Although some celebrities shy away from the topic of their famous parents, that has never happened to Mau y Ricky. Venezuelan singer-songwriter is the son of Latine pop icon Ricardo Montaner. However, the talent in the Montaner family does not stop with Mau, Ricky and Ricardo. Mau and Ricky’s sister, Evaluna Montaner, and their brother-in-law, Camilo, are also making an impact on the industry. If you listen closely, you can hear the voices of seniors Evaluna and Camilo on Mau y Ricky’s new album “Hotel Caracas”, which also marks the brothers’ return to Venezuela for the first time in more than a decade . Family and community are core tenets of this duo.
“Can’t hide the obvious,” Ricky Montaner said of his famous family. “I’m proud as a family that we’ve been able to lift each other up, inspire each other, and connect with people in this way. It’s beautiful and special.”
Growing up in Caracas, Mau and Ricky witnessed their father perform smash hits like “Tan Enamorados” and “Bésame” to sold-out crowds. He even occasionally brings them on stage to sing with him. Ricardo also had a record label with two Venezuelan brothers, Servando & Florentino. They often practiced at home and showed the younger Montaner brothers that it was possible to have a brother duo in Latin music. Now, the sons are inviting dad to sing their songs. In a hidden touch in the song “Muriendo de Miedo”, Ricardo’s voice harmonizes well with that of his sons.
“It’s full circle,” Mau Montaner said. “I felt like he had to be involved. We’re so grateful for what he’s meant to us as a father, obviously the support in the early years and as someone who has influence. It was like paying homage to him and thanking him musically for everything he meant to us and honoring what he did.”
Despite his relationship with Montaner, Mau y Ricky still had to work hard on his own to gain respect in the industry. While developing their music, they also formed a songwriting collective that included longtime collaborator JonTheProducer and their future brother-in-law, Camilo. They helped write hits like “Sin Pijama” by Becky G and Natti Natasha, “Pineapple” by Karol G, “Vente Pa’ Ca” by Ricky Martin with Maluma and their own breakthrough hit “Desconocidos”, served as a launching pad for Camilo’s pop music. career. Mau y Ricky composed a song on Camilo’s recent album “Cuatro” and their brother-in-law also contributed vocals to their song “Karma”.
“It’s crazy and wild to think back on what we were able to accomplish, starting from being four hopeful kids with big dreams to one day making it big in music,” Ricky recalls, referring to himself, Mau, Camilo and JonTheProducer.
“We did it our way and it was a collaboration of the people we love,” Mau said. “It’s been great being together and having these little creative bonding moments. We’ve made some of my favorite music with Cami.”
“Hotel Caracas” heralds a new era in Mau y Ricky’s music. It marks their first album release on their own label, Why Club Records, in partnership with Warner Music Latina. LP was also born after Mau y Ricky expanded their own family. In 2022, Mau and his wife Sara Escobar welcomed their first child, Apollo. Afterwards, Ricky married Argentine model Stefi Roitman. It is their most personal and daring album, with songs about romance, heartbreak and sex.
“Getting married and starting our own family gave us a sense of security,” Ricky says. “At this point, my wife knows exactly who I am and I can tell the stories I tell, and many of them are about my past or Mau’s past. Before, we had could have said, ‘I didn’t mean to say that.’ With that feeling of security, I thought, ‘I’ve been through all of this and I have to say it because I know it might help someone.'”
To promote the album “Hotel Caracas”, Mau y Ricky is holding intimate concerts at Lobby Bars across the United States and Latin America. The two brothers also plan to go on a trip at the end of the year. Mau admitted that he is adjusting to being a father to Apollo while also fulfilling his dream of becoming a pop star with his brother.
“Honestly, it was difficult but also extremely exciting,” he said. “Let’s say 60 years later, I’m happy to know that those songs [on ‘Hotel Caracas’] was a part of his childhood. I like the idea that he learned to say certain words and he learned to play drums or pretend to blow a trumpet because he listened to these songs. They are part of a child’s development and music has more development in the child’s brain than we think.”
“Hotel Caracas” also marks Mau y Ricky’s return to his native Venezuela. The songs have a Venezuelan swagger and use local slang. All 15 music videos for the album were filmed in cities across Venezuela, with an upcoming documentary chronicling their experiences. Mau y Ricky worked with more than 200 crew members based in Venezuela for the project.
“We need to reconnect,” Mau said. “We feel like we’re going through this identity crisis or lack of feeling a part of somewhere. For the longest time, we felt it and as you mature, you start to notice the little wounds that you have to heal. That’s one of them. It’s amazing that we heal that. [wound] when we return to our country. It was three months of getting to know our country in the best way possible, plus filming videos that represent the beauty of Venezuela.”
Lucas Villa is a Mexican-American music journalist who specializes in covering pop and Latin music. For more than 11 years, he has interviewed pop queens and Latin superstars for magazines such as PS, Allure, Elle, Rolling Stone, Billboard, MTV News, Paper, W Magazine, Vibe and LGBTQ Nation.
