2022 08 10

The Banff Centre: The Weapon of Theory as a Conference of Birds

Cover Letter

When I first came across the initial description of this residency, “welcomes artists who are interested in exploring music, language and rhythm as they affect the geological, bio-political, and the mnemonic through media, performance, language, and writing.”, I was immediately drawn in and compelled, as I felt that it was a description that I had written - it felt personal. 

As a percussionist and electronic sound artist, I am continually refining my sonic methodology in order to more acutely express something very personal: the fact that I am a product of colonization. My heritage and identity is a complicated one. My father was born in Callao, Peru, and my mother was born in Sudbury, Ontario. As a result, a confluence of the conqueror and conquered, patriarchal and matriarchal, selfish and altruistic, nature and industry all melt into an indivisible, interconnected and syncretic cosmology. 

In my sonic practice, I am continuously searching for sound and concepts that can express my perspective and identity. One very strong concept that has always had my attention is the clave rhythm. No one really knows how ancient these Sub-Saharan rhythms and concepts are, but I suspect they are more than 25,000 years old. These rhythms, which travelled over the Atlantic in the hearts and souls of enslaved West Africans, have forever changed music. The impact of the clave has been so massive that it is almost impossible to not hear it, yet it remains mysterious, hidden, fluid and ephemeral. Most people that I talk to about the clave are not aware of it, yet feel its rhythm deeply through emotions and dance.      

I am most interested in the geo-political impacts of the forced, brutal and violent migration of people of the African diaspora and the clave rhythm. It is indeed a sobering parallel to my own existence.