Maya Márquez Calle

In 2020, Maya Márquez Calle was enrolled online and studying music in her native country of Colombia. When her application was accepted to the School of Performing Arts program at Holland College, she dropped everything and moved to Prince Edward Island to study bass guitar. She graduated in May 2024 and has made PEI her home. 

Márquez Calle says that her education through the SoPA program was an excellent experience. It helped her grow her technical skills, further tap into her musical spirit, broaden her taste and versatility as a bass player, and it introduced her to a musical community that has fully embraced her.  

Maya was born and raised in Medellin, Colombia. Growing up in Latin America, she was exposed to a rich musical culture and that music had a significant and lasting effect on her. When her mother was pregnant, a psychic told her that her baby would grow up to be a musician. While in high school in Medellin, Maya played in bands and she became a bass player because there were always too many guitar players around. Now, at 22 years old, her musical life is unfolding in Prince Edward Island. 

In the early days of her time in PEI she was a member of the short-lived band, Somewhere Soon. She met musicians and made friends through the college and the small, tight knit community in Charlottetown, and soon enough, artists were catching on to her prowess and inviting her to play in their bands. 

In her two and a half years here in Prince Edward Island she has put together an impressive resume, playing bass for Dylan Menzie, KINLEY, Kellie Loder, Whitney Rose, Noah Malcolm, Logan Richard, Joce Reyome, Vince the Messenger, and Dee Hernandez. She loves playing the supporting role and when given the chance, her goal is to demonstrate how valuable an artist’s work is and to offer a professional contribution and commitment to the performance or project.

She has performed at East Coast Music Week, Music PEI Showcase, Halifax Jazz Fest, JUNOfest, Canadian Music Week, Small Halls, Contact East, and she has toured throughout Canada with various artists. She is also a frequent member of the long-standing series, Island Jazz. 

Her roots may be in Latin music, but she plays everything from rock n’ roll, to jazz, hip-hop, punk, folk, singer-songwriter, Americana, country and pop. She is a highly adaptable bass player who enjoys both structure and improv. Having spent a few hours with her, it was apparent that her musical spirit is very strong. She lives and breathes it every day and she is a wonderful addition to our musical community in so many ways. 

Her latest project is a new group called The Electric Trains, also featuring Joey Kitson, Chris Corrigan, and Max Gallant. They play a wide variety of interesting covers and a selection of original material. 

If you’re interested in seeing Maya play, you can catch her at The Electric Trains’ weekly Sunday matinee, beginning December 1, at Salvador Dali Café on Kent Street in Charlottetown.