After being more than eight years living outside the country, March 8th, 2020 was the first time I decided to go to a protest in Chile since I had decided to emigrate, especially in Valparaíso, which was my city until I was seventeen years old. Together with my sisters we decided to participate in this massive event that was gathering in the Sotomayor square. It was a historic moment, as it was the first women's day protest after the social awakening in 2019. We were many, I had never seen so many people of different ages gathered in the same place. My body was exalted, between fear and happiness. I felt proud and euphoric to contemplate this mass of human bodies protesting for feminist changes with a decolonial attitude towards contemporary patriarchy. It gave me a strong motivation to return to my roots, to return home after my long odyssey as a migrant and mestiza woman in colonizing and European countries. I interpreted this massive event as a liminoid moment, because of its ritualistic, ludic and resistance degree. I felt that at that moment we were all connected, a kind of sisterhood for the same change struggle. I visualized the past, the present and the future. How this event was part of the main mechanism of the social protests and how these actions led to the current Chilean process of a new constitution. I can't help but think, that this massive event was one of the last that was experienced before the dramatic outbreak of the pandemic in Chile and worldwide.
The soundscape that you will hear below was presented at the Chilean sound festival TSONAMI 2021, is the collection of recordings made from my in-situ experience at the March 8, 2020 protest in Valparaiso. Through songs, noises, sounds and interactions within the demonstration, I intend to sonically transport the listener to the specific moment of this national event. The union of resistant bodies, led to a liminal experience of solidarity, fellowship and sisterhood, which can be heard, remembered and not forgotten through this sonic composition.
you can tune in HERE on December 14th, 2021 from 14-15 (Chile time)
Participation in Festival Tsonami XV
2021
