukelele.
After several groups and experimental projects (Juga di Prima y otros Espectros, O Mora, EP Pequeños Frutos),
in 2009 Juga radicates in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to record her songs at Mata´u Productions Studio, soaking herself
with the island´s ancestral nature and culture and giving birth to her first LP called “El Orden de las Cosas” (2010).
Its daring single "El Orden de las Cosas" achieved good media repercussion.
2012
Juga edits her LP “Cada Isla un Tesoro” co-produced by Rodrigo Morel and Juga.
Together with various artists, actors and dancers they gave life to a Musical show based on these songs,
also called "Cada Isla un Tesoro", a fantasy inspired on her experiences living at Easter Island,
with presentations in various theaters of Santiago,
among them Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (GAM). She travels again to Easter Island
to begin the project Sesiones Here Pata, collaborating and recording live musical videos
with many rapa nui songwriters which mix their culture and language with their rock,
reggae and country influences.
2013/2014
Juga creates Juga di Piaf, an intimate and intense Spectacle, in which she mixed her own repertoire
with various classical songs from french diva Édith Piaf, reinterpreted in a bluesy polynesian cabaret show.
As a duet, with the pianist/accordeonist from Chiloé Felipe Bórquez, she was international guest to the musical fair
BAFIM at Buenos Aires to present JUGA DI PIAF, previously presented in Chile in stages like Onaciú,
Sala Pro Jazz y Teatro Municipal de San Joaquín.
Acclaimed by argentinian press, among them Diario “La Nación" and Diario "Página 12",
she returns on 2014 to present the same show in various venues of Buenos Aires: Velma Café,
the prestigious ND Ateneo theater, and later at Córdoba, Rosario, San Luis, and Montevideo.
Also at the “Viví France” festival, organized by french embassy, who supported these shows.
Juga di Piaf was also presented at Easter Island (Vai te Mihi), and Budapest (Palace of Arts).
2014
Juga presents in Buenos Aires, Santiago y Valparaíso her CD Juga Di Prima 2009 – 2013
which collect her most cherished songs of that period, among them “Los Celos (MatuMahatu)”
and “Volveré por Ti” with symbolic video clips.
Those concerts had an intimate mis-en-scène integrating ritual elements from Juga´s imagery mixed with rapa nui culture.
With a rock band with Lapsteel, Cello, Rhodes, Derbake and Ukelele.
2016
Juga participates in Patrimonio del Alma, the theatrical tribute concert to chilean folklore
master and singer Margot Loyola
Juga launches her cd called "Maururu", which means "thank you", inspired in Easter Island´s native spirit,
with a pop and more electronic aproach.
Produced by the renown producer Tweety Gonzalez from Argentina, and with a great musical team, she launches the cd in big theaters in Buenos Aires, and Córdoba, with shows in Santiago, Chile and Easter Island.