Today Broadway Baby talks to the talent behind Fiesta de los Muertos.
The uniqueness of our show is the very international aspect and the mix of artistic disciplines. We are all highly trained and experienced musicians and we have put together a show that combines music, storytelling, dance and theatre. We have performed in many countries, like Nepal, Zimbabwe, South Africa and various countries in Europe.
Tell us about your show
Fiesta de los Muertos is an original music-theatre-storytelling show, with harp, flute, percussion, singing and dance. The show is inspired by the Mexican festivity Day of the Dead, and explores the meaning and intricacies of life and death in different cultures, through folktales from around the world.
The performance takes you on a mythical journey, discovering the ancient Aztec traditions and their Queen of the underworld, meeting two old men who argue about who is right, a soldier who tries to outsmart Death, a beautiful woman whose extreme jealousy drives her to madness, and a young girl whose dream helps her surpass her sorrow.
Why did you decide to take your show to Space UK this year?
This is our very first Fringe, and we are so excited about the opportunity. Many venues were interested and enthusiastic about our show and we chose to work with the Space UK. We liked the venue and their offer, and appreciate their input, sincerity and professionalism.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival?
This is our first Fringe and first major production. We have heard so much about it and we are really looking forward to being part of all aspects of Fringe, from presenting our show and promoting culture, to meeting other artists and seeing their shows. One of our members is also a whiskey fan, so I’m sure he is looking forward to some true whiskey tasting!
What makes your show unique amongst the thousands of others at the festival?
The uniqueness of our show is the very international aspect and the mix of artistic disciplines. We are all highly trained and experienced musicians and we have put together a show that combines music, storytelling, dance and theatre. We have performed in many countries, like Nepal, Zimbabwe, South Africa and various countries in Europe. We are a very international team, based in the Netherlands, with origins from France, Wales, Zimbabwe, Mexico, New York, Costa Rica and Philippines. The mix and appreciation for different cultures is at the heart of our show.
How did you create your show?
One of our members, Aldo Aranda, is originally from Mexico. He introduced us to the beautiful festivity of “Día de los muertos” (Day of the dead). It’s a wonderful celebration, where families gather to honour those who have passed. We felt the need to create a show around this topic and explore the origins of it. Death tends to be a taboo subject, and yet, loosing a loved one is something most of us have experienced. In Mexico, death is celebrated and made into something beautiful.
So we spent months researching the origins of the festivity, and looking for related folk stories from around the world, to compare how other cultures deal with life and death. From there, we started to create the show. Once we had chosen the stories and the form, we then incorporated music and later dance. After months of hard work and preparation, we are very happy with the results and look forward to presenting it at the Fringe.
If your show does well in Edinburgh, what do you want to do with it next?
We hope to take the show on tour and perform it in different places around the world. We are an ambitious company, and we have had the good fortune to travel far with our previous productions. Since 2013, we have performed in Nepal, Romania, Festival Des Mots Des Maux in France, HIFA Festival in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and in the Netherlands at venues like Korzo Theater, De Nieuwe Regentes, Leidse Hofjes Concerten, and collaborated with former dancers of the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT). We wish to go on with our adventures and continue to travel, create, learn, grow and enjoy the journey.
Show Name: Fiesta de los Muertos
Production Company: Modern Troubadours
Venue: Surgeons’ Hall Grand Theatre, TheSpace UK
Dates: 7th to 22nd August 2015
Times: 22h15
Twitter Handle: @ModTroubadours
