'Invisible(s)' tells the stories of overlooked communities through song

“Invisible(s)” will tell the stories of forgotten communities through music and original composition on Friday, Jan. 17.

Invisible(s) approaches history as if it were written by people from these forgotten communities, said Amanda Graham, associate director of engagement at CPA. 

Cristina Pato, one of the women in the two-woman group, is a master of the Galician bagpipes (gaita), an educator and a classical pianist. The second musician is Mazz Swift, a violinist and composer.

Shortly after meeting, Pato and Swift realized they were each individually determining how to highlight the experience of forgotten people and communities. While Swift is from the U.S., Pato’s home country is Spain. 

“They’re bringing together two really different ways of understanding the world, and two different perspectives of understanding and questioning the world,” said Christina Rodriguez, associate director of marketing and communications at Carolina Performing Arts, said.

Invisible(s) will include music by both artists such as Pato’s “My Lethe Story: The River of Forgetfulness.” Pato composed "My Lethe Story" to process her mother’s dementia. The piece attempts to create questions about the role of human memory and collective identity. 

Swift’s composition “16 Hits or Misses” is part of a collection created to recognize victims of police brutality and racism and generate much needed discussion. 

“Cristina and Mazz will be taking us through, anecdotally and historically, different narratives that mean a lot to them personally and culturally,” Graham said.

Pato’s “My Lethe Story,” inspired the creation of a University of California at Santa Barbara pilot course titled “Memory: An Interdisciplinary Exploration.”

According to Cristina Pato's website, the course “introduces students to the emerging cross-disciplinary field of memory studies, while demonstrating how different disciplines approach common questions.” 

This is not Pato’s first experience with an unexpected educational crossover. In 2017, Pato spoke at a Gillings School of Global Public Health event designed to discuss how Pato’s interdisciplinary and global work in the arts connect with public health.

“I’d expect (the performance) to be like other times Cristina has been here where it’s a really wonderful intimate evening that contextualizes the art that they are offering,” Rodriguez said.

Pato has a longstanding positive relationship with CPA and the Carolina community, Rodriguez said.

“I think people are really excited for Cristina to come back,” Rodriguez said. “She’s very lively and just manages to create these amazing connections with the audience no matter the size.”

Graham said this season CPA aimed to celebrate the creative leadership of women, in part because of the anniversary of the 19th Amendment, as well as highlight the contributions of female performing artists and women that were historically underrepresented.

“It is important to shed light on forgotten communities in order to more fully understand the breadth and depth of the human experience throughout the world," said Chris Pendergrass, artistic planning manager at CPA. "The performing arts provide us exceptional tools to foster empathy and understanding of the diversity of lived experience."

Mazz and Pato have very different ways of approaching music, Graham said.

“Expect both incredible music and amazing collaboration, but also to hear the stories that matter to them and the cultures that they’re associated with,” Graham said.

The performance will take place in Moeser Auditorium in Hill Hall on Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $37 for the general public and $10 for students.

@EmmaTCraig

Arts@dailytarheel.com