Date: | 9 March 2015 |
Doors: | Doors open: 18:30 Performance: 19:00-19:40 |
Venue: | Delfina Foundation |
Suggested donation: | £5 |
Resident artist Benjamin Abras presents ARAWÔ (the body’s secret), a performance that has taken shape through a series of workshops and research exploring the corporeality of the voice and of bodily movement in relation to ancestral memory.
Benjamin’s artistic practice has its roots in the spiritual traditions of Candomblé and Umbanda. Within these traditions, sound is explored through the physical vibrations that occur in particular parts of the body. Umbanda, which originally derives from Candomblé, is heavily connected to a history of ancestry; specifically referring to the history of the slave trade in Brazil. Those who suffered the oppression of the slave trade danced and sang in secret. The practice of these expressive actions was passed down from generation to generation forming a powerful continuation of ancestral memory through the recreation of these sounds and movements into the present day. The corporeality of the voice and of the body’s movement within these traditions is the primary focus of this performance.
Benjamin Abras uses the techniques of Candomble and Umbanda in his practice of music, theatre, dance, visual arts and performance. He uses the power and strength of the voice and dance to break down the illusion of time and space.
This event is part of Performance as Process.