Ahead of our 2021-22 Season Opener at Hill Auditorium, we sat down with featured composer Alejandro Basulto to discuss his Personas Invisibles, its inspirations and themes and his personal philosophy as a creative artist.
What was your experience composing Personas Invisibles and some of the inspiration for the thematic content?
It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I grew a lot as an artist and as a person while writing this work, and it exposed me to a type of collaboration that was completely new to me. I collaborated with a Salvadorian transgender woman (I don’t use her name to preserve her privacy) who lives in the United States as a refugee. Her testimony became the foundation of my composition. This was unlike any other previous collaborations I have experienced, and I undertook the task with the greatest respect and care. While there are some elements of her story that I am familiar with, others are unknown to me. That is why I tried to write a piece of music that is not exclusive to her, but also shares the story of the many Latinos with similar backgrounds. One of the most important themes of my composition is inspired by the Ranchera, a popular Mexican waltz-like rhythm, commonly associated with the countryside. With this music, I try to evoke the loneliness and homesickness that many Latino refugees and migrants feel while living abroad.
How might the work be felt particularly poignantly today?
I think that if more people knew the stories of those that come to this country escaping violence and tyranny, this would foster greater understanding and appreciation. At present, these people remain invisible. I hope that my work can raise awareness on this topic.
What does it mean to you to have the A2SO performing the work?
After many months of cancellations and closed theaters, I am overwhelmed with joy! I am deeply thankful that the wonderful musicians of the A2SO and conductor Lina González-Granados will share my music with all of you.
What are your guiding principles as a composer?
I do not write for posterity. My hope is that my music will be understood and enjoyed by today’s audiences and that it reflects the complex and fascinating world that we live in. In my music, there is also a strong Mexican and Latin American element, however I am not interested in frivolous celebrations of Latino culture. I want my music to be an invitation to broaden the margins of what is commonly understood as Latino.
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Alejandro Basulto is an award-winning Mexican composer and orchestral conductor. His music is characterized by a profound Latin-American identity, a vibrant integration of contemporary popular culture, a continuous exploration of diverse techniques, and the use of new narrative approaches. Find out more by visiting www.alejandrobasulto.com.
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Photo credit: Jesús Cornejo