SonLingua Ensemble: 'Fertile Words'

The ensemble will premiere three new movements composed by Carrizo for the ensemble, whose texts consist of poems written by poets Mikeas Sánchez (Chiapas, Mexico) and Sabino Esteban (Guatemala). The program will also include works by György Kurtág, George Benjamin, Iddo Aharony (Assistant Professor of Composition, Colorado College), Stuart Saunders Smith, and Navajo Nation member, Sound Artist/composer Raven Chacon.

One of the ongoing effects of colonialism in the Americas is the relentless linguistic assimilation suffered by Indigenous groups. Many Indigenous languages are endangered, due to the lack of educational opportunities afforded these groups in their native tongues. In light of this, there are several Indigenous American poets who write poetry in their native language, as both a gesture of defiance and a means of preservation.