WATER IN MESOAMERICA

Join us for a captivating interactive music event that celebrates the profound, sacred connection of water. This unique gathering invites participants to immerse themselves in a world where water is not just an element but a revered source of inspiration and creativity.

Joining us from Guatemala City, Dr. Adriana Linares-Palma will weave a rich tapestry on the reverence for water found in Mesoamerican cosmologies, showcasing its role as a life-giving force and a symbol of harmony with nature. As an archeologist collaborating with the Mayan council of elders of the Ixil region in the Western Maya Highlands of Guatemala, Adriana will highlight the plight of water in today’s current state and remind us of expansive de-colonial approaches.

Together, we will explore the importance of balance with our environment, fostering a sense of community and appreciation for this vital resource. Story-telling combined with visual of Guatemala’s rivers will bedecorated with orchestration by Henna Chou on cello, Andrea Cortez on harp, and Mario Garza and Pam Reyes offering songs.

More than a concert, this is a collective remembrance that honors the praxis and songs dedicated to water, inviting every generation to connect, learn, and inspire change. Come and be a part of this celebration of life, music, and the sacredness of water.

Vesper
3106 E 14th ½ Street, Austin, Tx
Saturday, Nov 23
4pm-5:30pm
$10
Free and sliding-scale tickets available. Send email to Andrea@mindbodymusiccenter.com

Supported in part by the Austin Live Music Fund 2024.

Mind Body Music Center, founded by music therapist Andrea Cortez, regularly hosts sound meditation events in Austin, TX and online.

Dr. Adriana Linares-Palma – Archeologist & speaker @Fotocaldosa

Andrea Cortez – Harp @MindBodyMusicCenter

Henna Chou – Cello @auxauxauxaux

Pam Reyes – Vocals @Bananapamcake

Mario Garza – Vocals @Mp4.Mario

About the artists:
Dr. Adriana Linares-Palma
Adriana María Linares-Palma is an independent scholar engaged in decolonizing archaeology in Guatemala, and the artistic expression as healing therapy for liberation. She holds a doctorate degree in Latin American Studies (2021) at the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin.

Her current research is based on a community and collaborative archeological program at the Ixil region, in the Western Maya Highlands of Guatemala, as an ongoing project that is discussing with Indigenous leaders the benefits and risks of conducting archaeological research in their communities and incorporating their concerns into a community project for knowledge production of their ancestors for their own uses.

Adriana’s research interests include Community-based Archaeology, Multivocality, Intersectional Feminism, Material Culture Studies, Public Archaeology, Mesoamerican Archaeology, and Terracota Figurines. Adriana’s artistic interests are xylography, pottery, and visual and written poetry.
@Fotocaldosa

Andrea Cortez, MM, MT-BC,
Andrea is a board certified music therapist who uses the power of music to create positive change. As a sound artist, composer and sound meditation teacher, her work focuses on the elements of sound to improve the health of our mind, body and spirit. Working with communities and individuals, her work explores the relationship between the elements of music and the natural world by incorporating music with animals and plants demonstrating the presence of music as a fundamental structure in nature. She’s the owner of Mind Body Music Center, a sound therapy studio, based in Austin.

Henna Chou
Henna Chou (HC) is a sound explorer with experiences living in Tucson, AZ; Overland Park, KS; Berkeley, CA; Ames, IA; Beijing, China; and Montpelier, VT. Chou enjoys participating in Austin’s creative community as a contributing sound artist for a variety of situations. @auxauxauxaux

Pam Reyes
Pam Reyes is an independent singer-songwriter based in Austin, Texas by way of Queens, New York. Pam recently released a 10-track album titled Temporary, songs that reflect themes of displacement and belonging.@Bananapamcake