CHICUEYICUICATL: EIGHT SONGS IN NAUATL LANGUAGE
This is a unique collection of songs composed in Nahuatl, the language of Aztec people, with traditional lyrics collected in Mexico between the 15th and 19th centuries. The theatrical script is made up of a thematic arc about human existence as a subjective experience, represented by daylight from early morning to sunset. The beginning is an aubade, a metaphor for childbirth: the soloist singer seems to emerge from a veil, a luminous placenta preceded by the singing of birds at sunrise. The zenith is composed of other three cuicatl: Auh tocnihuané (‘Our Friends’), Cacahuaxochitl (‘Cacao Blossoms’) and Icniuhyotl in tlalticpac (‘Brotherhood on Earth’), in which the sense of existence owes much to the sensual appreciation of nutrients, blossoms, the value of friendship and the act of sharing. These three texts come from great cuicamatinis (kwikamatinis) – the ‘master singers’ of ancient Mexico – recorded on paper and using Latin characters from the 16th century on.
Programme:
Eight songs in Nahuatl language (excerpts). Composer: Gabriel Pareyon, with traditional Mexican lyrics collected from 15th to 19th centuries
Supported by Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico)