The First Retrospective of Mexican Electroacustic Music

Manuel Rocha Iturbide National School of Music, UNAM [email protected]

Abstract

The first retrospective of Mexican and explain the problems and difficulties of its electroacustic music was held in March 2003. development. I undertook the organization of this event, as This research resulted quite difficult well as an important research work that because there was little bibliography and allot hadn't been done before. I rescued old works of fieldwork needed to be done. It was that were lost, and reconstructed the difficult specially hard to find information about the beginning of the history of this field in Mexico. works produced in the 60's and 70's, because This paper goes through the origins and there wasn’t a center for the experimentation, development of music related to technology production, diffusion and conservation of in my country, trying to make a global recount electronic works, functioning in an for the first time, and making use of a critical appropriate and continuos way through the analysis in order to make up with the past, four and a half decades of history of this understand our present and foreseen the music specialty in our nation. future. 2 The origins 1 Introduction Carlos Chavez is perhaps the first In 2002 the director of the Mexican composer that became interested in contemporary music festival Radar in Mexico the possibilities of technology in relation to asked me if I would do a retrospective of music. In 1932 he travels to the RCA Victor Mexican electroacustic music for his venue in and the Bell Telephone studios in the USA, 2003. This idea seemed to me very valuable and writes two articles that will become part because such an event had never been of the book “Toward a new music; music and organized in my country. I started then to do electricity” published later in 1937. Here, a research and to take it further away, trying Chavez foresees the institutional obstacles that composers and artists interested in the to gather more information in order to search 1 for a continuity in the history of Mexican new audio media confront everyday. He electroacustic music. Also, I aimed to provide considered that the day when these artists a critical personal view of what happened here on the foundation days of this domain 1 These new media were for Chavez: electric photography, sound photography, and electric instruments that hadn’t been invented yet.

Proceedings ICMC 2004 would be able to get involved with these New musical technologies (like media without the help of technical synthesizers and the tape machine) and their intermediaries, a new path would be open for possibilities to create music through new the creation of new forms of art. However, ideas and ways to work with sounds, Chavez did not maintain this early interest attracted the generation of Mabarak4, and left the good intentions to the new Enriquez and Urreta, as well as younger generations. composers like Mario Lavista (b. 1942) who It wasn’t until the decade of the 60’s later wrote various articles about how the that there was a significant development of composer could work directly with sound contemporary music in Mexico, owing to the matter, and about the necessity to create new creation of the “Taller de composición” types of musical representation for electronic directed by this same composer. From this music, (Lavista, 1974) and to regard new workshop, composers like Mario Lavista, conceptions starting from the sound-noise Francisco Nuñez, Héctor Quintanar and Julio paradigm5 (Lavista, 1984). Estrada emerged, who assimilated the newest serial techniques imported from 3 Development of the first epoch Europe, the aleatory music techniques, and who acquired increasing interest to the new The seventies saw the emergence of sonorous languages emerging from technical the experimental group Quanta6, which development (Moreno, 1994). incorporated in some of their music live Some of them, and elder generations electroacustic manipulations. Furthermore, of composers like Carlos Jiménez Mabarak, Héctor Quintanar was interested in Manuel Enríquez, Manuel de Elías and Alicia composing by way of performing and Urreta, tried their hands on the electronic and manipulating synthesizers alive (Pulido, concrete music fields, thanks to their contact 1971). He also organized a seminar centered in and out of Mexico with some of the in electronic music with the participation of pioneers of this genre (Europeans and North 2 national and international composers at the Americans) . Yet, it was until the end of the University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1974. That sixties when the engineer Raúl Pavón (b. 3 same year, composer Julio Estrada (b. 1942) 1927) together with the composer Héctor in collaboration with the mathematician Jorge Quintanar (b. 1936) created the first Gil researched around computer assisted laboratory of electronic music in Mexico, at the grounds of the National Conservatory of (and with the support of Carlos 4 Composer from an elder generation (1916- Chávez). Moreover, this project did not 1994) who wrote the first electroacustic piece in experience a fruitful life. Mexico ("Paradise of the drowned”, for tape and ballet, 1957), and also creator of the first concrete music concert in our country that same year. Seems paradoxical that this composer and 2 Particularly with Jean Etienne Marie in Paris, pioneer, who produced concerts regarding this and with the composers members of the musical language, only wrote 2 pieces for tape. electronic music studio at Columbia-Princeton 5 Lavista presented this paper in a symposium University (Milton Babbit and Vladimir called "The identity of Latin American music" in Ussachevsky). Casa de las Americas in 1977. 3 An electronic engineer passionate for music and 6 Created by Mario Lavista and integrated by technology since 1958, inventor of various Antero Chávez, Víctor Medeles, Juan synthesizers and writer of a book on electronic Cuahutemoc Herrejón and Fernando Nicolás music and multimedia in 1980. Echeverría.

Proceedings ICMC 2004 compositions7. At the same time, Raúl Pavón successful results9. Finally, there was also an imparts the class of electronic music at the obstacle created from traditional academia National Conservatory of Mexico City, and that was not interested in the specialization of thanks to this, new composers like Juan electronic music in the music schools, and in Cuahutemoc Herrejón start experimenting in fact this is still up to this date a problem we this area. Also, the young composer and have in our country. We should try to analyze electrical engineer Antonio Russek (b. 1955) why in a Latin American country analogous to creates the first private Laboratory for the Mexico like Argentina there was an electronic production and broadcasting of electronic music laboratory since 195810, which is still music at his home (1975). Nevertheless, working up to this date, while in Mexico this regardless of these positive factors that situation never became possible. contributed to the development of electronic music, the fact is that there was little 4 The true pioneers continuity, a lack of research, forums, concerts and conferences. Also, there were My personal view is that the real origin hardly forty pieces of electroacustic music of electroacustic music in Mexico happens in created through the first two decades of the eighties, particularly outside the cultural production in our country (many of them that institutions of the government, and thanks to have been lost or not recovered). We will composers like Antonio Russek, Vicente Rojo have to wait until the beginning of the 80’s (b. 1960), Arturo Marquez (b. 1960) and when a new generation of composers, Roberto Morales (b. 1955), who gave it an bearers of mayor passion for this language important impulse through the creation of will emerge. works and interdisciplinary concerts11. Also, I think that besides the bureaucratic problems that made difficult the lack of 9 development of the electroacustic field in At those times only the engineer Raúl Pavón Mexico8, the main problem was the little understood the true possibilities of this new musical language. Its too bad that he was never interest that those generations showed for considered by his colleges as a "serious" this genre. The reason is that many of them composer (he doesn’t appear in any of the thought synthesizers were simply new dictionaries of Mexican composers, although Julio instruments with fresh sound colors that Estrada speaks of him benevolently in the book became supplementary to the ones already "La música en México"). Pavón developed an existing in the orchestra. This is why these important research and composed multi media composers were unable to go deeper into the electroacustic works in the early eighties and then technical-esthetical specificity's of this new he suddenly disappeared from our country in the language. On the other side, the creation of early nineties. On the other hand, from these elecrtoacustic music demanded a through full generations only Manuel Enriquez and Francisco study of the acoustic sciences, and this factor Nuñez maintained an interest in electroacustic music and created new forums and spaces for its prevented many composers from investing production and diffusion. the time and effort involved in having 10 Founded by Francisco Kröpfl. This laboratory is located now in the "Centro Cultural Recoleta" in 7 Julio Estrada is the pioneer in Mexico in using a . computer and producing information set-aside for 11 In the eighties there were various the creation of an instrumental composition. interdisciplinary collectives that presented 8 Due to the lack of support from the cultural electroacustic works such as Atentamente a la public institutions in Mexico to renovate the dirección, Música de Cámara, La Sonora equipment of the laboratory and keep it working. Industrial, El Alacrán del Cántaro, etc.

Proceedings ICMC 2004 Russek created the Independent center of order to generate new spaces and to teach musical research and multimedia (CIIM), and spread this music, at present times we studio in which there were courses and still don't have a bachelor or specialization where composers like Eduardo Soto Millan, course of electroacustic music in our country, Semir Menaceri, etc, produced various making difficult then a further development. It compositions. Nevertheless, we cant deny is then understandable that the new that the interest of the elder composer generations of composers born in the Manuel Enriquez (1926-1994) for seventies and eighties are still immigrating to electroacustic music as well as the creation foreign countries in order to develop better in of a new festival of contemporary music by this area14. Nevertheless, some of them have him - Foro de Música Nueva, a festival been able to evolve in our country thanks to supported by the INBA government institute the isolated courses taught by some that lasted from 1979 until 1994 - were also composers. Roberto Morales tried to found a important factors for the diffusion of this computer music bachelor in the University of music at those times. Guanajuato, and during five years or more, he collaborated to bring a new generation of 5 The first composers with young composers15. Unhappily, the specialization degrees. conservative and bureaucratic character of this institution has prevented the creation of Other composers that decided to this program. On the other hand, Javier escape the academic stasis in Mexico by way Alvarez (A Mexican composer living in of undertaking electroacustic music studies in England) has come to Mexico almost every foreign countries soon joined the indisputable year to teach courses of electroacustic music pioneers of electroacustic music in Mexico. at the National Center for the Arts in Mexico This is the case of Javier Alvarez (b. 1955)12, City, and from these courses new composers and a couple years later Manuel Rocha have come up front in the Mexican scene. Iturbide (b. 1963), Antonio Fernandez Ros (b. Finally, I undertook a few years ago a young group of composers and created a workshop 1961), Guillermo Galindo (b. 1960) and 16 others that are part of the first generations that is working up to this date . that received an academic education in the field of computer music13.

14 Notwithstanding the efforts made by This is the case of Rodrigo Sigal and Pablo the composers brought up at this stage in García Valenzuela that undertook doctoral studies in computer music in City University in London England, or the case of Rogelio Sosa that 12 Who since 1982 starts his studies on studied a year at IRCAM and who is currently electroacustic music in England, and by the doing his doctor in the University of Paris VIII in middle eighties wins international prizes and France. awards for his works. 15 From these young composers, Victor Manuel 13 Like the realization of masters and doctors in Dávalos and Mauricio Valdez stand out. computer music, although there were also other 16 This workshop generated the collective composers that undertook less specialized Machintosco integrated by Miguel Hernandez studies in foreign countries like Salvador Torre (in Montero, Guillermo Acevedo, Victor Romero, the middle eighties) and Gonzalo Macías (in the Jose Manuel Mondragón and Salvador early nineties) both who studied electroacustic Rodriguez. They received the first prize in the music in the conservatory of Boulogne in Paris for Bourges festival in France in the category of example. electroacustic music with video in 2001.

Proceedings ICMC 2004 6 New generations, spaces and on. Nevertheless it’s a pity that as for today forums. we can’t count on a computer music center, a project similar to the Multimedia Center There are today in Mexico many where advanced courses on music and composers interested in the electroacustic technology can be imparted, as well as music field, and even though many of them postgraduate studies. Unfortunately, the haven't still specialized in this discipline, they academic musical scene remains in a halt. As have yet produced some interesting works17. for now, we have been unable to launch On the other side, in the last decade new postgraduate musical studies in Mexico, forums and spaces have appeared and have except for the University of Jalapa Veracruz, helped the difficult development of this music. where they impart the only masters on Also, this last decade has seen the musicology and instrumental composition in appearance of numerous spaces and forums the country. However, the University of that support the expression and diffusion of Mexico will start soon a series of master this music, thanks to festivals like “The degrees in music (after ten years of a international Radio Biennial”18, "Festival del stagnant bureaucratic hold), one of them callejón del ruido"19, “The International Sound related with music and technology. Art Festival”20 and recently “Radar”. Other In spite of the academic delay our factors that have helped increase the interest country is undergoing, it has profited from the for this music in Mexico are the technological incredible development of Pop electronic developments of computer programming in music, which is danceable all around the globe. This boom has helped the popularity of recent years. 21 Through the nineties, the emerging DJ's and collectives of experimental groups , cultural institutions played an important role as well as sound artists that are producing alternative music, without necessarily owing it in the promotion of electronic art like the 22 Multimedia center, the Centro de la Imagen, to an academic musical background . the Ex-Teresa Arte Actual museum, the Laboratorio arte alameda museum, and so

17 This is the case of composers like Ignacio Baca Lobera, Carlos Sandoval, Gabriela Ortiz, etc. 18 Biennial organized by Radio Educación whose first edition was in 1996. Thanks to the enterprise of the director of this institution (Lidia Camacho), 21 Its obvious that the most part of POP in this forum they have encouraged the electronic music in Mexico is commercial and is development of the Radio Art genre that belongs centered in repetitive beats that evolve into styles to the electroacustic art field. like the "Drum and Base", "Trance", "House", etc. 19 Founded by Roberto Morales Manzanares in But Alvaro Ruiz, DJ Linga and some other young 1994 in Guanajuato. composers like Mario de Vega, have been 20 Founded by Guillermo Santamarina and exploring other areas of experimental electronic Manuel Rocha Iturbide in 1999. This festival has music. On the other hand, we have collectives contributed with the expansion of sound art in like Nortec in Tijuana, and Nopal Beat in Mexico, under its wing an important number of Guadalajara that have done interesting proposals Mexican sound artists have emerged. Apart from that kind of move away from the commercial staging countless electroacoustic music concerts scene. for tape, live electronics and with instruments, it 22 An example is the artist from Monterrey Daniel has also opened a space for experimental Lara, or the sound artist Luz María Sánchez from electronic music. Guadalajara.

Proceedings ICMC 2004 7 Conclusions. helped me to reconstruct the primordial facts of the early history of electroacoustic music in Electroacustic music is a language as our country. I am also obliged to Alejandra serious and sophisticated as contemporary Odgers for having executed an extensive instrumental music. I believe that this documentation of electroacustic Mexican retrospective has emphasized the fact that works for her bachelor degree thesis Mexico today has a vast spectrum of (Odgers, 2000). This register helped me set 24 composers, those with relevant trajectories in the basis to carry out my inquiry , and to the field, younger composers who have Gonzalo Macías for his interest in the already made a name for themselves, and retrospective, since he is currently newer talented rising generations with needs investigating the development of the Mexican of development. electroacustic music with instruments for his Finally, it was impossible to reflect PhD thesis in France. objectively the most relevant aspects of the If the creation of a new laboratory of history of electroacustic music in Mexico in computer music is not possible, where pieces only two concerts, so I felt obliged to could be produced and advanced workshops implement four hearing posts that presented and programs be imparted (at graduate and the composers by decades23. On the other postgraduate levels), it would be at least hand, it was difficult to include all of the desirable the existence of a small Media composers who have done something Center who’s tasks would include the relevant in the field, because some of their accumulation of information and the pieces (mostly the ones who have already harboring of electroacoustic pieces produced died) have been lost or not recovered, and in Mexico. This place could also host the the effort to trace them with their quarters of a Mexican electroacoustic music descendants will need a lot of work. It is association in charge of the dissemination of 25 important to mention that not all of the our music nationally and internationally , As composers that I contacted sent me their for now, the efforts have been individual and pieces, even though the most prolific did. many times have remained diluted. I hope This investigation came into being that the interested composers of the musical thanks to the original idea of José Wolfer, to trade become receptive to these ideas in the enormous interest of all the composers of order to carry out this task. the trade who kindly sent me their works, and to the valuable help of the CENIDIM musical research center in regard to the discoveries of pioneer works (as Tlalocan of Jiménez

Mabarak, Prehistoric Mass by Enríquez, and 24 the Electronic Studies by Juan Cuahutemoc I hope Alejandra will review this valuable work, Herrejón). Essential was the support received so she can include the composers born in the seventies, many of them who have already from the composer Antonio Russek, because shined out internationally. On the other hand it he zealously saved and recovered many would be useful if she indicates which pieces pieces of the sixties that we had thought lost have been awarded, and in which studios they (like Contrapunto by Mario Lavista, and Non where carried out in order to understand what are Nova Sed Novo by Manuel de Elías). Antonio the more relevant works in our history. 25 As well as publishing records of Mexican 23 Composers born in the10’s, 20's, 30's y 40's, Electroacoustic music (like CD's and books) with the ones born on the 50's, the ones born on the the support of government institutions, because 60's and the ones born on the 70's. this area hasn't been exposed.

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Proceedings ICMC 2004