Preludio a un cancionero anticolonial
Prelude to an Anticolonial Songbook
Performance, 20 min, 2022
In collaboration with Hassan Lahjari
The performance draws upon “The Song of Neria”, a chant of mourning and resistance against the settlers from early century Morocco written by Mbarka bent Hamou (date unknown) in Darija (Moroccan Arabic). Translated for the first time into Spanish, fragments of the song are performed by Hassan Lahjari in its original language while posters containing the translation verse by verse are being put up on a wall. The performance took place in Calle de Ceuta (referring to one of Spain's current enclaves in Morocco), in the neighborhood of Tetuán de las Victorias, Madrid (whose name alludes to the capture of Tetuán in 1860). It was conceived as a rehearsal of what could unfold in the second chapter of the film "Tetuan, Tetuán, Titwan", highlighting through music the colonial implications of the city's toponymy while reflecting upon the politics of translation.
Commissioned by Young Curators Residency Programme, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, as part of the group show Si las palabras hablaran curated by Ludovica Bulciolu, Laura Castro and Emily Markert.
Translation: Hassan Lahjari. Proofreading: Eduardo Terrén. Open source fonts for the posters: Mirza Medium by KB Studio and Karrik Regular by Jean-Baptiste Morizot and Lucas Le Bihan.
Photos by Bego Solis.