future is ritual — ea

 
 
 

Pamamaalam

 

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Ang titulo ng aking ritwal ay 'Pamamaalam'.

Ako'y nagpapaagos ng mga sayaw at kanta sa marami ng nakaraan na taon, ngunit ako'y nahihiyang aminin ito.

Makalipas ang maraming pagtatapos sa aking buhay; kamalayan, siklo, mga relasyon, mga kabuluhan, mga trabaho, atbp.,  ngayon ay nagtitiwala na ako ng lubos kapag may kanta o lengwahe na nais na dumaloy mula sa akin.

Ang pamamaalan ay 'act of saying goodbye' sa ingles. Ngunit ang isa pa nitong kolokyal na translasyon ay 'act of asking permission'.

Ang pamamaalam na ito ay ritwal ng pagbuhay sa aking bagong sarili na matatag at magiliw sa pagsasalita, pagsalin, pagkwento, pagsayaw at pagkanta na pinaka malapit sa aking tunay na naririnig,  nararmdaman, nakikita at nararanasan. 

Ako'y namamaalam sa nakalipas na mga panlabas at panloob, at nagpapaalam sa mga kapwa tao, kapwa dagat, kapwa halaman, kapwa ulap at araw, kapwa sansinukob, na ito ang hudyat ng mga kanta at sayaw na walang katuturan at saysay sa pag iisip na kritiko or lohikal. 

At sa pamamagitan ng ritwal ng mga pamamaalam, ay ang pagbubuhay ng bagong lalim at karanasan ng sarili bilang kapwa kalahatan.

 

Concept, chants and embodiment: Ea Torrado

Video direction: Chino Neri

Sound design: Joee Mejias

 
 

Interview

What inspired this piece?

this piece was inspired by death. Death of my Nanay last year, my grandmother who raised me since I was a baby. And also death of my old self. Death of old dreams. Death of previous ways of ding, being and creating. Death to being ashamed of my voice, and my ability to channel light language and frequencies from other dimensions.

What is the role of ritual in art and art in ritual for you?

For me art is ritual. Ritual is art. They are one and the same, as there is so much meaning, presence, intentionality and full embodiment for when you do art or ritual. I am even more exploring what it means for my whole everyday life, to be ritual and for my entire life as my greatest art. Rather than thinking of art as something I produce, that must sell, that must be socially valued, or ritual, as something that must be a means to an end such as merely to get blessings from ancestors, or to clear a space, or to have people witness that I'm getting married to someone for the rest of my life -- but rather to live as if everything is ritual and art, it is life-enriching and life-giving. It is a means to an end and also it is the end.

What are your feelings when you watch the piece?

I feel so deeply ensouled. I feel that this is a start, this is my ritual of beginning a new chapter in my art making and also healing practice, the use of my liberated voice. and the confidence there is in channeling messages thru sound and trusting in whatever and all that comes thru.

What was the experience of TFIR like for you as an artist?

Oooh, very very good. Sha is such an amazing space-holder. I also learned so much from the artists from various fields that she invited. It was great to connect with others this way during the lockdown and pandemic. While also being able to witness their rituals and ceremonies, and share perspectives and ideas with one another.

 
 

Biography

Ea Torrado is a multidimensional healing artist whose medicine blends the use of body, voice, ritual and  storytelling.  She  is  also  the  founder  of  Daloy Movement,  a  guided  and  durational  free-form  healing  dance  practice  originated  and  developed  in  the  Philippines,  that  many  people  find  liberating,  transformative  and  healing. It  is  also  an  embodied  and  evolving  research  practice  accessible  to  all  body  types  and  movement  abilities,  an  exploration  of  the  human  body  provoking  reflection  and dialogue.  With 17 years of professional dance and teaching experience, coupled with a lion's heart for social justice, Ea created original contemporary performance rituals that engage both lyrically and viscerally with the politics of identity, society, sexuality, collective rage, grief, spirituality, and healing. She practices reiki and other intuitive healing modalities, and is deeply engaged with the spiritual legacies and practices of the Filipina shaman-priestess, or babaylan.