The Perlich Post: Peruvian percussionist Manongo Mujica explores ancient rhythms and rituals

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Peruvian percussionist Manongo Mujica explores ancient rhythms and rituals

Manongo Mujica's entrancing new album, Ritual Sonoro Para Ruinas Circulares is out November 3 via Buh Records.

Here's the scoop...

From the re-reading of Jorge Luis Borges' famous story "The Circular Ruins," Peruvian composer, percussionist, and painter Manongo Mujica approaches some of his great obsessions with a new perspective: the desert of the Peruvian coast and the pre-Hispanic ceremonial centers found there. For years, the impressions of these places have evoked in Mujica a highly personal aesthetic, born from understanding the desert as a space for inner listening, and the ceremonial centers or "huacas" as a representation of mystery.

The history of this album dates back to 1974 when a young Manongo Mujica and his close friend Rafael Hastings embarked on a journey to the ruins of Sechín in Casma, north of Lima. This journey resulted in Hastings' experimental film "The Unconditioned Unconcealment (Four short films about the act of vanishing)”. Since then, Mujica's trips to Casma were frequent, fascinated by other archaeological sites like Chankillo and Las Aldas, with ages of 2300 and 4000 years, respectively, and roles related to astronomical observation, closely linked to sowing and harvesting. Similarly, the Archaeological Complex of Túcume, located in Chiclayo, north of Lima, with 2700 years of history, became another permanent place of visit.

These three sacred places have formed a ceremonial route that Mujica has walked for years and now, after re-reading Borges' story, he now rediscovers it as a destination. In this tale, a man arrives from the sea and, like a demiurge, dreams of another man at the foot of a ruined temple. Manongo Mujica takes on the adventure of creating music for a story set in a parallel universe, where the dream of that man takes place at the foot of a ‘huaca’.

Ritual Sonoro para Ruinas Circulares (“Sound Ritual for Circular Ruins”) is the synthesis, the dreamlike and sound amalgamation, and perhaps Manongo Mujica's ultimate album on his unique vision of the sound landscape and the desert. Building on a heritage of meditative and ethnic music, avant-garde jazz, and improvisation, we are introduced to a strange sound universe, based on the use of various drum and percussion rhythms (udu, djembe, gong, cajón, seeds, Chinese bells, etc.), field recordings and sound montages, dense, reverberating, gloomy, immersive, and hypnotic soundscapes. These gradually give way to a solitary and penetrating cello (performed by Fil Uno). Crescendos introduce electroacoustic processes (created by the Norwegian Terje Evensen), interweaving panpipes and ritualistic voices (performed by Gabriela Ezeta), shaping the atmosphere like that of a magnificent ceremony.

The experience of “Ritual sonoro para ruinas circulares” is also complemented and culminated with a film directed by Víctor Checa. Filmed in 16mm, it portrays Mujica's excursion to these three destinations (Las Aldas, Chankillo and Túcume) in the middle of a ritual that evokes the Borgesian tale. The film features the participation of the dancer and daughter of Manongo, Anahí Mujica.

The album features the participation of Cristóbal, Daniel and Gabriel Mujica, sons of Manongo. As well as with the participation of Fil Uno, Terje Evensen and Gabriela Ezeta. It was recorded by Juanjo Salazar at the La encía del Leopardo studio. Mastered by Mario Breuer. And with the cover art by Yerko Zlatar, based on photographs by Pauline Barberi. It's being released by Buh Records in both digital and vinyl editions, limited to 300 copies. Check the track listing followed by a Manongo Mujica performance clip below.