BORDER LINES | Mari Esabel Valverde

About the work:
“Border Lines” by Mari Esabel Valverde was composed for Adams State University's choral concert series “An Immigrant's Tale: Hopes, Dreams, and Fears in an Uncertain Time” as part of their ETHOS project-Exploring Equity through Music. In collaboration with Harlem-based Afro-Latina poet Yesenia Montilla, this work is born out of empathy for immigrants to the United States who have been separated from their families in the spirit of xenophobia. Her words call out the arbitrary nature of geopolitical borders and implore all of us to unify at our roots in our common humanity. The music is inspired in meter and melody by Central American folk song; and the guitar, a common denominator in a variety of folk traditions, portrays the undulations of "el río" as the narrative unfolds, expressing a clear yearning for belonging.
About the concert:
On March 5 & 6, 2022, Resonance Ensemble returned to Cerimon House to present ABYA YALA: a gathering that spotlighted the words, music, and visual art of indigenous artists from Portland and across the Pan Americas. The evening featured works by composers Gabriela Lena Frank, Mari Esabel Valverde, and Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate - culminating in the world premiere of Resonance’s latest commission, the Abya Yala Choral Suite, by Chilean-born Portland composer Freddy Vilches. This substantial work included musical accompaniment by Vilches’s own group, Matices Latin Ensemble.
Additional works and guest artists included:
Hombre Errante by Gabriela Lena Frank, a substantial work which loosely adapts Peruvian poems and tales to tell the story of a “wandering man of the Andes.”
Oregon Symphony principal cellist Nancy Ives to perform Mari Esabel Valverde’s profound reflection Border Lines and Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate’s Taloowa’ Chipota.
A photo exhibit by local photographer Joe Cantrell was installed at Cerimon House.