International First People Festival | Subhira Quinteto, Contemporary Avant-Rock and Mapuche Culture

Subhira Quinteto is said to be one of Chile’s most innovative ensembles. The group has been in existence for over a quarter of a century and enjoys a fine international reputation, touring the world music circuit. Clearly, Montreal was not yet among the cities they had conquered, so it was time to catch up on the Place des Festivals, on Wednesday August 6.

Their compositions integrate indigenous music with a kind of contemporary avant-rock, quite savvy in its rhythmic choices (almost always composed measures) and its prog rock or math rock aesthetic matched with contemporary Western music. Their leader, keyboardist and composer, Subhira (Rodrigo Cepeda), is an award-winning professor of composition at the École de Musique Moderne and runs the Mundovivo label. The line-up is made up of drummer Emai Cepeda, violinist Danka Villanueva and flutist Ema Morales, not to mention cellist Juan Angel Muñoz, who was principal cellist of the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra, has played as a guest with countless national and international artists and orchestras, and will be joined for much of the concert by Khano Llaitul Fernández, an external member of the Chilean team.

This indigenous Mapuche artist and activist is said to have done remarkable work as an advisor on indigenous themes, education, dramaturgy, Mapuche musicology, and the dissemination of art, culture and indigenous rights. You can hear him declaiming, shaking bells and blowing traditional instruments. This is a fine execution of concepts and cultural updates typical of the most open-minded artists of the 70s, 80s and 90s.