Miguel Zenon at Atlas Performing Arts Center

About

Multiple Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist and MacArthur Genius composer Miguel Zenón presents an exciting collaboration with video artist David Dempewolf. Tales of the Diaspora is a thrilling counterpoint of music, language, and images, exploring the experience of Puerto Ricans who have moved to the mainland and to New York City.

A piece all about living contrapuntally, a split focus of Puerto Rican Americans’ cultural identity, and the basic question of who someone really is, by virtue of family, language, ritual, neighborhood, and memory. This evening-length work explores the experience of Puerto Ricans who have moved to the mainland, particularly New York City and is inspired by a series of interviews Zenón conducted with Nuyoricans and their self identified characteristics weaved into the audio and video excerpts throughout the cycle.