Maxim Vaga

Some people are inspired to make music by their parents or by special circumstances in their lives. Maxim Vaga was working on a project with the great Christoph Schlingensief (R.I.P.) when he met Patti Smith. The legendary singer–songwriter fuelled Vaga’s passion for music so much that shortly afterwards, he put his work on film and theatre productions on hold, wrote his own songs, and travelled through Greece with a rebetiko band. After that, Vaga became even more ambitious. Since then, the singer and producer has been creating compositions that blend blues and indie, soul and urban folk against an almost-cinematic backdrop. These compositions can be sensually charged and powerfully groovy, as in the song ‘What Is So Good About Home’ (2023), but also dark blue in colour, full of longing and romance, as on his first EP, ‘This Love’ (2024). Always accompanied by his smoky, characteristic voice, his songs are unbeatable proof that modern blues is more alive than ever. Anyone who wants to experience this with their own eyes and ears has a date in Hamburg in September.