Saturday, January 10, 2015

Osvaldo Brizuela 13 Questions


Photo Victor Toty Cáceres

Osvaldo Brizuela (O-Bri), composer, guitarist, writer, teacher, producer, sound and visual artist from Cordoba-Argentina


Photo Victor Toty Cáceres

He's founder of  Videofest -International Audiovisuals Encounter- alongside with artists Ciro Barco and Cecilia Rosso. He created and directed audiovisual proposals as: Dream Jazz -art sound + visuals premiered in the First Córdoba Jazz Festival 2009 and the Opening of the CBA. Jazz Festival 2012. Falla de origen / Failure of Origin, participating in the International Biennial of Composition and Music Education-National University of Cba-AR-2010.

Artist and producer in Real Time Project -improvised visual and souns art sessions- project shared with Federico Gaumet; No Tune Up -detuned music; Toys -music with toys and unconventional sound sources and instruments; O-Bri Noise Songs -art sound + visuals, 2010; O-Bri + GTR -real-time guitar compositions and art sound with Federico Gaumet. Composer and director of audiovisual story El Niño Cíclope, presented at the Sala Mayor of the Cordoba's Royal Theatre in October 2011.


Photo Constanza Jofré

Composer and interpreter in O-Bri + Sky Judas since 1996,  releasing two independent cds Otra Kuma 1997 and Piel 2004 and the Ddv Still seeing in 2008. He was director, composer, sound artist and vocalist of the audiovisual proposal Té con Orangutanes / Tea with Orangutans recording a CD Monkey beats and a Dvd The trip of the electronic monkeys. Since  2012 presents its contemporary jazz duo Juárez & O-Bri, with the prestigious guitarist from Buenos Aires, Juampy Juárez; editing  Espacios and acted in Cba. Jazz Festival 2013 at the Teatro del Libertador San Martín and the International Jazz Festival in Santiago del Estero 2014. Since 2013 presents 11 intentos de vestir al silencio / 11 attempts to dress silence,  works for guitar, material recorded on a dvd with visual artist Maru Aparicio.



In May 2013 he published his book Ahídaluz, with the artist Federico Gaumet premiered in the III International Festival Poetry Cba. 2014. In 2013, along with Horacio Alara produced and hosted an artists talk show from Córdoba MÓVIL núcleo de arte in audio streaming mode. Currently it has recorded a new solo album AIRESUENAENPIEL (songs) recorded with 20 local artists.

He has composed the original music of The Inferno from the Divine Comedy, 1997, a theatrical play directed by Chete Cavagliatto; Eclipse, a short film under the direction of Martin Subirá- with guitarist and composer Dario Iscaro, film presented at the International Film Festival Mar del Plata, awarded with a silver medal at the International Film Festival UNICA -Germany. In 2014 he composed the soundtrack for Los pecados de Shakespeare /Sins of Shakespeare theatre play directed by Cheté Cavagliatto.



As experimental as visual and sound artist he presented in the work Pi-31416-o-bri (2008) a sound and visual intervention that aims to recreate the intrauterine landscape, through sound actions in real time on prerecorded and image support. As a visual artist and since 2006 makes video art for his own music projects and for/with other artists: Darius Iscaro's group Antihéroe; Héctor Tortosa's Obra Mandio and Un regalo de Tupá. He participated as a video artist in the exhibition EsperArte, coordinated by Isabel Caparros in Madrid-Spain.

He was Argentina's curator for Dvd Project, an international video art project organized by Stichting Idee-fixe (Holland) with the goal of present pop and experimental video art, creating a democratic and accessible platform for new young artists.
He participated in the IV International Festival of Poetry: Word in the World-project coordinated by Big Bang. In 2014 he participated in the III International Poetry Festival of Córdoba.


Photo Marcos Allende

Recognized in late 2012 with the Prensarte JB Award, for his independent trajectory of research / experimentation in artistic languages.
As a speaker he has participated in talks for the TEDx of Villa Allende (Cordoba-AR) 2014.
He teachs guitar in Fundación La Colmena-escuela de músicos- since 1990. Since May 2009 he is professor of Experimental TEC-Creative-Workshop with Federico Gaumet, workshop at the Royal Theatre, depending on the Ministry of Culture of the Province of Córdoba and CIPCO Research Center for Cognitive Psychotherapy.



¿Qué recuerdas de tu primera guitarra?
     What do you remember about your first guitar?

The smell of wood, stroking its forms, moments of solitude and his company; to try a tune for hours; it was a guitar for children, with smaller steps which I still own; my compositions are born from/with her as a witness.

El olor a madera, acariciar sus formas, los momentos de soledad y su compañía; intentar alguna melodía durante horas; era una guitarra para niños, de medidas mas pequeñas que aún conservo; mis composiciones nacen desde ella como testigo.



¿Qué esperas de la música?
           What do you expect from music?

Communication; it is the instrument that allows no wonder the words; music and sound invite me to wear the silence from the way I think most suitable for the occasion. I like music where love is grooved, building a better world resignifying everyday's living; we are tuning feelers that use sounds and words to channel harmony.

Comunicación; que sea el instrumento que permita no extrañar las palabras; la música y el sonido me invitan a vestir el silencio de la manera que creo mas adecuada según la ocasión. Me gusta que desde la música se canalice el amor, el construir un mundo mejor resignificando lo cotidiano; somos antenas que en sintonía nos servimos de los sonidos y palabras para canalizar armonía.



¿Cuál de tus obras te sorprende más?
       Which work of your own are you most surprised by?

More than a work is the permanent discover what surprises me; each new work enlightens
another part of me that I did not know. I enjoy those moments; they look like epiphanies. I like to explore different styles of music and arts and combine them; making new landscapes as mirrors from my inside. In "El niño cíclope" one of my works, for instance, an audiovisual story, the excitement lasted weeks. In " 11 tries to dress the silence" yet I have the feeling of having attended a dream; stories where I was just a channel.

Más que una obra es el descubrirme continuamente lo que me sorprende; en cada nueva obra se ilumina otra parte de mí que desconocía; disfruto de esos momentos; son como epifanías.Me gusta explorar diferentes estilos de música y artes y combinarlos; logrando nuevos paisajes como espejos de mi interior. En “El niño cíclope” por ejemplo, una de mis obras; cuento audiovisual; la emoción duró semanas; en “11 intentos de vestir al silencio” aún tengo la sensación de haber asistido a un sueño; relatos de los que solo fui un canal.



¿Cuál es la importancia de la técnica en música, en tu opinión?
     What's the relevance of technique in music, in your opinion?

Technique is a way to tell stories where no obstacles constrains our discourse. Often limits are parents of new searches; Django Reinhardt was a magician from its limitation; for instance.

La técnica es un medio para que al momento de contar historias no existan impedimentos que condicionen nuestro discurso. Muchas veces; los límites son padres de nuevas búsquedas; Django Reinhardt fue un mago desde su limitación; por ejemplo.



¿Qué cualidad admiras más en un músico?
       What quality do you admire most in an musician?

The sensitivity and the ability to communicate; sensitivity to the outside world as stimulus, tuning that world but again giving us a meaning through the work, that allows new readings to anyone who listen or enjoy art. The ductility of Pat Metheny, John Scofield's flirt with apparent error; the austerity of Miles or Alva Noto; poetry made music in Luis Alberto Spinetta... they are references in my search.

La sensibilidad y la posibilidad de comunicar; la sensibilidad al mundo exterior como estímulo, sintonizar ese mundo pero volver a darle un significado que a través de la obra permita nuevas lecturas a quien escucha o disfruta ese arte. La ductilidad de Pat Metheny, el coqueteo con el error aparente de John Scofield; la austeridad de Miles; de Alva Noto; la poesía hecha música de Luis Alberto Spinetta; son referentes en mi búsqueda.



¿Cuáles son los desafíos y beneficios del escenario actual  y digital de música?
             What are the challenges and benefits of today's digital music scene?

I think we can make music from all objects around us; whether traditional instruments such as guitar or piano or paper, bottles or program managed from a laptop. The common denominator for making music is to spin something beyond the source used. It's masterly the contribution of possibilities from software or hardware to generate sound or edit it, but nothing spin if one history have no content, straightforwardness, a reason whith a sustainable root beyond fashion and market requirements.

Creo que podemos hacer música desde todos los objetos que nos rodean; sean tradicionales instrumentos como una guitarra o piano o un papel, botellas o el manejo de programas desde una laptop. El común denominador para hacer música es contar algo más allá de la fuente empleada. Es genial el aporte de las posibilidades desde el software o hardware para generar sonido o editar, pero nada conduce si la historia a contar carece de contenido; de honestidad, de un porqué con raíz sustentable más allá de modas o requerimientos de mercado.



¿Cómo definirías el silencio?
    How would you define silence?

In my work for solo guitar "11 tries to dress the silence" I wrote:
"Silence conceived not as an absence of sound, but as his overall presence, hence each one with his feeler, tuned to what it can, what are encouraging ... "

En mi obra para guitarra sola; “11 intentos de vestir al silencio” escribí:
“El silencio concebido no como ausencia de sonido, sino como la presencia de todos, de allí cada cual con su antena, sintonizando lo que puede, a lo que se anima...”



¿Puedes describir una experiencia de sonido que haya contribuido a tu deseo de ser músico?
      Can you describe a sound experience that you believe contributed to your becoming a musician?

The sounds were my crib ...
From a mother's voice sounded more to regret that children's song; classical guitar from my uncle; my father's trumpet; neighborhood sounds dressing domestic scenes; everything was accumulating as voices; that things slowly found its riverbed from my classical guitar, electric or synthesized sound art or to silence. I remember an old movie I saw quite a child; Young Man with a Horn, with Kirk Douglas; he was looking at one trumpet sound that did not exist yet, it features only in his soul; I'm looking for these sounds, recreating domestic places and not yet visited landscapes.

Los sonidos fueron mi cuna…
Desde una voz materna que sonaba mas a lamento que a canción para niños; la guitarra clásica de mi tío; la trompeta de mi padre; los sonidos de barrio que vestían escenas domésticas; todo se fue acumulando como voces; que de a poco encuentran su cauce desde mi guitarra clásica; eléctrica o sintetizada, el arte sonoro o hasta el silencio. Recuerdo una vieja película que vi muy de niño; Young Man with a Horn, con Kirk Douglas; el buscaba en la trompeta un sonido que aún no existía, solo estaba en su alma; yo sigo buscando esos sonidos, recreando paisajes domésticos y de lugares que aún no visité.



¿Qué recuerdas acerca de tu proceso de aprendizaje como intérprete?
        What do you recall about your playing learning process?

One day, as a child, I built a precarious drum; stayed percussing it all afternoon, it was dark ... so I understood that when there's a play and enjoyment, time flies and we do not care.
The game is always present; amazing without prejudice; triying other paths; When I teach I try to encourage this attitude; to enjoy the flowing creative chaos, improvisation like his mother.

Un día, siendo niño, armé un precario tambor; me quedé percutiéndolo toda la tarde, se hizo de noche… así entendí que cuando hay juego y disfrute el tiempo vuela y no nos importa.
Siempre el juego está presente; asombrarme sin prejuicios; intentar otros caminos; cuando doy clases procuro estimular esa actitud; disfrutar del caos creativo que fluye, la improvisación es la madre.



¿Cuál es tu relación con otras disciplinas como la pintura, la literatura, la danza, el teatro ... ?
       What is your relationship with other disciplines such as painting, literature, dance, theater?

I enjoy other disciplines, I like photography, visual arts, literature, theater ... somehow always I combine them in my work. I feel that if the "concept" of a work is solid, it may be translated to various disciplines; beyond forms is the essence. Somehow to me sounds are shapes, colors, movements; a good instrumental arrangement is a good theatrical script .

Disfruto de otras disciplinas; me gusta la fotografía, plástica, literatura, teatro… de algún modo siempre las combino en mi obra. Siento que si el “concepto” de una obra es sólido; puede plasmarse en varias disciplinas; más allá de las formas la esencia. De alguna manera para mí los sonidos son formas, colores, movimientos; un buen arreglo instrumental es un buen guión teatral.



¿Dónde están tus raíces?
      Where are your roots?

When I read the phrase "originality consists in returning to the origin" (Gaudí) everything changed.
Parents and beliefs can be the assumed like a root-tonic from a chord. You can be the third or seventh of that cord; in any scope. We can be part of a tenseness, resting, preparing the tension. Perhaps till the moment to be a new tonic; a new root. One of my songs says, " and you'll be heaven on my root, you will be the heaven on me."

Cuando leí la frase “ser original es volver al origen” (Gaudí) todo cambió.Los padres y las creencias asumidas pueden ser raíz-tónica de un acorde. Uno puede ser la tercera o la séptima de esa tónica; en cualquier ámbito. Podemos ser parte de una tensión, de reposo, de preparar la tensión. Hasta que quizás seamos una nueva tónica; una nueva raíz; una de mis canciones dice: “y serás cielo en mi raíz, serás el cielo en mí”.



¿Qué es lo que prefieres de ser músico?
       What do you like the most about being a musician?

Living in a daily effort to syntonize. Building from the sound; to manage alternative language beyond conventionality. That music is a channel to contribute new meanings to the encouragement of my surroundings and thus trying to create a more liveable world honestly. I say in one of my songs: "Love, wondering eyes; surrender morning light"

Vivir en un diario intento de sintonía. Construir desde el sonido; manejar un lenguaje alternativo más allá de lo convencional. Que la música sea un canal para dar nuevos significados al estímulo de lo que me rodea y así intentar crear un mundo más habitable desde la honestidad. Digo en una de mis canciones: “el amor, ojos de asombro; luz mañana que se entrega”


Idea-dirección: Osvaldo Brizuela (O-Bri). Danza-coreografía: Jeanette Gálvez

¿En qué proyectos estás trabajando ahora y como se presenta el futuro?
       What projects are you working on now and what does the future hold?

Currently I am presenting my solo album songs A I R E S U E N A E N P I E L. I love the song format; storytelling in three minutes in an attempt to immortalize moments. On this album there's 20 artists involved , a beautiful madness. In 2015 the idea is to record the second album with a great Argentine guitarist Juampy Juárez, with whom we have a guitar duo and an edited cd Espacios.
Also expected to be published songs material originated in a story from my book Ahídaluz ; songs with "jitanjáforas", phonemes and perhaps from there I'll make a short film. I will continue participating as a sound artist in theater and I'm working on Y así es que las flores songs combined with video art, video dance and video performance.
These days I began to select the works that will be part of my second solo album songs .


Actualmente estoy presentando mi disco solista de canciones “A I R E S U E N A E N P I E L”.
Amo el formato canción; contar historias en tres minutos en un intento de eternizar instantes.
En este disco participaron 20 artistas, una bella locura. En el 2015 la idea es grabar el segundo disco con un gran guitarrista argentino Juampy Juárez; con el que tenemos un dúo de guitarras y un cd. Editado “Espacios”. También espera a ser publicado un material de canciones originadas en un cuento de mi libro “Ahídaluz”; canciones con “jitanjáforas”, fonemas y quizás desde allí la realización de un cortometraje.Seguiré participando como artista sonoro en teatro y estoy trabajando en “Y así es que las flores” canciones que se conjugan con video arte; videodanza, video performance.
En estos días comencé a seleccionar las obras que serán parte de mi segundo disco solista de canciones.





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