Commission Story: Abya Yala
Radical collaboration is core to who we are at Resonance Ensemble. This year marks 15 seasons, made possible in part by the deep partnerships we’ve cultivated with living artists across a variety of disciplines. Leading up to our season finale concert (MISSION 15), we go beyond the music to share the stories that brought this work to the concert stage.
Today, we dive deeper into Abya Yala — featuring the music of Freddy Vilches,
and texts by Elicura Chihuailaf Nahuelpán, Estela Gamero López, Julieta Zurita Cavero, Rosa Chávez, and Gustavo Zapoteco Sideño
Composer Freddy Vilches with Artistic Director Katherine FitzGibbon | photo by Rachel Hadiashar
A World Beyond Borders…
In 2021, composer Freddy Vilches reached out to us with an idea for a choral suite that would explore indigenous connections with the land and with their history that transcends colonial and geopolitical borders. Resonance Ensemble was thrilled to commission this work. His friendships with indigenous poets from across Latin America, and his own lived experience and musical versatility, led him to create the magnificent work you can hear today.
At the premiere of Abya Yala (2022) | photo by Rachel Hadiashar
Drawing upon musical styles and instrumentation from the regions being spotlighted, Freddy wove together a choral suite that, as Freddy says, “vindicates” the historical connections, languages, and cultural traditions of each poet.
This commission inspired the rest of the ABYA YALA program in 2022. Gabriela Lena Frank’s Hombre errante, with its dramatic storytelling of an Andean people ripped from their homes; Jerod Impichchaachaawa’ Tate’s Taloowa chipota’, which depicts traditional stomp dances; and Mari Esabel Valverde’s Border Lines, with its message about how border lines only exist in sand.
“We are so grateful to Freddy for this ambitious and beautiful work,” says Artistic Director Dr. Katherine FitzGibbon. “We were excited to present this co-commissioned work at the Northwest chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, sharing this amazing piece with listeners from across the region.”
About the work, Freddy shares:
Abya Yala (“Continent of Life” or “Land in Full Maturity”) is the indigenous name given to the Americas by the Gaundule (Kuna) peoples of Panama and Colombia.
This multilingual choral suite is the product of a fruitful collaboration between the author and the aforementioned poets, in an attempt to vindicate historically discriminated languages and communities throughout Abya Yala.
These bilingual poems (Mapuche, Aymara, Quechua, Maya K’iche’, Nahuatl, and Spanish) 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. Although directly related to Abya Yala, these topics are universal, hence the beauty and relevance of these poems.
Las Matices and Resonance Ensemble during the premiere of Abya Yala | photo by Rachel Hadiashar
WHAT STILL RESONATES
The poets and writers Freddy collaborated with may be unfamiliar to many in the modern-day United States, but their contributions to the written word—and the cultures they hail from—are felt universally. The education, preservation, and celebration of these beautiful languages deserves further amplification, and we are excited to collaborate with Freddy again in the near future to bring more of these traditions to listeners everywhere.
We invite you to read more about these amazing writers, translators, cultural ambassadors, and activists working to not only preserve the language and cultural histories of indigenous peoples in the modern day Americas—but to honor, celebrate, and revive these languages, stories, traditions, and oral practices!
-
Elicura Chihuailaf Nahuelpán (Chilean writer, poet, and oralist of Mapuche origin) is one of the most renowned poets in Chile. Winner of the Chilean National Literature Prize in 2020, the bilingual nature of his work (Mapudungun and Spanish) was foundational in fostering the prevalence of the Mapuche language and written art forms.
-
Estela Gamero López (Peruvian translator, interpreter, intercultural mediator of Aymara origin) is the founder of the Quechumara Research and Development center, which she founded with the sole purpose of supporting the revitalization and strengthening of native languages. She also serves as the Deputy Mayor of Calana, Tacna. She rose to popularity in part from her video-ed readings of her stories in the Ayamara language, the most popular of which are the Tales of the Awicha.”
-
Julieta Zurita Cavero (teacher, Quechua philologist, pedagogy researcher, writer, poet, and translator of Quechua origin) is a champion of the Quecha language. Her work in promoting dual-language education (Spanish and Quechua) has spread across Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, and Panama, as well as international conferences. Her writings, largely in Quecha, include poems and stories—most famously the Tales of Zoorro Antonio (2016), an anthology published in a trilingual edition of Quecha, Spanish, and English.
-
Rosa Chávez (poet, educator, actress, cultural manager, and activist of Maya K’iche’-Kaqchikel origin). The author of five poetry books, her work has been widely anthologized and published in both Maya K’iche’ and other languages—Casa solitaria and Ri uk’u’x ri ab’aj/El corazón de la piedra, being most well known among them. In addition to her poetry, she has also penned experimental works of theater, spoken word, and film. She is also the coordinator of the Guatemala program, Just Associates (JASS), an international feminist organization.
-
Gustavo Zapoteco Sideño (poet, writer, and translator of Mexican origin) is one of the most well-established writers in modern Mexico, writing in both Nahuatl and Spanish languages (the variant Guerrero Nahuatl most prevalent among his writings). Publishing multiple volumes of poetry, he has also helped to assemble written compilations of stories, riddles, and myths of oral traditions from various groups of indigenous peoples (Tlapanecs, Popolocas, Mixtecs and Nahuas of Guerrero and Puebla)—helping to preserve these cultural artworks for generations to come. He is currently Director of Culture and Traditions of the Municipal Committee of Tlaltizapan.
HEAR IT LIVE AT MISSION 15!
Saturday, June 8th | 7:30pm @Winningstad Theatre
Hear Las Matices and Freddy revive a movement from this incredible work—along with an evening of other pieces from across our 15 year history—in-person at the Winningstad Theatre on June 8th. This one-night only event is packed with meaningful music, powerful stories, and exciting in-person appearances by the artists we love.
The music of tomorrow is being written by the voices of today.
Dinah Dodds
Find out more about how you can help us support living artists in our community & beyond
The Dinah Dodds Fund for the Creation of New Art memorializes Dinah Dodds, President of the Board of Directors of Resonance Ensemble, who served on the board from 2014 until her death in 2019. Under Dinah’s devoted leadership, the organization developed its social justice focus and commissioned multiple major new choral works.
In tribute to Dinah, contributions to this fund shall support the creation of new art (music, visual art, and poetry), as prioritized by the artistic leadership of Resonance Ensemble. “Creation of New Art” can include commissioning and co-commissioning, premiering, and/or professionally recording (audio/video) works by living artists.