AKAWUI is a 🇨🇦 🇨🇱 Canadian-Chilean artist blending Indigenous roots with powerful Latin and urban sounds. With a past as a trained MMA fighter, his music carries the same fierce energy and discipline, fueled by heritage, movement, and deep storytelling
In this episode, AKAWUI opens up about reclaiming his Mapuche identity, the discipline and life lessons shaped by his MMA background, and staying authentic in an industry that often pushes conformity.
We explore his time in New Zealand, the evolution of his music from the studio to the stage, the power of intentional storytelling, and more. Plus, special guest Swizl Jagger joins the conversation—and together, they deliver a raw live performance of Breath of Fire 2.0, a track that fuses Latin rhythms with the fierce spirit of the Māori haka.
👉 If you love music, this episode is for you.
🔗 AWAWUI LINKS: YOUTUBE | https://www.instagram.com/akawui | https://nikamowin.com/en/artist/akawui | 🧢 https://www.instagram.com/akacruzandina/
Podcast Moments:
(0:00) - 🟣 The INTRO
(4:50) - Finding Identity in Music
(8:06) - 📝 Writing the first song (⁜ CRUZ ANDINA)
(10:33) - 🌎 Latinoamericano - Our Culture
(12:39) - 🇨🇱 Going to Chile to find family & Identity as Indigenous
(17:12) - 💿 Creative process for writing songs in today’s music landscape
(20:48) - 🧶 Re-shaping songs by playing them to an audience
(24:39) - 🧃 “What would the packaging say?” Marketing
(28:05) - 🔍 “My new fav artist is out there, I just haven’t found it”
(29:22) - 🍀 The “FEID” case study - Marketing masterclass
(31:30) - 👀 Finding the packaging for AKAWUI
(34:51) - ❓ Start with WHY - Authenticity Check
(40:44) - 🤼♂️ Let’s talk about MMA - Being an MMA fighter
(46:35) - 🫨 Meeting and training with Georges St-Pierre
(49:25) - 💥 MMA is raw, music is subjective
(51:36) - 👥 My musicians are my team, increasing the collective average
(52:41) - 🎖️ Conquering yourself first, the mental game & Sacrifice
(55:54) - 🧢 Aka Cruz Andina (Akawui’s Clothing Brand)
(58:36) - 🤣 I don’t even watch baseball, why am I wearing this?
(1:01:04) - 🇨🇴 Criollo
(1:04:12) - 👀 What’s coming up for AKAWUI?
(1:05:36) - 💬 A piece of advice for young AKAWUI?
(1:06:44) - 🎛️ THE SOUNDBOARD
(1:08:53) - 🎛️ I TRULLY REGRET THIS 🥹
(1:10:26) - 🇳🇿 New Zealand? Respect your indigenous people
(1:14:53) - 🎤 LIVE PERFORMANCE of Breath of Fire 2.0 ft Swizl Jagger
(1:19:15) - 🔥 Breath of Fire 2.0
ABOUT THE MELDING MUSE PODCAST 🟣
Melding art & design, music, film, entrepreneurship, fashion, sports, gaming and whatever is in between.
We exist to showcase extraordinary people to inspire the next generation of creatives & leaders. These are stories that motivate us to continually challenge ourselves, push boundaries and ultimately reinvent ourselves time and time again.
Streaming from the land of the long white cloud - Aotearoa, New Zealand 🇳🇿🎟️
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🎵 Music: Cruz Andina, Amor Tribal & Breath of Fire by AKAWUI
Podcast Intro: [High Ball from Pterror Dak Trill by Nick Maclaren] | Outro [Trippin' feat. Leroy by Unda]
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