On Wednesday, October 1st, ILS hosted a panel discussion with ILS Faculty Fellow Dr. Alex É. Chávez alongside nationally recognized artivistas Quetzal Flores and Dr. Martha Gonzalez. This marked the beginning of a dynamic two-day series in which Dr. Chávez promoted his debut album Sonorous Present at the University of Notre Dame.
The panel was followed by a fantastic concert on October 2nd, in which students were able to witness the live performance at Debartolo Center for Performing Arts.
The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Luis Ricardo Fraga, exposed the audience to the origins, inspirations, and impact behind the album “Sonorous Present: Songs of Border Crossings, Sunrises and Mournings.” The friendship between Mr. Flores, Dr. Gonzalez, and Dr. Chávez can be traced back 20 years ago, when they met in a music festival in Austin. The collaboration between the three artists stemmed from their love for traditional Chicano music, and their vision of music as being “part of the lexicon of social activism.”
The album, infused with field recordings, jazz arrangements and poetic passages, provides a space for meditation to reflect on the struggles and loss that immigrants endure on the United States’ borderland.
In the panel, the artists discussed their visions for the album, which were deeply informed by their personal stories and upbringing. Flores envisioned the album to become a part of a “transformative justice” movement, in which music acts as a collective path to “work with the most wounded people and support a path of healing.” Similarly, Dr. Gonzalez described how her motivation to create art stemmed from the cathartic feeling of creative expression, using music as a tool to heal trauma and grief. Dr. Chavez restated how all forms of art act as a way of remembrance, which is essential when imagining a world where justice prevails. The importance and relevance of this album, besides its musical and poetic artistry, lies in its ability to build community and promote healing for those affected by the pressing struggles of being an immigrant in the United States.
One cannot separate Dr. Chavez’s music from his renowned scholarly production at the University of Notre Dame. In the panel, the private nature of scholarship was compared to the idea of art as a communal endeavor. In his work, Chavez negotiates this contradiction by conversing with his students and using their perspectives as inspiration for his scholarly work. He emphasized the importance of creating public-facing work that is able to engage the audience in different ways. He described how the art of writing can feel confined, but it is always in the attempt of reaching a broader audience. Chavez’s outstanding career, where he consistently crosses the boundary between researcher and performer, has inspired artists throughout the nation who are interested in creating music in the context of social activism.
The panel came to a conclusion with the trio playing one of the tracks from the album, called “La Bruma.” The audience was captivated by the rhythm and mystical sound that came from the stage. This performance gave the students a glimpse of the musical complexity and lyrical richness that the album exhibits, which was presented to a broader audience the following day.