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MAWIZA Explores the Divided Identity of the Mapuche People on “Wüzapiwken”
MAWIZA Strip Metal Back to Essentials
MAWIZA, a metal band from Chile’s Mapuche people, have released their new single ‘Wüzapiwken’ alongside an official music video. Sung in Mapuzungun, the track addresses the divided identity of an Indigenous people caught between urban life and their ancestral lands. It serves as the first preview of “IÑ MONGELETEW”, an acoustic EP prepared as the follow-up to the band’s 2025 album “ÜL”.
‘Wüzapiwken’ takes its name from a phrase translated as “Divided Heart”. MAWIZA begin the song’s lyrical narrative by addressing the ancient spirits of the territory and conclude by thanking those who have listened. With the boundary between ritual and song deliberately blurred, the track places the band’s connection to Indigenous culture at the heart of its musical expression. Built around harsh rhythms and piercing vocals, it rejects the reduction of Mapuche music to the folkloric conventions familiar to Western audiences.
Set for digital-only release through Season of Mist on November 6, “IÑ MONGELETEW” (“Those Who Give Us Life”) features two new songs alongside acoustic versions of three tracks from MAWIZA’s “ÜL”. The other new song, ‘Mür’, brings together contributions from Mira Ceti of HEILUNG, Anne Olesen of DANEFAE, and Mapuche activist Fabi Liqen.
The band’s move towards acoustic arrangements does not mean abandoning their musical intensity. By stripping back the familiar instrumental density of modern metal, MAWIZA aim to bring the songs’ essential elements to the forefront while exploring themes of reconnecting with nature and resisting colonial attitudes. The complete EP will be available to stream digitally on November 5, with its official release following on November 6, 2026.
The project was also inspired by the band’s appearance at SEPULTURA’s farewell show in Santiago in October 2026. The two bands performed ‘Kaiowas’ together onstage, an experience that helped spark the creation of “IÑ MONGELETEW”.
Formed in 2014, MAWIZA have sung exclusively in Mapuzungun since 2021. The band will support the new EP with a two-date acoustic tour of Chile in November 2026, performing at Barley Resto Bar in Rancagua on November 19 and Skol Restobar in Villarrica on November 20. MAWIZA will also join MARILYN MANSON and HATEBREED as special guests at SLIPKNOT’s concert at Estadio Nacional in Santiago on September 12, 2027.
