About

Christel Mayven is a vocalist and songwriter based in The Netherlands. She composes lyrical and soul-baring pop songs, fueled by contemporary jazz. Eclectic in her approach, Mayven's crystal clear voice weaves the kaleidoscopic arrangements on her solo debut The Dream together.

With The Dream Christel Mayven presents seven honest songs, which capture her search for beauty, love and direction in life. Christel's musical exploration reflects the variety of emotional landscapes she lays bare on this solo debut. The stages of sleeping, dreaming and waking are reoccurring themes. They reflect times of standing still, having to cope with loss and rejection, and times of going forward with renewed strength, daring to embrace the unknown.

“The Dream stands for the urge to create. It is the driving force behind the creation of songs, the need to express one self and the desire to seek beauty.”

For The Dream Christel Mayven revisits songs she has written over the years, reflecting the search of a young women for her place in this world. Inside the urgency grows to share her musical stories with a wider audience. Fueled by that relentless power, that appears to her as an old companion, who has been calling her from the time she was a little girl. You can never put The Dream to sleep.

The first single from her solo debut is called Winter's Glow, written in loving memory of her mother. A song full of profound imagery about a daughter dealing with her fresh grief on a magical winter morning. Christel has arranged the song for hang, mbira and bass clarinet, the latter portraying a lark's song, inviting her mother to fly and sing along, high into the heavens.

'...her music intriges, her own style fascinates and her soulful voice and perfect vocal control are impressive.' **** Oscar Schneeweisz (chief editor Zing Magazine)

Christel Mayven - vocals, compositions, grand piano / Ruben Bekx - bass, hang, mbira / Jurriaan Berger - hammond, rhodes / Achim Heine - drums, percussion / Coen Kaldeway - bass clarinet.

Recorded and mixed by Udo Pannekeet at Wedgeview Studios, The Netherlands, September/October 2018. Mastered by Darius van Helfteren. The Dream has been released on May 24th, 2019.

Photography and artwork: IAMKAT