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by jimmy spako
This record is a revelation:
Joaquín Orellana is one of Guatemala’s pioneering modern composers. With his Utiles Sonoros, a series of custom built instruments that double as fascinatingly beautiful sonic sculptures, he developed a novel way of creating sound in the late ‘60s. Merging various percussive sounds with poetry, complex choral work and local folklore, Orellana’s music is both modern and primitive, with a powerful spiritual dimension.
His work also has a strong political quality, using his often abstract compositions to convey a dissident yet moving message in reaction to the many injustices and state oppression. Numerous Latin American composers from younger generations would be influenced by his approach, giving birth to an entire genre where music was both socially-conscious and heavily inspired by local folklore and history.
Until now, Orellana’s work was largely unavailable in recorded audio format, being more often performed live or showed in a museum.
Sacratávica brings together four of his iconic compositions from the ‘70s through the 2010s, for the first presented in a high-quality recording and packaging. This is not just the portrait of a unique composer but a historical release.