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PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Música Mestiza: A Fusion of European Baroque and Indigenous Latin American Music
This project explores the unique musical syncretism that emerged in the Jesuit missions of South America during the 17th and 18th centuries. Blending European Baroque traditions with Indigenous Latin American influences, it brings to life the forgotten music of the missions, offering a fresh perspective on both well-known European composers and Indigenous creators.
We will make the first recording of several Indigenous arrangements of Hasse, Vivaldi and Corelli, adapted for the mission context, where these works were transformed to suit local instrumentations, tastes, and cultural influences. The project also highlights the work of Indigenous composers, showcasing forgotten trio sonatas, operatic arias and instrumental music preserved in the archives of Chiquitos, Bolivia, some also first performances. Through these pieces, we explore how European musical traditions met the Indigenous sounds of the Amazon, resulting in an innovative fusion of styles.
Under the direction of Rafael Montero, aided by Johnny Rodriguez (Andean rhythm and folk expertise) and Pablo Tejedor-Gutiérrez (Iberian and Western HIP practices), this collaboration between Native Latin American musicians and European performers creates a diverse and authentic interpretation of the music, through a mestizo sound, reflecting the cultural blending during the colonial period.
The project’s output will be a video and CD-quality recording at Heath Street Baptist Church, Hampstead directed by John Henry Baker, with whom we have worked before. This recording will present a unique repertoire, showcasing rare and previously unexplored music from the Jesuit missions and offering a fresh take on both European Baroque and Indigenous musical traditions. The audio-visual documentation will preserve this vital cultural dialogue and provide access to a broader audience. This repertoire will be showcased in concerts in 2026, funded separately and not a part of this application.
Additionally, the project will promote early career musicians, providing them with international exposure while contributing to a deeper understanding of the cultural exchange that shaped 18th-century music. This project is a celebration of diversity and cultural fusion, contributiong to the history of music and its role in global heritage, adapting it to the multicultural audiences of the UK, and helping to open the Early Music scene to new audiences.
Repertoire selected from : Instruments only:
Vivaldi. Concerto No. 6 in C Major: II Piacere, Op. 8. AMMoxos Signatura 1084. {10’].
Corelli (tr Martin Schmidt) Sonata a tre in D major for 2 violins, Op 2 no 1. [10’].
Domenico Zipoli (c 1720): instrumental dances from Opera San Ignacio. [6.].
Instruments + voices:
Adolphe Joseph Hasse (c 1730). 2 surviving arias from Opera Dalisa: Priva del caro bene. [6’].
Anon (c1720). Opera San Francisco Xavier (2 instrumental dances + 6 arias). [25]’