This time, the main 'protagonist' is amate paper - vegetable paper created, manufactured and used in Mesoamerican cultures, in Spanish papel amate, amatl in Náhuatl (an indigenous language spoken in Mexico and other Mesoamerican territories).
A sacred and profane paper that was also banned and replaced by European paper when the Spanish arrived. The tradition has been perpetuated in certain communities in Mexico, and it can be found in new forms of craftwork and plastic art. As well as its use in rituals, before the conquest of the Aztec Empire it was used as a support for painted books known as pre-Hispanic Codexes. Maya amate paper has been compared to Egyptian papyrus. It is considered superior in texture, durability and plasticity.
In this piece, optional improvisation work is proposed, as well as the search for sounds with paper. Different kinds of paper, and even cardboard, become an interesting source of sound production.
KOPOP takes its name from 'kopo' (Mayan for ficus, used to make bark paper). It involves playing with words, in Náhuatl or Mayan, that are involved in the process of making amate paper. Some Spanish words are also used, referring to the actions involved in making the paper: golpear (to hit), batir (to shake), lavar (to wash).
KOPOP can be compared with
En ce temps là... - the first piece in the collection Du rythme à la parole - both in terms of form and source of inspiration.
Special thanks to Antinea Jimena, a Mexican visual artist who uses and makes handmade bark paper for her work, and to Géraldine Toutain, a musician who wrote the preface to
Du rythme à la parole, published by À Coeur Joie.
Performance time: approximately 3 minutes
