Cave performance by David Villagomez
Sound recording by Henry Hoffman, Film by Francisco Heredia, Introduction by Tamsin Cunningham
Caves gather together powerful archetypes: darkness, the underworld, the realm of spiders and snakes. Through these archetypes we have come to expect from these places experiences of fear, of pushing past our limits and boundaries into the unknown. And it is true that caves do challenge us in these ways. But within and beyond these thresholds caves can also offer an unexpected sense of peace and stillness; a sanctuary and welcome in the most unlikely of places.
This recording captures the beautiful and powerful meeting of the music of David Villagomez with the resonance of the cave. Recorded in the chamber documented in our photo essay The First Chamber, this performance by David conveys the way in which the cave is in itself a musical instrument, its resonant spaces responding and reverberating to the sound of David’s voice. The words that David sings are a powerful invocation to the spirits of the land: Arutam; the greatest of the spirits of the Shuar people and Pachamama; the ‘earth mother’ of the people of the Andes.
As you listen to this space of resonance and retreat, what other places of peace might you be able to find hidden within what you fear? How can you leave aside your expectations and find sanctuary in the landscape that resonate with you?
Watch the moment that David and Francisco venture into the first chamber and discover its beautiful resonant properties.
Exploring the first chamber with David Villagomez and Francisco Heredia
Explore more on the topic of Expectations:
THE FIRST CHAMBER
the clock of the cave