King Cuicatl" (kwee-cot-l) is an album and live presentation based on an ancient Aztec ritual wherein a foreign war prisoner (known as

an "Ixiptla") was made to impersonate the Aztec God "Tezcatlipoca" for one full year before being sacrificed. The 12 songs are written from the perspective of the Ixiptla as he attempts to use the power of music in conjunction with the illustrious ritual as a device to transform into a genuinely divine creature before the end of the year, thereby transcending the sacrificial ceremony and living forever in perfect harmony. The presentation includes 5 instrumental interludes, each evoking a wild animal meant to accompany the foreign Ixiptla on his radical transformation.
 

Pray, originally from Cincinnati, OH. developed "King Cuicatl" while living as a foreigner in Oaxaca, Mexico in collaboration with historians from Mexico City's UNAM University. He began performing "King Cuicatl" in Oaxaca with a large ensemble of musicians from Oaxaca's indigenous "Mixtec" tribe, later with a blend of these Mixtec musicians and the Oaxaca Symphony, and most recently with the Mexican National Symphony. After a series of particularly successful performances and positive national press, Pray teamed up with a NYC based management company in the Fall of 2023 to build a new 5-piece ensemble and begin performing "King Cuicatl" throughout the US and beyond.