HELLO OCTOBER - 09.10.25
“Wonderful quartet times playing Shatter Hands music at SMK fridays”
Autumn is here. The rituals of arrival are starting to show, and I can feel my ancestors presence in dreams and in my work. In Andean times, our ancestors are coming to pay a visit and stay with us during the next couple of months, and I must say I am really looking forward to that.
I wonder though, if being in the northern hemisphere the process flips? – here the soil is entering it’s resting phase, and the sun is entering the maturing. I could imagine we will knit together. I have a whole bag of llama wool waiting some deseved attention.
This past two months I have been in between worlds of teaching, composing, playing, exploring…and trying to navigate the labyrinthic “music markets” as preparation to release a debut project which I have been working on and off for at least 7 years now, consciously & unconsciously.
As of now I oscillate between despair and becoming pretty peaceful with the idea that I am a tree which fruits and flowers don’t bloom often, but I hope the fruits would be meaningful in their own way and are an expression of growth.
In the mean time I am focusing in working more as an interpreter for my friends and colleagues wonderful music, which I really enjoy, and could spent hours exploring that if I had my way. A lot of beautiful sessions have taken place.
Before autumn break we recorded Calum Builders “From the Tide” in one of my friends newly build woody studio – which suited to the meditative quality of the pieces. I cannot wait to hear it in it’s totality, from a listeners perspective.
With a dear friend group we have been exploring little by little the wonders of South-america’s poetry of song, being born out of a common love for the great, extra romantic, sometimes corny, and sometimes also extremely toxic lyrics boleros and sons, filled with a passion only known to the lands of Abya Yala.
In a way we do it to teach ourselves and also honor the wonderful musical heritage of the vast continent. We decided to meet to gather our own personal “cancionero latinoamericano” – so far exploring Mexican folkloric songs, protest songs from Bolivia, Caribbean loving boleros… There is something magical about our heritage through the mixed languages. It is the love that drives force in explorations like this – and keep the playing together for the pure joy of expression and cultivation of live culture..At least for me this is a little action to break out of those toxic patterns and impositions of roles of what music ought to be for us, as musicians and artists.
October also is bringing the wonderful opportunity to spend some time in Vilnius Jazz Festival, where I am looking so much forward to play with Lithuanian Llaki Trio and slovenian saxophonist Luka Zabric. To top it up, I’m looking forward to listen to William Parker live finally! His music and literature has been a mentor during my last year of studies in the conservatory, and very meaningful to me personally.
On other things on my mind, with two years since I learned about Palestine and on the eve of 533 years of Oppresion in Abya Yala, I still don’t understand the complicit silence and willfull ignorance of some colleagues and friends, for what is happening in the world. On that note, I do wonder still everyday what is my role then… what should I do today? Where should the energy be put in this instance? Small steps is all I can say.
The scary thought for me that sadly does pop up at times, is when friends choose silence for their own comfort. Their silence makes me feel like our lives don’t matter in the same way as theirs. And it is hard to open these conversations.
I did recently had one conversation with a dear friend of mine, which was very hard, and I am still not sure I was understood, but we listened to each other. That is what matters. The fact that we can for a moment see each other and be fellow human beings and agree that life matters.
It really brings into question for me – who do I want to be with and for who. I guess we all are navigating spaces like these nowadays. I just hope coherent actions can be taken towards connecting, and not polarizing. Towards the seed and care, rather than cutting ties….some soils are resting, or dormant, or even becoming sterile and hostile, while others are waking up, and require our full presence, Those are the ones worth fighting for everyday .
A life-long learning process I guess.
Happenings you can see me around this month
18th of October – Vilnius Jazz together with Llaki Trio and Luka Zabric. Info here
September/Current reads
Akwaeke Emezi -“Somadina”
The story served as a little therapist for my inner artist who feels in conflict with themselves and their role. Beautifully written – young adult novel.
Current Music
I can’t have enough of Aja Monets wonderful poetry: When Poems do what they do – specially after maybe my favourite concert so far this year back in July. In the autumn danish darkness and apathy, this album has been a light to not loose hope and not feel like you are alone with being horrified and equally wanting to fight back with more love.
Another wonderful discovery, which I finally had time to get deep into was Mestizx by Ibelisse Guardia Ferraguti & Frank Rosaly. – intriguing explorations of mixed heritage.
HELLO JULY - 04.07.25
“Our little debut with Tinkus.DK at the CPH Carnival.”June ended and July started a bit chaotic and with a burn out feeling, follow by an intense need to cucoon to calm inevitable the pains that comes with stress.
I can only thank my body for being so loud about it and demands me to slow down. I also appreciated the summer tropical rain the month decided to appear at the same time. Makes me feel more home – even though, it is not by any means normal here.
During the cocoon week, I have been using lot of time to research about other digital services and start the migration away from google as a first step to a bigger migration within my digital presence. To be honest, for the first couple of days I felt extremely illiterate when it comes to knowing about a whole other digital world out there that doesn’t involve major companies like microsoft, apple and google and their services. I learned about new Operative systems for your phones, cloud services I never ever heard about, even about how you can set up your own server and Cloudspace. ( yeah, I know, I am so out-dated!!!)
Somehow it feels like a need to learn a bit more about these things, now that cleaning my drive, mails and calendar have made me so aware how involved google is in my ability to work and network, and how, in many ways we are already living in a Matrix – except it’s not the machines sucking up your life-source and deciding what you see or what you don’t see, but actual people, who only see me and other people as an asset to exploit.
I also use the cucoon time to reconnect with my analog work modes, taking up my bullet journal style of organizing, which I stop using over a year ago to try other ways of managing my time. But now I realized, it became too digital for my liking. I enjoy a slow writing and the feeling of pen to paper. Somehow my body remembers things better that way, and can express better.
With this month, CPH jazz Festival wakes the city up. I will be enjoying to see some concerts and play some as well, but only on a moderated capacity. I’m really looking forward to the Feast for the Ears collab week. To hear and meet more people.
Lastly I still cannot pretend the world is all right, and somehow I need to spend more time with people who also want to dream and act to create a different way of life, instead of keeping the status Quo because the system doesn’t “affect them as much”.
I also feel a strong urge to educate myself even more about how systems are set, how they work, their impact in other countries of the Global South. The common history of exploitation we share, but also how culture is what moves and inspires change.
I will be revisiting Anzaldúas poems, Saul Williams performances and film, Shadia Mansours powerful rap and M.I.A documentary work, Kneecaps amazing punk expression, Aja Monets loving protests ( who is coming to CPH!!!), Maria Galindos performance art ( the latest work on the colonial statues in La Paz have become my favourite thing to look at, and so sad I miss out the live version!!) – All artists which are full of strong and clear intentions, that go beyond their ego wish to be “seen” by public, and who know that their voices have the potential to bring forth what’s been silence for such a long time and create movements of change…
2 HAPPENINGS YOU CAN MEET ME AROUND
5th of July – Playing at 5e during CPH Jazz Festival
with Calum Builder, Sara Buchner and Jan Kadereit. More info here
12th of July – Playing at Bådehuset 17.00 during CPH Jazz Festival
with pianist Matt Choboter and percussionist Ying-Hsue. More info here
7th-12th of July – with CRRNT and in collaboration with other collectives, we bring a wonderful line up of concerts from CPH’s experimental scene. You can check the full program here
On the 12th at that festival, I will have the honor to play with shakuhachi player Kiku Day. More info on that here
Dominique Christina – This is Woman’s Work
SOME ALTERNATIVES I FOUND INTERESTING UNDER MY LITTLE DIGITAL RESEARCH ( FOR THEIR PRIVACY PRIORITIES SPECIALLY, AND SO FAR I COULD SEE, NOT TIED TO HUMAN EXPLOITATION AND WAR BUSSINESS:
HELLO JUNE - 06.06.25
Before I even get to telling about my own stuff, I need to share the hopeful news of the Freedom Flotilla, with 12 people who set sail a couple of days ago with much needed aid towards Gaza, and I dare to go back to Instagram just to follow what is going on daily. You can follow the journey here
HELLO JUNE
I start this little public blog, honestly horrified at the passivity and apathy of people, even some close to me, despite the insane amount of evidence, BUT at the same time, inspired by those who take brave actions everyday, to not give up. I know that however insignificant small platforms, this space will also be filled with support for Palestine.
One thing that I keep coming back to, is how this is a cautionary tale for those who survive horrors of the worst and not manage to heal from the trauma it created.
The survivor became the monster it survived.
Those who have been through colonial violence knows this too well…
And while we do need to focus in our present outreach and reality where we can make change if even small, we cannot stop talking about this, educating ourselves more, help out in whatever our capabilities allow us.
Fighting for freedom comes in many ways. And there many wonderful organisations, individuals who are working their best to voice out the general concerns, to call out politicians and companies, people who do their best to inform and educate outside mainstream media. We can find ways to support their work, wether economical, voluntary, through social media, through talking about it with different people.
June started all in, with an amazing masterclass with Simon Kavanagh from Kaospilot about designing Learning Spaces.
It was so refreshing to get input from people from so many different fields and countries, but who share a common passion for teaching and sharing knowledge, and believing in transforming the future. Sometimes it can feel a bit frustrating to not be able to share and try crazy ideas when people only deem it “idealistic” and not dare to get out of the comfort zone after finishing school and into “real life”.
So it was very refreshing to be doing something about sharing potential with likeminded people from other areas rather than the artistic.
One of my masterclass colleagues came up with a sentence around a world were artists actively co-create with society, not only on a market level. That is opening up to so much thinking, specially around the purpose of arts. There is an urgency, which I feel personally important to address, specially here in Europe with the current realities stricking so many of us. Many artists are already doing wonderful pioneering work in this matter in USA, Bolivia, Rwanda, Indonesia to name a few countries with some artists I look up to. ( Although I am currently following two artists in Berlin and in Austria, who despite the censorship are presenting incredible work, I hope to see soon in one way or another).
One of my dearest friends share a bit of his current experience with Saul Williams – in a co-created performance addressing the ache people are feeling for the situation in the world. A Co-creation. I am looking forward to talk more in detail with him about what he experienced.
Some nice rehearsals from upcoming concerts are also brewing, and the last details of the music for an upcoming album.
I’m looking forward to a month of creative work in the composer’s and workshop and student benches under the June sun, and going into the performer role as well, after some months of teaching.
4 MAJOR HAPPENINGS YOU CAN MEET ME AROUND
7th and 8th of June Copenhagen Carnival
Caporales DK is performing traditional Bolivian dances. Check out the program here.
15th of June – Brønshøj watertower 19.00 Solo concert + Søvngænger. Info here.
29th of June – Koncertkirken – From the Tide 20.00 – More info here
CURRENT BOOK – The Analysis of Performance Art
As part of my on going curiosity research, I was recommended by a fellow colleague.
First pages reading gives me mixed feelings of intrigue and inspiration – the language is a bit too academic for my taste, and references very specific. But even in the very specific there is some gold nuggets, in the form of fun exercises exploring core elements of what could make a performance, from the perspective of Performance Art.
SOME AMAZING DK AND INT. ORGANISATIONS YOU COULD START CHEKING OUT.
RE:informeret
The Danish House in Palestine
Europe.Palestine Network
Stop Annekteringen
Folkehuset
Crac_Collective
Students Against Occupation
Mellemfolkeligtsamvirke
AmnestyInternational
OxfamDanmark
International Media Support
MaskoffMærsk
BDS Movement
Global Aktion