Derived from the word “lugar” (Filipino/Spanish for “place”), “kinalugaran” refers to the site where an object is placed. Common contexts here imply that one should know their place in society, an emphasis on social harmony among Asian communities. As a result, people are marginalized into silence by way of being othered and rendered invisible while loud, assertive voices among first-world societies are most heard and valued. Kinalugarán highlights this condition at the forefront. An audio essay features the voices of Filipino artists based in first-world diasporas: violinist Ramon Alfonso Soberano (Tempe AZ, United States), film composer Marie-Luise Calvero (Freiburg, Germany) and theatre creator Riley Palanca (Montréal, Canada). Weaving through juxtapositions of Tagalog poetry, they narrate their perspectives surrounding invisibility, assimilation / integration and homelands over soundscapes of found objects and musical instruments. Commissioned by New Music Concerts (Toronto), the creation of Kinalugarán was made possible by the support of the Ontario Arts Council.

Source: 2022