Gabriel Vargas is someone who decided in his music, as in his life, not to be tied down to definition or restricted by instruments.
He uses his art as a vehicle to allow ourselves to embrace the sum of our parts, and it is this which forms the pinnacle of his musical repertoire.
His latest release, 'Like Wolves', is a deeply personal song about sexual abuse (within his family) and how he doesn't see himself as a victim.
"'Like Wolves' is not only a single release in the physical sense, but also a cathartic release spiritually and emotionally. It feels like slowly removing the bandage of an old wound; the marks of the past are still there, but there is a newfound strength and hope for the future."
Gabriel also opens up about the deeply personal influence behind the song. "Initially, it was written about a disagreement I had with my mother, which really was a by-product of a much larger energetic shift and recalibration happening within my family.
"In 2009 my step-father committed suicide and that had thrown the family dynamic into a bit of a tailspin whereby other revelations came to surface including that of sexual abuse, of which I and my sister were directly affected by (I prefer not to use the word 'victim' as it implies helplessness and it is something which has now been integrated and transformed into 'empowerment').
"So, this whole period really required the stripping away of a facade which had been outwardly projected as a 'picture-perfect family' and with that came the inevitable arguments and disagreements, as we all went through a metamorphosis both collectively and individually.
"For me, this whole process conjured up the spiritual image of fire and the burning of the old to welcome the new… and understanding the 'wolves' that we each hide behind, which was based on an old Cherokee Proverb: Two Wolves.”
An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt and ego.
"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?" The old chief simply replied: "The one you feed."
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt and ego.
"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.
"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?" The old chief simply replied: "The one you feed."
