*Originally written by Christian Cortes (SoundScrybe) for our Exclusive Keyframe feature, part of our former affiliation with Reality Sandwich/EvolverEDM (Feb 2019)
Much can be said of the art of reading a dance floor and guiding it through the peaks and valleys of the musical experience, but there are few who do this today in a manner as unique, sophisticated, and hypnotizing as musical storyteller Poranguí. Often referred to as the “one man orchestra,” this virtuoso’s live performances draw upon his rich personal heritage and mastery of dozens of instruments to create an evocative sonic atmosphere that is as much a journey through lineage and culture as it is a musical experience.
A product of Brazilian, Mexican, and American ancestry, Poranguí brings a multicultural edge to his craft that is informed by his lifelong relationship with music, healing arts, academia, indigenous culture, and the multifaceted world of tribal ceremony. Uniting this mixed background with over twenty years of experience as a musician and teacher around the globe, Poranguí’s art and offering today is a vibrant synthesis of culture, vision, and breathtaking musical knowledge that is guided by his perpetual desire to find balance in the natural world.
Following years of collaborations with artists, filmmakers, and musicians, including creating the soundtrack for the 2016 documentary film “Ayahuasca,” and lending his sounds to Desert Dwellers co-founder Amani Friend’s organic downtempo project Liquid Bloom, Poranguí’s latest artistic venture takes shape as an all-new live album: Poranguí.
Bridging the realms of ancestral sound with cutting-edge musical production, the album is sewn from live recordings around the world and presented as a one-hour journey across the vibrant and soothing landscapes of instrumental downtempo, ritual singing, world fusion, and tranquilizing organica that transports listeners to lands both near and afar.
Poranguí consists of seven tracks that dance across a spectrum of musical intensities and heart-opening soundscapes in an elemental showcase of Poranguí’s powerful emotive range and comprehension of musical lineage. With some of the tracks inspired by the elements, the album spans a myriad of styles and tonalities drawn from around the world in a sonic exploration of human heritage. Where the didgeridoo in “Tonantzin” may evoke a sensation of dancing around a fire circle in the Australian outback, “Danza del Viento” utilizes indigenous flutes and ethereal lyrical work to generate a loose and flowing atmosphere influenced by North and South American tribal culture.
Perpetually exploring the connections between these cultural inspirations and the distinct sounds offered up by their songs and musical instruments, Poranguí acts as the conduit through which sound, energy, and lore move. Each time a new instrument enters the mix, he brings with it the story of its people and the culture embedded in its unique, archetypal sound.
Yet, it is not without his distinct fusion of technology with these indigenous elements that Poranguí’s visionary style continues to reveal its depth. This balance is most vividly showcased through his powerful grasp on the modern art of live looping. Using a dizzying array of musical instruments, ranging from string instruments and hand drums to didgeridoos, indigenous flutes, cajón drum, voice, and a custom series of controllers and loop pedals, Poranguí’s performances artfully juggle both live and looped musical elements into a colorful mosaic of sound that offers nearly infinite potential for variation in his performances. As the single conductor of these numerous sounds—his music rig sometimes contains upwards of thirty soundmakers, depending on where in the world he is playing—Poranguí is able to flesh out his music according to the needs of his environment by exploring deviations, remixes, and departures from the original songs, granting him the acoustic flexibility of an orchestra with the creative freedom and precision of a single musician.
However, perhaps the greatest variable in the coloration of Poranguí’s sound stems from the environments in which he creates, granting this live album the extra element a studio recording could never truly replicate. The influence of the audience’s energy is a key variable that runs through the core of his music—one that acts as a driving energy for his crescendos and inspires the moments of serenity in between. It is this very energy and freedom of expression that transforms a seven-minute song into a fifteen-minute ecstatic dance session across culture and emotion and which ultimately acts as the creative well from which Poranguí’s mastery continues to spring. As such, one is left to wonder if anything but a live recording is capable of showcasing this visionary’s mesmerizing contribution to the artistic world, for there are few musicians today so adept at using the power of their audience to fuel their creations.
Poranguí is presented to audiences in two forms: the live recordings, and a second version that features Poranguí’s partner and co-facilitator Ashley Klein, whose spoken word is inspired by the Dancing Freedom teachings of embodied awakening. Just like the music, her words were improvised on the spot in response to the energy of the audience, making each form of the album a vivid snapshot of the energy artists are capable of channeling from a living and breathing audience.
Experience Poranguí yourself on Bandcamp, and check out the following links to connect with Porangui’s music more and stay up to date on his performances around the world.
Get the album on Bandcamp