Bloquea'o (for amplified cello, percussion, and electronics)

Winner of the Maria Manetti Shrem Daniel Brewbaker Composer Prize.

“The performance brought tears to many in the audience and closed with a rousing ovation, a

fitting end to an extraordinary event in this top-of-the-world setting." – Olivia Decker on San

Francisco preview at the Salesforce tower.

Amplified cello, percussion, and electronics · 18 minutes · 2023

Co-commissioned by Festival Napa Valley (Charles Letourneau, Artistic Director) and BODYTRAFFIC (Tina Finkelman Berkett, Artistic Director), with special thanks to Maria Manetti Shrem.

Premiere

BODYTRAFFIC, SUUVI, and Ricky Matute; The Wallis, Los Angeles, CA (October 6, 2023)

Program note

Bloquea'o is a six-movement ballet score for amplified cello, percussion, and electronics, created in collaboration with choreographer Joan Rodríguez and cellist and multidisciplinary artist SUUVI.

Set during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the work follows a Cuban immigrant confronting exile, confinement, and the desire to escape. Cuban traditional rhythms, Yoruba chants, electronic beats, historical recordings, field recordings, and lyrical cello writing create a musical landscape in which personal memory and political history continually collide.

Recordings of John F. Kennedy and Fidel Castro, alongside José Martí’s writing and sounds from the streets and nature of Havana, become part of the score. The dancers’ voices and movement further transform the music into a living portrait of Cuba — its contradictions, celebrations, losses, and enduring sense of community.

Bloquea'o ultimately asks what it means to leave, what it means to remain, and how music can hold both histories at once.

What you receive

ZIP containing the PDF full score, the live cello part and the live percussion part, plus the electronics playback and its matching click track as uncompressed 24-bit/48 kHz WAV. The playback is everything in the score except the two live parts, and runs continuously for the whole piece. Perpetual license for one ensemble, unlimited performances.

The download is large — roughly 600 MB — because the audio is supplied at performance quality.

Delivered by email immediately after checkout. Download links stay active for 30 days and can be re-sent any time on request.

A free perusal score is available before you commit — just ask.

© 2023 Tortilla de Patatas Music (ASCAP). Performance materials only. Performance rights are administered separately — please report performances to your PRO. For hire, additional ensembles, or recording licenses: osunaassistant@gmail.com