Bolivian Baroque CD selected by BBC Music Magazine as disc of the Month April
The Bolivian Baroque Vol. 3 CD contains music that has never previously been recorded. Florilegium, the British baroque chamber ensemble, Arakaendar Bolivian choir and singers associated to Asociación Pro Arte Y Cultura (APAC) have created a global platform for this music from the Moxos region. Bolivian Baroque Vol.3 was selected by the BBC Music Magazine as disc of the month April. Currently the Prince Claus Fund supports APAC in the acquisition of adequate music instruments and training of Bolivian musicians in their use, for a sustained production of quality recordings from Bolivia.
It was in 2001 that the Indian population first revealed the 17th century Baroque music of Moxos to the outside world. Until then only the Baroque music of Chiquitos had been known to exist. European Jesuits and, subsequently, Franciscans had introduced the music to Moxos, and the local inhabitants had then begun to create new compositions. The people of Bolivia have continued to make and play various stringed instruments, including the violin and cello, until this very day. This 17th century music has survived because the Indian population of Bolivia has carefully preserved its scores. The archive of APAC now contains approximately 10,000 original examples.
Since the 1990s, APAC has been actively collecting and interpreting this musical heritage, and supports the setting up of youth orchestras and choirs in this area. Since 1996 it has also been organising a biennial festival of Baroque music in Santa Cruz and the former mission areas of Chiquitos, Moxos and Guarayos. The Prince Claus Fund supported APAC with publishing the Bolivian Baroque CDs and a tour of the performers to Europe, which started in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in 2005.
The support of APAC and the Bolivian Baroque project embodies the Prince Claus Fund’s appreciation of the World’s musical heritage. In the course of this longstanding cooperation, the Fund has scouted and encouraged exceptional talent, and helped to present, at an international level, music that has never been performed before. Contact was established with APAC in 2002, when the Fund honoured Marcelo Araúz, APAC’s founder, with a Prince Claus Award for his activities on behalf of the preservation and circulation of the Bolivian musical heritage.
BBC Music Magazine Disc of the Month (http://www.bbcmusicmagazine.com/music-choice/april-2010/disc-month)
Vol. 3: Music from the Missions and La Plata; works by Araujo, Casseda, Chavarria, Duron, Velasco & Zipoli
Arakaendar Bolivia Choir; Florilegium/Ashley Solomon; James Johnstone (organ)
Channel CCS SA 28009 (hybrid CD/SACD)
60:00 mins
'The sound is captivating – fresh-toned and inexhaustibly animated' George Pratt
Florilegium
Vol. 3: Music from the Missions and La Plata; works by Araujo, Casseda, Chavarria, Duron, Velasco & Zipoli
Arakaendar Bolivia Choir; Florilegium/Ashley Solomon; James Johnstone (organ)
Channel CCS SA 28009 (hybrid CD/SACD)
60:00 mins
Innovative cultural activities and initiatives of individuals and organisations in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean are initiated and supported by the Prince Claus Fund. These creative processes lead to artistic productions in the realm of theatre, music, visual arts, architecture, audio-visual art and design.
