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Created in July 2021, Sonomundo organised its first event on Sunday 28 November at the home of Lionel Guérin, the association's president: a cultural, musical and friendly meeting, over a drink and the famous Peruvian ceviche, which launched the activities of this new organisation, as presented to us by its main players.
Sonomundo is the meeting of four personalities and friends who wish to consolidate the links between France and Peru by combining their respective expertise: Juan Arroyo is a composer, Lisa Andrea, director of cultural projects and Mariangela Rosato, writer and treasurer of Sonomundo. Romeld Bustamante, a diplomat, researcher in the humanities and first secretary of the Peruvian Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, also provides valuable advice on international relations. The association is currently working on a cultural cooperation project between the two countries in the form of a UNESCO charter. It will take place at the National University of Music of Peru and will be reinforced by a department of cultural management in the broadest sense of the term, which will enable the knowledge of musicians and cultural actors to be strengthened: with the organisation of round tables, web training days and interdisciplinary events bringing together student musicians and artists from all horizons as well as researchers in the social sciences and humanities: a project of great scope that lays the foundation stone for Sonomundo. " We are also thinking about programming a season that touches on different areas of music, such as ethnomusicology (with work on the archives of the Latin American repertoire), early music and creation ," enthuses Lisa Andrea Bidault. Juan Arroyo is currently working on an opera linked to Rameau's Les Indes galantes, which deals with the Incas of Peru, a superb project that links baroque music and sound creation.
Sonomundo also aims to be a space for connection and exchange," Juan Arroyo emphasised, introducing the two artists of the evening: the Franco-Peruvian soprano Maya Villanueva and the Peruvian composer, conductor and pianist Fernando Valcárcel, currently director of the National Symphony Orchestra (OSN) of Lima, who will accompany her on the piano. The two artists met recently, on the occasion of Maya Villanueva's recital programmed as part of the Quipu cultural fortnight in Peru, which took place from 15 to 30 November in Paris, Bordeaux and Marseille. (In connection with the event, read S. Onimo's review of the Regards ensemble's concert, which featured a work by Fernando Valcárcel)
For the time being, Maya Villanueva sings melodies in French (Debussy), Spanish and Quechua (Edgar and Teodoro Valcárcel, respectively the composer's father and grandfather). Her agile and warm soprano lights up the end of this evening.
Michèle Tosi
