SPELLLING

About the Artist

SPELLLING’s performances feel less like concerts and more like immersive ceremonies—rituals of sound, light, and theatrical alchemy. The project of Bay Area artist Chrystia Cabral, SPELLLING conjures a genre-defying blend of synth-pop, gothic soul, and avant-garde opera, all channeled through her distinct voice: elastic, spellbinding, and often veering toward the supernatural. Her live shows are renowned for their visual richness—think cathedral lighting, surreal costumes, and carefully choreographed movements that transform the stage into something mythic. Behind the grandeur is an artist shaped by introspection; Cabral began making music alone in her bedroom while teaching at a Montessori school, drawing on dreams, literature, and Afrofuturist aesthetics. “Portrait of My Heart,” like much of her work, reflects this layered interior world—melancholic yet majestic. Fans still talk about her 2019 performance at The Chapel in San Francisco, where she emerged in a veil and moved like a ghost waltzing through a synthesizer. It’s the kind of show where you’re not sure if you just saw a musician—or a visionary with a synthesizer-shaped wand.