A Look Ahead

January 23rd, 2012

I turned 62 in 2011, and I have been in this business for eighteen years.  I have been thinking a great deal about what I have accomplished, where I have been, and where I want to go.

Over the years, I have learned from experience that Indigenous artists and performers are almost always marginalized–there is one and only one Indigenous artist or performer at an event or festival, especially in the performing arts, especially for contemporary performers. This marginalization often traps performers, audiences and venues into the limitations of what “everybody knows” Indigenous people do, rather than opening all of us up to the power and diversity of what Indigenous people actually do.  Yes, American Indian music certainly includes powwow and flute music–but it also includes chamber music and hiphop and heavy metal.  Yes, some American Indian music is spiritual–but it is also loud, angry, funny, and much more.

But where can audiences (customers and societies in the anthropological realm) and booking agents and venues ( in the marketing realm) go to listen to this music, see the range of Indigenous performance, hear Indigenous comedy?  In conversation with American Indian artists and performers, I often say that if I asked them where I could hear the best powwow music, or see best arts and crafts, they could easily name ten places off the top of their heads.  But if I was to ask where I could hear the best Indigenous hiphop, see the best Indigenous Theater, enjoy the best Indigenous fashion, the answer is often just a shake of the head–who knows?

But it’s not because the fashion, the hiphop, the theater isn’t there.  It’s because there is no place to experience international Indigenous performance on a regular basis.  Yes, several countries now have festivals and events which regularly showcase the best in their countries–shoutouts to The Dreaming in Australia, Planet IndigenUS and Imagine + Native in Canada, Pasifika in New Zealand.  These are all English-speaking countries and they have led the way.  But what about Indigenous performance from Siberia? or Mexico? or Peru? Or the US?

As a result, I have decided that my goal now will be to create an annual Indigenous performing arts festival that will:

  1. be partnered from the beginning with an Indigenous organization or community
  2. showcase the best Indigenous performing artists from around the world–theater, modern dance, music, fashion, film/video, photography, written and spoken word
  3. train Indigenous young people how to run the festival and, eventually, take it over
  4. introduce Indigenous performing artists to the business–what is an agent?  what is a contract?–since many people come from isolated rural and urban communities where this information is difficult if not impossible to find
  5. eventually, serve as a performing arts showcase as well, introducing the best Indigenous performers to venues and booking agents from around the world

Right now I’m giving every effort to producing IndigeNOW!  Indigenous Opera From Three Continents and Three Countries.  You can learn more about it at http://bronitskyandassociates.com/indigenow.htm.  It’s an exciting project but it won’t be easy.  I use three words.  Used alone, everyone understands what they mean:

International
Indigenous
Opera

But use them in the same sentence, and all too often the result is brain freeze.  As a friend said, an opera about Hiawatha?  People will love it.  An opera with the descendants of Hiawatha in the audience, learning about opera?  Absolutely.  But an opera by Hiawatha?  To use a phrase from the 1960s TV show, Lost in Space–does not compute!

However, I’m in the midst of discussions with a nearby Indian tribe, and I am more convinced than ever that we will eventually create IndigeNOW! Stay tuned!

Why Albuquerque?

December 22nd, 2011

A friend of mine here often asks me, why Albuquerque?  Why do I choose to live here?  After all, it is no longer necessary to work where one lives, or live where one works, and I work around the world.

But Albuquerque is where I grew up–for those of you from Albuquerque reading this, let me just say Monte Vista/Jefferson/Highland/UNM.  You’ll know what I mean.  I’ve moved a lot–at one time, I moved six times in nine years–but Albuquerque has always been where I’m rooted, the place I’m always from, regardless of where I’ve lived.

It’s a beautiful city, the only place I know with a natural frame–the Sandia Mountains to the east, the mesa and the (fortunately extinct) volcanoes to the west, and Mt Taylor looming further west on the horizon.  Down the middle of the city is the Rio Grande River–a muddy river, a shining silver stream and much more, depending on the weather–and on either side is the bosque, the riparian green forest that is bright green in spring, blazing yellow in the fall.  It’s winter now, the bare limbs of the cottonwoods outlined against the blue sky, fallen leaves shining like gold coins–a perfect day for a walk.  So here are some images from today’s walk–enjoy!

I hope you have a place to which you belong and which belongs to you.  Best wishes for the New Year!

Rio Grande Bosque Rio Grande Bosque Rio Grande Bosque Rio Grande Bosque Rio Grande Bosque

Oman – Day 6

December 1st, 2011

Arts in Motion Creative Art World Summit
Muscat, Oman
Day 6
December 1, 2011

The Summit is over–what a wonderful experience!  Wonderful AND intense, so I decided to take    it slow and easy today.  My first stop was the Grand Mosque, which was a gift from the Sultan of Oman to the people of Oman in celebration of his 30th anniversary as ruler.  It is a most impressive complex, grand in scale, elegantly simple in conception, and with great attention to detail.

Grand Mosque Grand Mosque Grand Mosque Grand Mosque Grand Mosque Grand Mosque Gordon Bronitsky at the Grand Mosque in Muscat

Gulf of Oman beach at sunsetAnd then, time for a last visit to the beach.  It’s snowing in Albuquerque so I thought it would be good to enjoy the beach one last time.  I left my camera and watch in the hotel, donned swimtrunks and sandals, and just went for a long walk, enjoying the wading birds and the wildlife refuges along the way.  What a pleasure.

Now it’s time to go home.

Oman – Day 5

November 30th, 2011

Arts in Motion Creative Art World Summit
Muscat, Oman
Day 5
November 30, 2011

Panel discussion at Creative Arts Summit l-r Mike van Graan (S Africa), Gordon Bronitsky, Issam el-Mallah (Oman), Alicia Adams (Kennedy Center)The final day of the Summit–and what a day!  There were three sessions, including an excellent one on, what else, funding.  But today was also the day for my session, at last–Benchmarking for Success–Sustainability–moderated by Alicia Adams, Vice President for International Programs at the Kennedy Center.  My copanelists were Mike Van Graan, the Secretary General for the Arterial Network of Africa, and Issam el-Mallah, the Director of Programs for the Royal Opera House, the magnificent structure (and organization) which has hosted the Summit together with the Aspen Institute.

Serious big leagues–this time I was much more nervous than usual before giving a presentation.  But I thought about all the people I’ve had the privilege and honor of working with–Elizabeth Davis, Linda Davis, Elsie Deswood and the rest of the Chinle Valley Singers, Harriet Nordlund, Magne Ove Varsi, David Milroy, David Velarde, Virginia Ballenger, Rex Lee Jim, Lois Suluk, Jose Longoria, William Yazzie, and so many more–and I realized I wasn’t alone.  I made it a point to mention them in my talk and away I went.  I was passionate, even a little angry, about cranking up the volume for Native messages and then it was over.  Many people told me how much they had liked it but now, in the words of a Navajo saying, what other people do, it’s up to them.  Shall see what happens.

In the afternoon, we had a most enjoyable tour of the museum complex of the Bait al Zubair Foundation, led by Sarah White, the Arts Advisor and General Manager of the Foundation (http://www.baitalzubairfoundation.com/), an excellent complex of folk and modern art museums, plus a coffee shop and a gift shop (if I had only known sooner).  Wonderful exhibits in an almost intimate setting–human scale, like so much here in Oman.

Bait al Zubair Museum, Muscat Sarah White, Bait al Zubair Foundation Gordon Bronitsky in front of the Sultan's Palace, Muscat

Royal Opera House, MuscatAnd an absolutely spectacular evening event–a concert by Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at the Lincoln Center, performed once again at the majestic Royal Opera House.  What a performance–Take the A Train, a rendition of Bragging Brass that just about exploded from the stage and so much more–over two hours of incredible music–really a conversation among the musicians that was by turns interrupting, quiet, loud, argumentative and more.  An unforgettable evening!

Oman – Day 4

November 29th, 2011

Arts in Motion Creative Art World Summit
Muscat, Oman
Day 4
November 29, 2011

Day Two of the Summit, and a very full day indeed!  Several excellent sessions, including one on “Engaging Difference:  Fashion” with a broad range of presenters and many questions from the audience.  My favorite session was (naturally) “Developing Cultural Enterprises:  Change Agents and Agencies”, with presenters from Oman, China and the US.  Some of the presenters emphasized the need to “preserve” culture.  It’s a term that always makes me feel uneasy, bringing to mind images of people stuck with pins under glass in museum cases, like butterflies.  I suggested the use of the  term “promote” instead, which lead to a very strong discussion, cut short too soon by the need to get ready for the Gala Dinner and Awards at the Al Bustan Hotel that evening.

Entering the al Bustan Hotel for the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony al Bustan Hotel lobby
Gordon Bronitsky in the al Bustan Hotel lobby Hip hop ambassador Toni Blackman at the Gala

outside the al Bustan HotelThe hotel is located outside Muscat in the mountains, a lovely setting for a splendid hotel.  And the honorees were definitely worth being honored:

  • Her Excellency Hoda Al Khanis Kanoo, founder, Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation
  • Dr Neal Baer, film/tv writer and Executive Producer of the CBS television series, Law and Order:  Special Victims Unit
  • Professor J.H. Kwabene Nketia, educator and composer

with some excellent discussion by the honorees moderated by Elliot Gerson, the Executive Vice President for Policy and Public Programs, International Programs at the Aspen Institute, during a delicious dinner.  And as it turns out one of the servers at the banquet was from Tucson, home of my alma mater, the University of Arizona, so that was a nice surprise!

Tomorrow is the final day of the Summit, including my session at last, to be capped by a concert at the Royal Opera Hall featuring Wynton Marsalis — it’s going to be amazing.