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Sept. 15, 2021
’Toban turntable ARTS & CULTURE Kitty Kerr, volunteer
5/5 stars Noé Lira’s debut EP Latiendo la tierra is an interdisciplinary symphony. The colourful record successfully holds trilingual lyrics, multiple genres, nature sounds, choral voices and a surprising array of rich and complex instrumentals. It embodies Lira’s interest in mixing languages and cultures and fusing different forms together, making for a listening experience that is both invigorating and emotional. Lira’s ability to carry such multiplicity is unsurprising given her talents as a singer, songwriter, dancer and actor who works internationally. A first-generation Quebecomexican, she first began experimenting with music in 2018 at several creative musical laboratories in Europe and South America. She performed in a touring production of a highly successful musical comedy, TIC-TAC, in Spain. The content of TIC-TAC reads much like the thesis of Lira’s body of work: it
explores the need for fiction in our life and how art can change and transform lives. Following the tour, in 2019, she introduced her sound to the world with a series of pared-down performances — just her, an accordion and two musicians. Finally, she returned to Quebec and set to developing what would become Latiendo la tierra with a team of women, a conscious choice on her part.
image / Baseline MUSIC/ provided
Noé Lira — ‘Latiendo la tierra’
The product is an invigorating and hopeful sum of astonishing parts, with Lira’s vocals being the focal point of the soothing arrangements. The manifesto that appears in the lyrics of “Ríndete” wholly articulates her intention and achievement: “May we nurture care, love, unity/ Embrace the dance, life force, energy/ Surrender to the winds and bow before the waves/Be thankful for every breath that you take/Calling all hearts to seek for the light/And may in compassion be rooted the change.” Latiendo la tierra feels like an invitation. The music invites its listener sonically and lyrically to breathe, to
move and to reconnect to something greater — a powerful, feminine energy. Want us to review your album? Email us at arts@themanitoban.com!
arts@themanitoban.com
All the world’s a stage
Theatre company mounts first in-person production in the great outdoors ARTS & CULTURE
Local independent theatre company Theatre by the River is thrilled to be presenting its first production in almost two years. Prior to the pandemic lockdowns last March, Theatre by the River presented a run of The Hours That Remain by Keith Barker but were unable to produce any further programming due to the increase in closures and tightening health restrictions. Since 2005, Theatre by the River has been producing innovative, socially relevant theatre. The company makes a point of choosing lesser-known scripts to bring to life onstage and seeks to challenge not only their audience to think outside the box about theatre and theatre practices, but also themselves. Theatre by the River also encourages patrons of any income level to attend their shows by offering “pay what you can” price options for certain performances, meaning there is no set cost for tickets and customers pay what they can afford. This week, the company is inviting audiences to Whittier Park — near the edge of the Red River — to experience a live, open-air performance of Meet Me at Dawn. Written by British playwright Zinnie Harris, the play opens with two women washing up on shore after a horrifying boating accident.
photo / Theatre by the River by J Senft Photography/ provided
Shaylyn Maharaj-Poliah, staff
However, as happy as their reunion is, something is amiss, and not all is as it seems. Described as a “modern fable of life, love and grief,” Meet Me at Dawn is unapologetic and a beautiful allegory for the difficulties of letting go of a loved one. The play was directed by Cherissa Richards and features the acting talents of Alissa Watson and Theatre by the River’s own artistic director, Mel Marginet. The production also
features ambient music by prolific local soundscape artist Ali “Yoyu” Khan. Theatre by the River’s upcoming programming includes a glimpse into the future of Winnipeg, tentatively titled #gladtobehere. A new work by Winnipeg playwright Ginny Collins, the production will physically take patrons through specific sites throughout the city and answer burning questions about Winnipeg
after the end. Meet Me at Dawn runs until Sept. 18, with a Sept. 19 rain date. For more information, please visit theatrebytheriver.com.
arts@themanitoban.com
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