Wallmapu | Pacho Apostolo
GrDl 096 | Gruen Digital > [order]
MP3 & FLAC
Thousands of years ago in the south of this continent and on both sides of the Andes, there was a nation that would live and grow in peace and harmony with Nature, as much in this dimension as in every other. Relating to all lives and natural forces, dreaming knowledge, going through earthly stage of existence in harmony, Mapuche´s (*) nation development was rudely interrupted: First the Spanish conquest, with horses and firearms. The wind instrument (‚kull kull‘) was sounded and councils („trawun“) gathered all over the Mapuche’s territory (“Wallmapu“). The Mapuche nation stopped the invader both East and West of the Andes. At that moment, the Mapuche welcomed horses („cahuell“), a species unfamiliar until the invasion, as a Wallmapu force (’newén‘), and adapted the environment for their inclusion. Next, the Creole’s expansion (“pacification” for the West, “desert” for the East: liar words to justify a genocide). The truth is that the world market demanded new countries (Chile and Argentina) to extend their territories. It was the time for weapons, genocide strategies were performed by young country governments both sides of the Andes and the Remington´s rifles were decisive. Despite the Mapuche´s resistance, knowledge was overcome by weapons. Long time after, rifle and liquor were replaced by forest machines, oil companies and new wire fences. Those wire fences were invisible but they hurt. Culture, education, health, total view and wisdom were oppressed with impunity by a depredatory way to see and possess things. As if you could have what you can´t see, as if the earth could be possessed. But the kultrúm never stopped sounding, peñi and lamgen are still dreaming, macis start to get up, mapuzugún is listened again in the whole wallmapu. Mapuche´s nation is alive and their fight is as present as ever.
Wallmapu:
1 Track (30’00″)
Kull Kull: cow or ox horn, wind instrument
Trawun: meeting, council, committee
Mapuche:. Land people
Kultrúm: Ceremonial drum
Lamgen, Peñi: Sister, brother
Mapuzugún: “Earth speaking”
Wallmapu was conceived as a project after a huge compilation of sound material through several visits and journeys into the Mapuche territory in the north of the Patagonian region. At the beginning this material had journalist purposes, that is why some of the audio was recorded in an old fashion way like a cassette recorder, way before the new generation of digital recorders existed. Combined with the analogue character, winds, birds, animals, water streams and other natural elements blend together forming the expected spontaneity of the Patagonian forest. There are spells and sacred drums in the background of an ancient ceremony. This is Wallmapu, the Mapuche universe. The hearth surrounding us in the three dimensions and in the others dimensions too… But also from the other side of the big ocean and in this continent too, sounds of the Conquistadores, from here and from there, with original baroque music, they are stalking, they are conquering. In some of the moments Pacho’s original music can be heard, wind instruments and some classic guitars join the Andes environment. The studio gave order to this material, added another and with a chronological concept the history of the Mapuche nation remains alive in form of sound. From ages ago going through two conquests: the Spaniards and the creole until it became invisible for the governments of Chile and Argentina. The Mapuche nation keeps breathing.
(*) Mapuce, under Anselmo Raguileo alphabet
De la Rama Producciones/ PrimateStudio
San Martín de los Andes, Neuquen, Patagonia Argentina
Telephone:54-2972-421670, Email: pacho@smandes.com.ar
Copyright 2011 De la Rama producciones
Soundscape Series by Gruenrekorder
Gruenrekorder / Germany / 2011 / GrDl 096 / LC 09488
Roger Batty | Musique Machine
Have you ever been on one of those history rides?. You known the type that you find at historic places of interest such as Rome or York. You climb on board a open carriage to stand, or sit down in a leisurely rolla-coaster type car, then you go on a trip back in time via recreated smells, sounds & displays of posed dummies dressed up in costumes of the past .. well „Wallmapu“ is sort of a sonic historic ride for the Mapuche nation- a group of indigenous inhabitants that have lived for a thousands years in south-central Chile and south-western Argentina.
Pacho Apostolo is an Patagonia, Argentina based sound artist, musician, radio producer, educator & activist. Ten years ago, Apostolo started to experiment with sound. Combining his own musical creativity with this experimentation led him to develop new formats and textures, which were united over the years into groundbreaking radiophonic projects. Pacho is also very passionate about the Mapuce, and is a longstanding activist working for the rights of these people today.
The single half-an-hour track on offer mixes together jungle, water & wind field recordings with scared drums, tribal instruments (such as Kull Kull- a cow or ox horn) & chants of the Mapuche people. These are mixed into a audio travel log back through time that takes in warped medieval music, Spanish guitar playing, galloping horses, the sound of trees been sawing, farm animals, chattering in Chilean & Spanish, and all manner of sound matter. It all makes for effective if little quirky sound adventure.
This release comes in the form of a digital download, and sadly there’s just a fairly scant write-up about the Mapuche history. So really unless you dig around on-line you have to just depend on the audio track it’s self, which at times does seem to become a little too manic & shifting for it’s own good. So all told this is certainly a creative ’n‘ fairly rewarding sonic ride, I just wish there had been a bit more of a guide to exactly what went on when in the Mapuches history, and how it related to what is going on in with in the track.
Guillermo Escudero | LOOP
In the South of Chile and Argentine Mapuche natives live since ancient times and this recording registers the natural environment where they live. Also is captured the ceremonies they do and their music made with handmade instruments like the, trutruka, kull kull and the drumbeat of the kultrun.
History it is recreated by the sounds of the conquerors snippets of a Spanish guitar, Medieval music, the first notes of the National Chilean anthem, the noise of the saws cutting the ancient trees, declarations of Mapuche human rights, among others.
This is an interesting audio document that showcase an interpretation of what Mapuches have lived and still living.