MAYAN/Ex-STREAM OF PASSION Singer MARCELA BOVIO Is Battling Cervical Cancer

Marcela Bovio, the Mexican singer, violinist, songwriter, and vocal teacher, who is currently a member of the Dutch symphonic death metal band MAYAN, is undergoing treatment for cervical cancer.

Known for her melancholic, emotional voice and her other work with bands like STREAM OF PASSION, AYREON, THE GENTLE STORM, THE GATHERING and MAIDEN UNITED, Bovio revealed her cancer diagnosis in a social media post last month.

She wrote: "Dear friends, you may have notice I've been very quiet lately on social media. And a few of you know this already, but a lot of you don't so I thought I'd just publish this here. Be warned, it's heavy news... I have cervical cancer, and I'm currently undergoing treatment for it. It's been a nerve-wrecking journey so far, it's very hard to put my head around it and accept it; but it's getting easier every day and I think an important part of it is to just put it out there. I'm also very lucky to have family and friends that have provided me with an incredible amount of support.

Marcela continued: "I'm happy to say that so far the treatment has gone quite ok and I haven't felt very bad physically. The prognosis is also very positive, so I hope in a few months I can be free of this thing and share some good news with you!

"I can't wait for the day I can climb back on a stage again and sing for you. In the meantime, good vibes are much appreciated"

Bovio, who has lived in the Netherlands for more than a decade, has also pursued a solo career in recent years, having released the "Found!" EP in 2015, followed by two full-length albums, 2016's "Unprecedented" and 2018's "Through Your Eyes".

In a 2018 interview with Lyrical Spell Magazine, the now-40-year-old talked about how she first started singing and eventually got involved in the heavy metal genre.

"I've loved singing ever since I can remember," she said. "I don't think I was inspired by someone in particular or at least not that I can recall.

"When I was in my teens, I started listening to rock, heavy rock and metal. I think it was through friends that I initially came in touch with this kind of music. I then started listening to this radio show called 'Distorsión' that aired in the middle of the night on Sunday. I discovered a lot of fantastic bands there like THE 3RD AND THE MORTAL, CELESTIAL SEASON and THE GATHERING. I loved how emotional metal was, how all kinds of feelings like extreme anger and sadness could be portrayed without making compromises. I was hooked."