Legba Swaying is a solo piece gathering creolizing glimpses of presence, questions, belonging, remembrance and release, rhizoming in performative and contemplative practices. Legba in Vodou pantheon is a limping dancer, deity of the crossroads.
Legba Swaying Libretto
0 – before
1 – crosses
Jonatan is asking me questions I’ve asked him to read –
he’s recorded them on tape and stands in a red booth
he presses play, letting the cassette speak in the microphone
I answer my answers
with drum and dance
2 – be for after
I let I let
the mask fall
I let I let
you know
I met an altered ego
in the garden
I let I let
the sunset
I let
my tongue grow sharp
I
ate the sacred
apple
in the garden
I let I let
some time pass
I let
I take it s l o w
I bet
new flowers will grow
in the garden
new flowers will grow
in the garden
I let the undone
in the garden
I let my back fall
in the garden
I let the world be
in the garden
I let it breathe
in the garden
I let the sun set
in the garden
I let the wind blow
in the garden
I ate the apple
in the garden
I altered ego
in the garden
I met the sunset
in the garden
I let
I let you
I let you know
I let you know I am not
I let you know I am not always
in the garden
I let you draw the map of what you seek
Credits: Legba Swaying was developed during Anaïs Maviel’s Roulette’s 2019 Van Lier Fellowship, made possible by Sally and Edward Van Lier Fund of the New York Community Trust. Directed by Daria Faïn, with the recorded voice of Jonatan Malm. All compositions by AM except Latibonit (Haitian traditional). Filmed & edited by Moon Lasso. Recorded by Jade Payne and mixed by AM.
Anaïs Maviel’s work as a vocalist, percussionist, composer and community facilitator focuses on the function of music as essential to settling common grounds, addressing Relation, and creating utopian future. Involved at the crossroads of mediums, Anaïs has been an in-demand creative force for artists such as William Parker, Daria Faïn, Shelley Hirsh, César Alvarez, Steffani Jemison – to give a sense of an eclectic company. Anaïs is dedicated to substantial creations from solo to large ensembles, music direction of cross-disciplinary works, and to expanding the power of music as a healing & transformative act. Anaïs performs and teaches extensively in New York, throughout the Americas and Europe. Both solo albums hOULe & in the garden, out on Gold Bolus Recordings, received international acclaim. Lastly, Anaïs Maviel is developing her composition language, especially thanks to the support of the 2019 Van Lier Fellowship, 2020 American Composers Forum Create commission with The Rhythm Method String Quartet and 2021-2022 Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship.