[ amazon workshop ]
Mamori Sound Project
6th Annual Workshop/Residency for sound artists & composers
at Mamori Lake (Amazon, Brazil) / November 2010 / 2 weeks
Conceived and directed by Francisco López (www.franciscolopez.net)
Organized by Mamori ArtLab (www.malab.net)
view program details (pdf)
view short video (1:11)
Listen to Radio Show on Mamori Sound Project 2007:
Giant Ear Radio Show (free103point9 Radio, New York, April 2008)
Download 2 hours mp3 - 48 MB
THE WORKSHOP/RESIDENCY:
The activities of the workshop/residency include:
- Introductory theoretical/discussion presentation sessions on field recordings and sound creation, with a historical/philosophical perspective.
- Field trips (both diurnal and nocturnal) for extensive listening and recording of sound environments.
- Collective listening and discussion sessions of the sound materials gathered. - Sessions of studio work (with laptop) using these materials.
- Development and realization of a sound piece by each participant (or in small groups), as part of the collective project.
- Public presentation of the finished pieces for both the participant artists and members of the local community at Mamori Lake.
The language for the workshop/residency is English. The director also speaks Spanish and has medium-level knowledge of both Portuguese and French.
His experience in the field of sound creation and work with environmental recordings spans over a period of thirty years. His work has been released by more than 180 record labels worldwide and he has been awarded three times with honorary mentions at the competition of Ars Electronica Festival. He has realized hundreds of field recording projects, commissions, live performances, sound installations and workshops, as well as research in entomology and ecosystem dynamics, in 50 countries in the five continents, with a particular emphasis on tropical areas in the Americas, Africa and Australasia. He has been directing and organizing "Mamori Sound Project" since 2005 and he has a detailed sonic knowledge on its surrounding environments.
Comments from previous participants:
The prospect to do what one loves (in this case, sound recordings) in such a
magnificent setting, under the watchful ear of someone of the high calibre of Francisco
López must rate as one of the most satisfying experiences I have had in a long time.
López is the perfect man for this job: absolutely at home in the dense jungle, complete
with 20/20 hearing and a reference list of the most astonishing sound works you are
likely to hear. I can't recommend this workshop enough for artists seeking an richly
authentic and unique creative experience. - James Webb (South Africa)
The chance to immerse oneself in some of the world's most powerful natural sound
environments, under the guidance of one of the world's leading composer/theorists of
environmental sound is a rare and valuable opportunity for anyone, whether sound
artist, field recordist or acoustic ecologist. My experience at Mamori has changed the
way that I work and the way that I listen, and has left me with a rich collection of
sounds that will no doubt continue to serve as raw material and inspiration for years to
come. - David Drury (Canada)
I can't say it enough how I greatly enjoyed my stay at Mamori. It is one of the most
beautiful things I've ever done and I'm very grateful to all the organizers and
participants. For me personally it was very interesting because this workshop was very
condensed and focused on sound. Everything was so well organised in a very friendly
atmosphere. I liked very much the combination lecture - field recording - studiowork -
final presentation. It's a very good working formula. The knowledge and patience of
Jerson [local guide] in conjunction with the great ears of Francisco were an invaluable
asset for finding the great spots for the field recordings. I would highly recommend
this to anyone who wants to experience new sound worlds! - Arneoudt Jacobs (Belgium)
The experience at Mamori Lake was a whole catharsis and transformation, the extent
of which I could only fully realize upon return home. I'd deeply recommend it to
anyone interested in sound and, of course, also in the amazing ecosystem of the
Amazonian rainforest. I sincerely believe this was one of the most beautiful
experiences of my life, and a particularly intense one! - Ruben García (Spain)
I had a great time participating in the workshop. It was consistently provocative and
intense, with plenty of opportunities to challenge ideas, equipment, strategies, etc. The
schedule suggested was particularly well organized, with much freedom for everyone
to explore things if they felt the desire. A wonderful memory. - Matt Shoemaker (USA)
The Mamori Sound lab residency was one of the most intensely beautiful and amazing
experiences that I have ever had. The listening experience in the jungle is a most
unique auditory experience, it is rich, tremendously layered and complex,
incomparable to other auditory experiences that I had had. It changed my approach
to the practice of sound art. Lastly, the intense generosity of Francisco's character as
well as his knowledge of the jungle allowed me to undertake an experience that I could
not have possibly done alone. I highly recommend this workshop, IT IS A MUST! - Farahnaz Hatam (Iran)
It was really a great experience to be far away from civilization and just focusing on
the sound of nature. Really great and unpredictable sounds, some you can't believe
they are animals, some very electronic. It gave me lot of musical ideas just by
listening to the complexity and composition of the sounds in nature. It really gives you
another way of seeing upon time in music, I think. It was a very well organized
workshop, very well balanced between recording sessions, studio time, lectures and
discussions. - Olof Dreijer (Sweden)
Being so disconnected from the civilization (web and phone) is something barely
impossible in our daily life. It is possible with the Mamori Lab, and this is so relaxing
and help to reconnect with our deep inside. BTW, in the same order of idea, listening
to all those sounds from the forest without that background noise of our "(post)
modern" life, emphasis the sounds of the forest themselves, and help to experience a
kind of Yoga related to the listening act. Francisco Lopez helped so much in that
direction and kept us aware of the world of the forest with his extensive knowledge of
the wildlife and its habitat. I learned so much by the group experience with all this
people from around the world and different background, surely a must do to shift
definitively your vision of sound. - Luca Forcucci (Italy)
Mamori was wild, rich and wonderful. I continue to mine the stores of images and
audio for creative work. What a powerful experience that was. Thank you for running
such a magnificent program. - Perri Lynch (USA)
Mamori Lake is a place filled with mythical creatures that rarely showed their face but
always made themselves heard. The recorded and the real sat parallel so that while I
scratched my insect bites and ran out of sweat, I remained intoxicated by the
cacophonies of sound. It was so noisy and so rich and at times completely
overwhelming and exhausting. It was a fantastic opportunity to immerse my self in
such an incredible sonic landscape and work with a bunch of people who cared about
sound as much as I did. I learnt a lot from all the other Mamorians and I'm so grateful
for the opportunity to have been a part of this year's workshop. - Camilla Hannan
(Australia)
Thanks again for the wonderful experience, I gained so much from it and I'm so glad
that I took part. We were looked after so well by Francisco and the rest of the Mamori
team, and it was a wonderful break from everyday life to concentrate and think deeply
about our art. Plus it was an added bonus to meet so many interesting like-minded
people. - Hilary Mullaney (Ireland)
Physical exercise. Sleep deprivation. Magic of the place. Sense of time and
biorhythms. Dangers might feel sexy in some cases. Intensity. Best way ever to loose
some of the too-many-kilos owed to the sedentary way of life of us sound artists. - Marc Behrens (Germany)
MAMORI LAKE:
Mamori Lake is one of the myriad lakes in the Amazon river. The closest city is Manaus, capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonia. The trip from Manaus to Mamori Lake is about 3-4 hours, depending on the season and the transportation, which can be directly by medium-sized boat or via a combination of minivan and small boats.
There is a small local community in Mamori Lake, scattered in small family properties around the lake, as well as a central comunal area. They live mostly on the local resources of the area, with fishing as one of their main activities. All people hired by Mamori ArtLab belong to this community and one of the main aims of the organization is to keep a constant feedback interaction with them. To this effect, Mamori ArtLab occasionally organizes educational activities with the community, public presentations of the results of the workshops, and even a soccer game (that the Brazilians invariably win).
LOGISTICS / WHAT TO BRING:
Food mainly consists of a fresh daily catch of Amazonian fish, from piranhas to tucunaré, the latter very appreciated in the area for its flavor. There is also occasional chiken and beef, as well as tropical vegetables and fruits. Rice, beens and tapioca flour are the most common local complements to the diet. With some limitations in the produce available in the area we can nevertheless provide a vegetarian diet.
All transportation from/to Manaus is organized with locally-hired boat and minivan transports. Although there are a few trails in the area, the main local transportation system is by small engine-powered boats or canoes. Mamori ArtLab hires an experienced local guide/boatman that is available 24-hours for all field recording trips and any other logistic needs (including going along for a fishing experience). There is also a cook, some ocassional maintenance workers, and a Mamori ArtLab logistics manager.
Like most tropical rainforest environments, Mamori Lake is home to a large number of wildlife species, some of which might be hazardous. Both piranhas and crocodiles are abundant in the waters of Mamori. However, like all wild creatures, they do not attack humans unless they are badly disturbed, and there has never been such an event in Mamori ArtLab. As is common in the whole Amazon basin, there are poisonous snakes in the area, but they are very rarely seen or encountered. Insect bites are more a daily thing one gets used to live with than a real danger. Although not abundant, there is malaria in the Mamori region, and thus medical prophylaxis and prevention against mosquito bites are important and recommended. Brazilian health authorities also recommend proper vaccination for hepatitis, yellow fever and typhus. They might ask foreigners for an international vaccination certificate upon arrival at Manaus airport.
[most common things, such as sunblock, soap or batteries can be easily find and bought in Manaus, prior to the trip to Mamori Lake]
Sound recording gear: Participants should bring their own portable field recording gear. Field recording trips (which are made in group - see note 1 below) typically produce about 1-2 hours of recorded material, which has to be considered in terms of batteries and memory cards. Because of the high humidity it is highly recommended to keep all recording gear inside water-proof bags. We haven't experienced any humidity-related problems for a very wide range of the typical digital recording devices used today. However, we do have experienced problems with most condenser microphones (humidity condensation producing noise), while this never happened with electric ones (like the ones in Zoom devices). It is thus highly recommended to bring contact cleaner and/or "Detox-it" for cleaning cables and connectors (see note 2 below).
- Studio equipment: It is absolutely necessary that each participant brings his/her own studio equipment, that is, a laptop computer with audio software that the user knows how to use, as well as headphones and any external hard drives or pendrives you might need. Bring blank CDRs and DVDs for copies and back-ups and don't forget any of your necessary cables. A monitoring speaker system is available at the lodge for group listening sessions.
- Adaptors: Power sockets in the lodge (110V) are valid for European and American plugs, but not for UK, Australia or South Africa plugs, for example. Bring your adaptors, if needed. A small power strip for your plugs is also very helpful.
- Flashlights: Although there is electricity in the lodge, the power lines are not fully reliable and power cuts are not unsual. In addition, we have field recording sessions at night almost every day. A flashlight is thus one of the most-commonly used tools in Mamori. Head flashlights are very practical during field work. Bring plenty of batteries or rechargable ones with charger.
- Mosquito nets: The lodge is equiped with mosquito nets in the windows and also for the beds and hammocks. When inside the forest, and particularly at night, insects might occasionally be a nuisance. A head net is useful and allows to work more comfortably.
- Clothes: While inside the forest, it is recommended to wear long pants and a long- sleeve shirt, to prevent insect bites and scratches from thorns, etc. For all other situations, shorts and T-shirts are the most comfortable. Bring a bathing suit, since swimming with the piranhas and the dolphins is something we like to do at Mamori Lake. A thin jacket is not a bad idea, as some nights might feel relatively chilly. Since rain is likely to occur, even during the dry season, a light raincoat, poncho or equivalent is recommendable. A small umbrella might also be useful (rain and sun).
- Shoes: For the short hikes inside the forest and along the river banks high rubber boots ("wellingtons") are recommended, for both mud and to prevent insect or snake bites. For all other situations, sandals are perfect.
- Sunblock and hat: During the day, and particularly while on a small boat, it might get quite hot. Sunblock and a hat are very advisable.
- Water-proof bags: The combination of very high humidity, rain and life on small boats makes very recommendable to bring water-proof bags (from small plastic ones to a larger rubber one, like the ones used for canoeing) for all the electronic equipment, and even for books or clothes.
- Medicines: Every participant is responsible for taking proper health travel insurance. There is a standard first-aid kit in the lodge. In the Mamori Lake community there is a paramedic but no clinic or other medical services. Bring all your necessary medication. If any participant suffers any particular ilness or disease, he/she should inform the organizers beforehand and bring all proper specialized medication.
SERVICES, RATE AND APPLICATION/REGISTRATION:
The workshop/residency includes:
- Daily working sessions with field recordings, studio work, and collective theoretical/discussion presentations (total of 8 to 12 hours a day, with optional activities and flexible schedules).- Full accommodation: 2 nights hotel (arrival/departure) in Manaus (double room, air-conditioned, swimming pool) + 13 nights cabin in private lodge in Mamori (double rooms with beds, mosquito nets, fan and shower/toilet, large dining/studio room with hammocks [which are also an option to sleep for those who prefer them], electrical system with 110V power sockets, monitoring speaker system, kitchen).
- All meals and beverages: including daily catch of fresh Amazonian fish (piranhas, among many others), purified drinkable water fountain, juices, beer and occasional caipirinhas. All meals in Manaus also included for arrival and departure days.
- Transportation from/to the airport in Manaus.
- Transportation to/from Mamori by van and boats (approx. 3-4 hours).
- Daily transportation in Mamori by boat to field recording sites (day and night).
- 2-3 day trip on large double-deck boat to another location in the Mamori region.
- Local guides/boatmen, cook, maintenance workers, and logistics manager.
- Rates:
Workshop/residency 2-week rate per person:
Payment until April 30th 2010: 1,900 euros
Payment after April 30th 2010: 2,100 euros
(Includes all of the above. Does not include flight to Manaus from participant's
departure location nor medical insurance.) Mamori Sound Project is a non-profit, independently-run project. Each participant artist/composer must seek funding for his/her workshop/residency costs, as well as the flight to Manaus and his/her medical insurance.
- Application:
The capacity of the workshop/residency is limited to a small group (currently a maximum of 12 participant artists/composers).
Artists/composers interested need to send an application (only email, no post), consisting of: (i) updated CV, and (ii) examples of their sound work on mp3 or through internet links, to the following address:
- Registration:
The artists/composers selected after the application process will receive a formal invitation letter from the director of Mamori Sound Project to help them in seeking funding support. To join the workshop/residency they will have to pay the fee and fill in a registration form that will be later provided by the organizers.Deadline for registrations: July 1st, 2010
- Dates workshop/residency:
Mamori Sound Project will take place inNovember 2 - 15, 2010
The group needs a minimum of 8 participants for the workshop/residency to take place, and has a maximum capacity of 12 participants.
Mamori ArtLab is an organization based in Spain and coordinated by Marcos Ruíz (administration - Spain) and Asier Gogortza (logistics - Spain / Brazil):
Phone (Marcos Ruíz): +34-608815187