Matinee: Carme López, solo

How can one rethink a familiar instrument and ancient traditions—perhaps in a completely different way? Carme López from Galicia shows us how: Inspired by experimental artists such as Éliane Radigue and Pauline Oliveros, she explored the Galician bagpipes on her debut album “Quintela,” released in March 2024, coaxing an experimental sound from the instrument—traditionally associated with men—that is better described as drones and ambient soundscapes than as folklore. In the fall, López then released an album by her vocal project Carmela, “Vinde Todas.” “Vinde Todas” is based on her ethnographic research into the orally transmitted singing traditions of Galicia, their thematic, rhythmic, and aesthetic diversity, and the gender perspective in the transmission of these songs. Whether bagpipes or singing: Carme López combines tradition, the present, and a vision of the future into a compelling overall experience.