Amor Con Fortuna

https://soundcloud.com/cindy-shapiro/amor-con-fortuna

Hello! It's a little blog to talk about this piece I made the other day. I'm taking a class at Antioch LA called Parallel Worlds: Renaissance to Modern Art in Europe and the Americas. Here is a description from the syllabus:

“Parallel Worlds” examines art practices across the hemispheres from 1300 to 1950. The course unpacks the influence and stylistic variances within European (and later international) art during this period. Class sessions are divided into two parts. One half of the class is devoted to observing the art of Europe and its stylistic progressions starting with Giotto in Italy to survey art from the Renaissance, to Mannerism, to the Baroque, etc. The second half of the session explores the colonial counterpart of these movements as seen in the artistic traditions of the Americas (San Miguel de Huejotzingo, the quilts of Gee’s Bend, Frida Kahlo, etc.). Students explore how these styles mixed with the indigenous population and the African peoples, as seen in Mexico, Peru, and the United States. As the course concludes, students examine how the Americas now export their artistic traditions eastward and across the globe.

I decided to do this music project as part of my coursework. We've looked at visual art from the conquered Aztec culture that looked like this:

St. Augustine, rendered in feathers. You can see that it looks like relatively standard iconography from the European Renaissance tradition, only the artisan used feathers to create this work. This is a blending of traditions, the native Aztec tradition with an overlay of European style.

I decided to try to do this with music. Of course, there is nothing in the record about what music might have sounded like in the early-mid 1500s in Mexico. But, looking at the artworks, I imagined a combination of indiginous instruments mixed with courtly music from Spain.

I did a little research on Aztec instruments -- they have been found in the archeological record -- and downloaded an instrument sample package to use in Logic, the sequencer I use for composition. Then I did some research on Spanish music from the early 1500s, around the time of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and chose a madrigal work by Juan del Encina, who was a court composer.

What I've posted here is the result of this musical experiment.

Thoughts?

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ORIGINAL COMMENTS:

Joni • 2012

I really like it! I love fusion stuff, and I love the language and the fun rhythms! Go, Cindy!

Tiffany Carmel • 2012

Wow, that's fantastic!!!

J_tichauer • 2012

This is just genius, Cinday! How talented you are!

This Guy • 2012

I think the sound blended well, I love the idea!

Gregory • 2012

What a cool take on a religious icon.

Kimberly Wyatt A • 2012

Just listened in class! Truly amazing!

Rabbi Cantor W • 2012

Very cool!

Dede Nardini • 2012

Your harmonies are brilliant... I feel transported! I can imagine hearing this music in the background while looking at the European artwork from that period.

#cindyshapiro #music #aztecs #madrigals #antiochuniversity #losangeles