Last year, the Tamarind Institute reached out to Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Raven Chacon, to create a lithograph print of his illustrations of an immersive art concept. It will blossom into a full day performance across the city of Albuquerque this Saturday. It’s called Tiguex.
Chacon is from Albuquerque, and wrote Tiguex as a love letter to his home.
“The city is welcoming in its sights, in its nooks and crannies, to host music,” Chacon said.
Tiguex comes from the Tiwa word meaning the valley between Sandia and Isleta pueblos. The modern day city of Albuquerque sits in this valley, which was the initial seed of inspiration for Chacon’s piece.
“One thing I think that we could say about Albuquerque is it is definitely a musical city,” he said, “It is a crossroads of different music coming together in unique situations. And so it seems to me a natural place to make a score for,”
The performance will be made up of 20 overlapping movements of music over the course of 12 hours – all in different locations around the city.
Starting at approximately 6:58 a.m. on Saturday, as the sun comes out behind the Sandias, there will be a prayer to open the day on Sandia Peak.
Following the rising sun, trombonists in a hot air balloon will cross the city, cellos will float down the Rio Grande, then a choir will sing under a volcano on the West Mesa, and that’s just to name a few.
Chacon encourages the community to participate in any way they can, particularly in any of the three processions between Nob Hill and Old Town.
If you can’t make it out, Chacon recommends tuning in online. “You will also hear an invitation to make music yourself, whether that's in your kitchen or in your car, or you’re working in your garden, listening to KUNM, you will sing with us that day,” he said.
Tiguex is a collaboration with the Tamarind Institute, the City of Albuquerque’s Department of Arts and Culture, and the UNM Department of Music, with fiscal sponsorship from the Albuquerque Community Foundation.
“It's not me solely doing this [Tiguex],” Chacon said, “I'm working with a lot of great artists in town and a lot of people who just like to make things happen and are good at it,”
Over 200 musicians will take part in the movements. One Albuquerque Media will stream Tiguex throughout the day on Youtube. KUNM will also have on-air cues to guide listeners throughout the day on when movements are happening.
