CubaSonic at CubaDupa 2021

A beautiful disruption 3 years in the making…

From composer John Psathas:

It’s always fantastic when your music develops a life of its own. I have been very lucky that this has happened to several of my pieces, but how it happened with CubaSonic (2019) is unlike any other. Often you think a piece is given life through multiple performances – CubaSonic only had (and probably will only ever have) one. What defined this project was that it was totally contextualised by the state of the world at the time.

Premiered at the end of March 2021, much of the world was still in lockdown with live performances feeling like they were a thing from the pre-Covid era. At the time it was just unimaginable that hundreds of musicians could perform a work spanning three blocks in a massive city-wide festival. I think that the result of such a mass performance in the then-current circumstances created a really powerful and unexpected feeling of togetherness.

People came to me afterwards highly emotionalised, talking about how moved they were, and the sense of joy they felt in being a part of such a massed experience. CubaDupa usually provides the city with an injection of positive energy and after being cancelled in 2020, its return in 2021 was extra special, symbolising a return to normality or at least a step in that direction.

John Psathas, In Focus: CubaSonic (2019)

CubaSonic trailer video. Video by CubaDupa and CreateNowNZ.

Here it is! Our one-and-only World Premiere super-exclusive performance of CubaSonic by John Psathas.

CubaSonic highlight clip from the premiere performance. Video by CubaDupa and CreateNowNZ.

Here’s the full-length video from CubaDupa. Enjoy! It’s great!

CubaSonic full-length highlight video of the premiere performance. Video by CubaDupa and CreateNowNZ.

…and from John Psathas himself. A walk down Cuba Street during CubaSonic:

Cubasonic world premiere 2021. Video by John Psathas.

John has written a great article – In Focus: CubasSonic (2019) – Reflections on the Mega Project CubaSonic. Have a read – it’s really interesting, and includes an explanation of how the piece came to be written, and how and why it works within the content of CubaDupa – and nowhere else in the world. It was inspired by, and written for, CubaDupa – and will probably only ever be performed this one time.

And finally, a video by our own Tom Etuata, which focuses on the two Batucada groups of drummers that played in CubaSonic, together with guest drummers from AKSamba, Samba Ao Vento, Unidos de Aotearoa, Bay Batucada and Nelson Sambassadors. I’ve just re-watched it – and I found it really moving. I hope you like it. Make sure you watch until the very end…

Wellington Batucada (in two separate groups) perform Cubasonic. Video by Tom Etuata.

From CubaDupa:

The mass-music sonic interruption by John Psathas, three years in the making came to a glorious premiere performance on Sunday the 28th of March across 500 meters of Cuba Street with 300 musicians total synchronistity.

Thanks to the artists from Boat featuring Chime Red (Steve Cournane), Capital City Big Band, Dayle Jellyman, Hutt City Brass, New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī, Victoria University of Wellington Big Band, New Zealand School of Music Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington, Richter City Rebels, Royal New Zealand Air Force Band, Taikoza Wellington, The Nudge, Wellington Batucada, Wellington Brass Band.

Presented with the support of Te Herenga Waka—Wellington Uni, Creative New Zealand and PAF for making CubaSonic a total triumph.
CubaDupa