Ecosdel Sur.

Living abroad changed how Chilean guitarist Mario Wellmann remembered home. Written in New York, Ecos del Sur (Echoes of the South), his first album as a leader, retraces journeys through south-central Chile that he shared with family and friends.

The album unfolds like a road trip. Five original compositions for guitar, bass and drums mark its destinations: the cities of Chillán, Panguipulli, Osorno and Frutillar, and the waterfalls of Saltos del Laja. Between them, solo interludes evoke the travel itself. Four take their names from roads connecting these places; the final interlude, “Regreso” (“Return”), brings the journey home. The listener moves from place to place, hearing both the destinations and the passages between them.

Echoes of Chilean dance traditions and Violeta Parra’s guitar music run through these contemporary jazz compositions. Geography gives the album its route; memory gives it meaning. Each stop revisits the experiences and relationships attached to a place, exploring how the country we leave behind continues to shape who we are.