COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: Meet Freddy Vilches
PHOTO CREDIT: Rachel Hadiashar
Freddy Vilches is an accomplished composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and educator based in Portland, OR. His latest work, The Abya Yala Choral Suite, will be premiered by Resonance Ensemble at ABYA YALA on March 5 & 6.
In this soil
inhabit the stars
In this sky sings
the imagination water
Beyond the clouds
That surge from
These waters
And these soils
Our ancestors
Dream of us
Their spirit - they say - is the full moon
The silence, their beating heart.
from Mapudungun poem “Tvfaci mapu mew mogeley wagvlen” by Elicura Chihuailaf N.,
translated to English by Freddy Vilches (featured in the Abya Yala Choral Suite)
ABOUT “ABYA YALA CHORAL SUITE”
Freddy Vilches shares his vision for the premiere of his latest work, the Abya Yala Choral Suite
Vilches: I’m very excited to be working with Kathy FitzGibbon and Resonance Ensemble on the premiere of my latest composition, Abya Yala Choral Suite.
This multilingual composition is the result of many months of research and collaborative work with different poets in Latin America. As a mestizo composer with indigenous roots in South America, my original idea was to compose a choral suite that would include poems in several languages spoken by our indigenous communities in South, Central and North America - as well as their versions in Spanish. I selected 5 bilingual poets from different regions of Abya Yala whose poetry spoke to me. My collaborative work with these great poets took different forms, ranging from writing adaptations to better suit the song format to discussing the styles of music and instrumentation we envisioned for each piece.
The poems were chosen for their beauty and subtle, yet powerful messages. In these texts we find the constant presence of our ancestors, a profound love for the land “Pachamama,” and a strong call to preserve the languages and cultures of our indigenous communities for future generations. The result is this multilingual work that includes poets from the Mapuche, Aymara, Quechua, Maya K'iche', and Nahuatl communities. Although directly related to Abya Yala, the topics addressed by these poets are universal, hence the beauty and relevance of these poems for all.
ABOUT FREDDY VILCHES
Originally from Santiago, Chile Freddy has recorded and performed extensively throughout the US and Latin America. He received his PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Oregon, specializing in Latin American Literature of the 20th and 21st Centuries. His research interests include Latin American literature, music, and film.
Composer Freddy Vilches, shown here playing a cuatro
At Lewis & Clark College, he is an Associate Professor in the Department of World Languages and Literatures, and instructor of several traditional instruments (charango, cuatro, and Afro-Cuban percussion) and director of the Latin American Ensemble in the Music Department. As a scholar, he has published several articles on Latin American poetry, fiction, film, and music.
As a producer, in 2021 Freddy released a documentary film on the Abakua Secret Society in Cuba, and is currently producing the 75th anniversary album of Conjunto Chappottin, one of the most emblematic Son bands in Cuba.
As a composer, he has written music in a wide variety of styles from Latin America and the Caribbean. He has also composed several symphonic works including his recent Suite Latinoamericana, a work consisting of five movements which features music, styles, and instruments of the Andes, Colombia and Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba. Suite Latinoamericana is scheduled to be performed in Cuba and Bolivia in 2022. Abya Yala Choral Suite is his second major composition dedicated to the indigenous people and cultures of Abya Yala.
Freddy Vilches along with the other members of Matices Latin Ensemble | Facebook
A musician in his own right, Vilches also performs in and conducts the Matices Latin Ensemble, which plays an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music from Latin America - including a variety of elements from Latin music, Brazilian Bossa Nova, Cuban Son, and Latin Jazz. This incredible ensemble will join with Resonance Ensemble for the premiere performances of the Abya Yala Choral Suite. Check our blog again soon to learn more about their ensemble.
Freddy Vilches will participate in a Q&A talkback after the concert. Join us on March 5 and 6 to meet him and hear Resonance perform Vilches’ Abya Yala Choral Suite!