Gii-dagoshinoomagak Aakoziwin, gii-maajibiisaan (Anishinaabemowin)

[Throughout the piece are many layered sound effects with the voices. The voices are anonymous and marked with the word “voice” when they change.]

[Throughout the piece are many layered sound effects with the voices. The voices are anonymous and marked with the word “voice” when they change.]

Voice:

[Echoey voice] I remember when the pandemic first came. [Dripping faucet]. It started to rain.

The dropping rain.

The sound of the rain. [Thunder and rain].

Hearing the sounds of the rain. [Rain and birds singing].

Voice:

[Rythmic tamborine].

Y escuchaba el correr del agua en la bañera

Voice:

The sound of the rain. [Tambourine and other percussive instruments with the sounds of talking and laughter in the background].

Voice:

[They reach a crescendo then stop abruptly]. Mi experiencia en la pandemia tuvo dos etapas: una de tristeza y una de satisfacción. [Electronic rythmic notes imiate the sound of water].

Voice:

Bueno, como decía, yo estuve con la naturaleza, entonces, me acuerdo que cuando salía yo a caminar, todo…, como que los sonidos los podía escuchar como si fuera la primera vez de alguna manera, especialmente estando en el bosque, con las hojas del viento o el viento, los pájaros. [Irregular electronic melodic notes fade in and out].

Voice:

I’ve been here for 33 years in Canada. And I’m a little shy to speak in public.

Voice:

[sounds continue]…people knocking the doors. Like to me, after the pandemic, everybody was like, knocking on the door to try to communicate with their colleagues. So, to me I realized that those doors were kind of barriers, so people were on the fence.

Voice:

…Entonces el sonido, es difícil ponerlo [tapping] todo en un sonido, pero es [tapping] ….Para mi fue relajado fue así como….[rythmic notes from tapping a bell]

Voice:

El sonido que me recuerda el COVID es de la impresora, porque tenia que estar pendiente de una impresora digital…. Y la impresora hacia una secuencia de sonido que era imperdible porque era de la banda, que era como… [snappy sound of rocks being scrapped against each other, or a match being lit. Continues under next voice].

Voice:

Una de las cosas que me encanta, mi placer es viajar, y uno de los sonidos… Bueno, en Venezuela, yo vivía cerca de un aeropuerto entonces yo siempre sentía cuando salían los aviones, cuando llegaban, y eso a mi siempre me gusto.

Me encanta viajar y el sonido del avión cuando empiezan las turbinas a prender, las élites si es un helicóptero, [a low harmonic humming voice like a helicopter slowly builds to almost drown out the voice] esos sonidos a mi me gustan, o sea, como que me complacen. Y bueno, eso lo extrañé mucho en la pandemia, pero, sin embargo, bueno, siempre lo tenia en mi mente, o sea, todos los sonidos y [stops abruptly] siento que dan [voice hums]… [slow clanging] y como que el sonido de las ruedas…. Todo eso lo tengo, lo recuerdo todo el tiempo, y en los meses, en los años de pandemia lo recordaba, siempre lo recordé. [Slow long cello notes with intermittent rhythm continues as next voice begins].

Voice:

At first, I was very very depressed, like I lost my job, and I had to go back and start from scratch again. I was always listening to a sound that reminds me. Let’s say that when I was waking up in the morning, especially the times when I was, I hope I don’t get too emotional right now [laughs], but especially the times that I was very depressed, [music stops] let’s say that. The fact that I was able to wake up every morning, the fact that I was able to go through all the pandemic still having my friends, my life. It’s hard to express but it was like a new day for me, every new day for me, it was a huge comfort. [Random echoing water drops continue as next voice begins].

We had so many sounds around us. We don’t really pay attention to little sounds [water drops increase in volume]. But then when you start to pay attention, they start to grow, stronger and stronger and stronger. [Water drops transform into plucked notes and long wavering chords on a cello. The sound continues as the next voice begins].

Voice:

Que los sonidos que llegaron a mi vida eran sonidos un poco profundos, [music stops] eran sonidos de nostalgia [bell ringing in time with cello notes being plucked]…y sobre todo como que noticias que tocaban a mi puerta porque estaba esperando resultados positivos cuando mi abuela estaba enfrentando las dificultades médicas. Entonces, cualquier noticia, yo sentía en mi corazón como ese sonido [high pitched bell ringing] que retumbaba de una manera profunda [bell continues as next voice begins].

Voice:

How I managed to go through the pandemic? It was that I learned how [human voices layered singing whooo, like owls or the wind] to listen to outside sounds. The air, along with the snow howling [a shimmering sound is added]. Wet rain or freezing rain sometimes. Love the rain and it makes me to think that I gotta enjoy life more [muffled heavy rain. Then thunder, birds, and an electronic melody layered on top and continues].

The bluebird, it was sounding sort of like a [trills tongue rapidly in one note]…

The hummingbird, it was more like a snap sound, like [snaps fingers then tongue]…

And the howling of the air, it was like [voice makes the same human whooooing sound from earlier]…

When I was doing the sound, I was thinking about las castañuelas, so it was like [rythmic clinking and rattling with melodic electronic notes]…

Voice:

So, I lost my job, I lost all my income, everything practically, and that was traumatic, but in the meantime, it was a way of looking for new things, for a new beginning, and it gave me the time to reconsider my life [electronic melodic water droplets].

Voice:

Realmente, para mí, la pandemia fue como una explosión, como de un día para otro [slow piano notes in a minor key] todo cambia, sin aviso, sin que nadie te diga nada. Todo explota y la vida cambia, y la vida cambia en una forma que nunca te imaginaste que pudiera pasar, y de ahí sale un [melodic wooden notes layered on the piano] comienzo nuevo, una nueva forma de vida. Entonces para mí la pandemia en sonidos es como el sonido de una explosión muy grande donde todo termina, donde todo se acaba, y después viene un sonido como de renacer, [piano stops and a snapping rattle starts] de volver a comenzar y comenzar a crecer. [Water droplets begin].

Voice:

Ya estaba yo triste porque [sound stops] todo estaba cerrado, y recuerdo que para yo escapar de eso me… utilizaba la bañera, para bañarme, y escuchaba el correr del agua en la bañera, cuando la cerraba, una gota tras otra gota tras otra gota, y era repetitivo, era…. Eso me tranquilizaba [water droplets begin. In between droplets, a low far away cello plucks a single note]…

Era un sonido constante, algo que estaba en totalmente en silencio y se escuchaba un poquito…

Al principio no lo percibía y ya después empecé como que a los dos o tres días a percibirlo [snapping and water droplets start] mas y mas y más. Al principio era algo así…

Voice:

[Sound stops] OK, the rhythm, for me, has three different cycles. Before the pandemic, during the pandemic and after the pandemic. Because it was a lot of interruptions and creation of new rhythms. [Shrill wavering violin notes].

Before the pandemic, it was something like [low toned rhythmic drum, then random additional metallic beats layered on top]…

Then during the pandemic, when the pandemic arrived, it was like [far away beating of a drum at a slower pace. Low sound in background]…

Then, when the face masks and the vaccines arrived, it was a mix between [the two tones are layered and continues a slow pace]…

And now it’s something harder, like [loud rapid irregular drum beats ending with a soft explosive sound]…

Voice:

Ok sigue, sigue para que todos te sigamos.

So, one person will do a sound or a rhythm and we will follow [birds whistle]. Ok, ok. So everybody try [more voices join in whistling. A slow singular clapping rhythm begins, joined by others. A voice starts singing “Ahhh” and the clapping stops. Then everyone joins in singing “Ahhhh”].

Voice:

[Slow tambourine]…feel myself and try to, you know, to channel that energy, from inside, in a way that I could survive the pandemic, right? [Distorted irregular tambourine beat, a melodic and upbeat guitar melody starts. Various percussive sounds come in and voices singing in harmony. This overlays the next two voices who are played at the same time. Half way through, a violin joins in].

Voice:

So I was working 13, 14 hours a day with a physical job and going to the washroom to have a little cry [laughter] in the meantime. And something that I always felt, like for years and years, that I actually just realized that I have, was during the pandemic, which is gerascophobia, which is, for those who doesn’t know, is the fear of getting old and dying. So, in the beginning of the pandemic, because the city was so quiet, like there was not a single person on the street, at the same time to me it was joyful.

Voice:

What reminds me about, what summarized the pandemic, was the sound of silence, if that can be, because there was a lot of things that stopped, like the traffic was stopped, the people going out, you know, they were stopped. Everything was, like, brought down to a halt. It was just more silent everywhere. But then there was a lot of mystery and uncertainty. [Music stops].

Voice:

There was a lot of things that stopped [“stopped” is echoed. Rapid tambourine].

Voice:

It started to rain. [Tambourine stops abruptly. A cello begins and all the sounds from the piece play slowly, then begin to layer over each other in a cacophony of sound].

Voice:

The sound of the rain. [Music stops].

Voice:

Keep that forever, ok? [Various slightly off beat percussive instruments played in a room. Cello starts and people clap].

Voice:

[Cello continues] Y escuchaba el correr del agua, en la bañera.

Voice:

Love the rain and it makes me to think that I gotta enjoy life more. [Cello transitions to soft shimmering bells that fade out.]

(shaapo-ya’iing ayawan miishin piitawe taakosiwak. Kaawin nisitotaasisiwak shikwa kikinawaachipii’igan “kito” kii meshkwaachiwach)

(paswetaakwan) Niikanwike anapii kakii pakamisek nitam misiwekamik aakosiwiwn ( matwe kaawin nipi) Kii maachi kimiwan. Kii pankisin kimiwan. Kimiwan ninotaan (pinesiiwan kaye kimiwan)

Ninotaan kimiwan ( Nikamowak kimiwan kaye pineshiishak)

(Shawinigan matwesi) Kaye nikii pisitaan nipi matwechiwak gichi-onaakanink

Kimiwan nootakwan (Shawinigan shikwa matwe chikan shikwa awiyak kiikitowak, paapiwak weti otaanag)

(Otepinanawaa ishpimiing aapan kipichiwak) Nikii shi naakishkan iwe Aakosiwin ima niishwayag: peshi iwe machentamowin kaye peshik tepisiwin (nipi matwekaawin)

Owe tash kakii ikitoyan, nikii ayaa pikwaataakiink, nimamikaaw api kipimoseyan, kakina kekoon, ninotaan kiishpin nitam tipa’gan, memitaage piko noopimiing, aniipiishaan matwesinoon, noodin, pinshiiyag. (aapan ani-akotaakwan matwewechikan)

Aashaa nisomitana -nisin pipoon omaa nitayaa Canada. Kaye pangi nitakach chikikitoyan mekwe’ii.ssssqqqq

(keyaapi matwewetaakwan) Awiyak matwe ishkwaatawewak. Niin tash, kii"ishkwa misiwekamik aakosiwin, kakina awiyak matwe-ako’ikewak ishkwaatemikak. Nikii-nisitawentaan kipishkikemakan ishkwaateman, awiyak kii’ayaawak menikaning.

Ka matwewetaakwak, sanaagan chi-atooyan imaa peshikoyak.

Niin tash wiin, nikii neshankishin (matwesin) owe tinookan ( taapishkooch matwesichikan)

Kanootaman nimaamikaaw Covid miiwe ka’initaakwak shaapowepa’igan, aniish nikii nakachitoon iwe shaapowepa’igewin kaye kii’initaakwan tapishko asiniik matweshkwawach kemaa ishkotes kii sakaa’och. ( keyaapi owe ani-tapimise)

Peshik kekoon nisaakitoon, miiwe kipimi"ayaayan kaye initamaan weti kakiitayaan Venezuela imaa pesho pooniwining. Nikiikikentaan taaswaa pimisewin kamaachaamakak kaye kiipoonimakak. Nikii minwaatam.

Nisaakitoon kiipimi-ayaan kaye kiinotamaan pimisewin, kakishipaayakosekin apwisak. ( piinish kii-ani’ango taakwak) Nichiikitanan kiinotamanan. Mishiin nikiwanichike onchi gichi-aakosiwinink shaakooch kaawin wiika nikiiwanikesii ini kakii taso noontamaan kekoon. (Kipichise) Niminikoonan (petowe)….(petowe matweyaapiki) kaye matwepisowak o’titipisek. Kakina nikanwiike, kakina taso tipa’igan, taaso kiizis, taso aki mekwa kakii ayak gichi-aakosiwiink. Nepich iko nikiikanwiike (pekaach kinootakwan Senoo minik kotak awiyaaa kakikitooch) Nitam wiinke nikii machentam, nikii wanitoon anokiiwin kaye nikii kiiwe maachiita miinawaa. Nepich nikii pisitaan eshi maamikawiyan. Owe ikiton anaapi kiiwanishkaayan kekishep, memitake iwe tipa’igan, mitoni kiimachentamaan (kipichise sa) ikitota.

Nikii Koshkosin kekishep, nikii maachaa mekwa gichi-aakosiwin keyaapi kii’ayawag nitotemak, nipimatisiwining. Saanakan owe chiwiitamaan, taso kiishik- oshkiiwan, nikii onchi minwenim.

(nipi matwekaawin, kotak awiya kikito)

Mishiin kekonan nikii-notaamin. Kaawin nikipisintasiiminan ini kakina kekonan. (ani-kishiiwetaakwan kamatwekawink) Anaapi kinaatotaman, animaachikin, ani-mashkawaa kaye mashkawaa. (nipi kamatwekawing ini taakwan awiyaa ekitochikech)

Nipimaatisiwining kakiipinootaman amiiweniwan kiisookanoon. (kipichise kanotaakwak) Naawach ishpi tapishko niikiinootaan aachimowin epiintikesek ishkwaateming aniish nikii piitoon minwaachimowin iwe api nookomis mekwaa ekii-aaakosich. Aniin iko inaachimowin, nikii moozhitoon nite’ink (matwesichikan ekiishiitakwak) kii-paswewese. ( matwesichikan keyaapi matwesin)

Aniin kakii onchi shaaposhkaman misiwe-kamik- aakosiwin ? nikiikikentaan aniish (awiyak nikamowak"whooo tapishko kokoko’oo, nootin) kanitaakwak akwaachiing. Nootin shikwa koon kii’onoowach (kamatwesek notaakwan) Eshkam kimiwan, kimikwaamiwisek. Nisaakitoon kimiwan, eminwentaman pimatisiwin awaashime (matwepii’sa’an, pinesiikaa, pineshiiyag kaye matwewe takwaan)…(peshiko taakosi) awe ozhaawashko pineshii, nenookaasi kaashowe (pookose taakwan) Matwe-noowe noodin taapishko kokoko’oo iwe apii kii’inweyaan, nikii maamikaaw " las castanue las", taapishko ( shiishiikwe waasamotaakwan)

Nikii-wanitoon anokiiwin, shooniyaakewin, kakina kenoon, ki-gichi saanagan. Miiwe apii, nikii nanatawaapantaan oshki-kekoon, oshki machiitaawin shikwaa nikiimiiniko tipa’igan chi kanawaapamitisoyan. (nipi matwekaawin) Keket tapishkooch kapakitek nikii’inetaan iwe misiwe akiik aakosiwin , aniin onchi peshiko-kiishik miina kotak (pechi notaakwan iwe kitochikan) Aanchise kakina kekoon, kaawin awiya kekoon chitipaachimoch. Kakina tash paashkite kaye anchise pimaatisiwin, kaawin wiika ka’inetaakwak ( taapishko mitigowi-kitochikan) oshki-pimaatisiwin. Iwe aakosiwin initaakwan taapishkooch kekoon kakichi pashkitek, kakina kekoonan poonise. (kitochikan kipichise shikwaa shiishiikwan maachii noontakwan) takose oshki pimaatisiwin, oshki miinawaa kaye nitawikin.

(nipi matwekaawin)

Nikii manentam osaam (kipichise ka notaakwak) kipaakosin kakina kekoon shikwaa nimamikaaw chipapiiyan, nikisiipiikii kaye nitatotaan nipi imaa onaakanink,, anaapi kipaa’amaan, pepeshikwaa matwekawin iwe nipi, nanasabii, nikii onchi pisaanetam…(aashaa matwekawin, pekaach tapasitakwan kanootakwak) ( era un sonido constante, alog que estaba en totalmente en selincio y se escuchaba un poquito..) Peshikwan initaakwan , kekoon kinotaan pankii. Nitam kaawin ninisitwentaasiin shikwaa nikikentaan (maachise kamatwekawing) Nawach, nawaach, nawaach, piinish niishin, niso kishikat. Nitam.. (kipichise) Ahaaw nisoyakise iwe kiinikwanise. Chipwaa, mekwaa, ishkwaa gichi-aakosiwinink mishiinwa kiiwanaase kaye oshkiya’iin (kaashowe kitochikan) Chipwaa gichi-aakosiwinikak, mii’owe (pekaa matwe’ige, piinish kii-ani kiishiitakwan)

Iwe apii gichi-aakosiwin kiitakosek, mekwaachi, mi’iwe ( matwe’igan waasa, pekaa, tapasitaakosi) Apii kiitakosekin akotone’onan, chiita’onan, miiwe nasawi ( nishotaakwan, nanasaapii) kaye nookom awaashime sanakan tapishko (kishiwe matwe’igan ani-ishkwaase pakite’takwan)…

Aawi-tash maachan, machan, kikaapiminishaa’ogo. Peshik awiiya nootakosi, kemaa apaani’o shikwaa nika piminisha’o ( pineshiik notaakosiiwak) Ahaaw, ahaaw kakina kochitok (mishiin kweshkoshiwak. Pekaa pasinichii’owin, kotak tash kewiinawaa) awiiya nikamo “ahhh” kaye poni-pasinichi’o. Kakina awiyak nikamowak “ahhh”)

(pechitakwan)…Nikakwe mooshtoon kwashkwesiwin piinchi chi shaaposhkaaman gichi-aakosiwin, tepwe?? (onaashkwetakwan tamponiin , maachi matweyaapikepichike. Pepaakan initaakonoon, awiyak mamawi nikamowak. Owe niishin tapitaa nikamowak, naashaapike’igan aapaatan)

Mitaaso-niso, niiwi taso tipa’igan nikii anokii iwe sanaki-anokiiwin. Nikii atosaaka’am chi-mawiyan (paapiwin) iwe eskam. Kaye paatinwaa pipoon, nikii inetam nikotaan chi kawikikayaan, chinipoyan. Kii-ani machisek iwe gichi-aakosiwin aniish otenaang kipisaani’ayaa, kaawin awiya ayaasi imaa, ami tash peshikwan nikiichiikentam.

Kekoon kaamikaawiyan kakiishi mamawisek kakina kekoon miiwe pizaanisiwin. Kakina kekonan kii kipichisewanoon. Kii-anwaase misiwe, kiimishiinose wawanetamowinan kaye namanchik.

( kipichise kanootakwak)

Miishiin kekoon kipichisewan (kipichisewan paswewese)

Kii-maachi kimiwan. (shawinigan kipichise, pekaach kakina maachii notaakonoon, piinish mamawii-takonoon)

Kimiwan matwepiisaa’an (kipichise kanotaakwak)

Kanawentaan kakike, ahaaw ( awiiyak pasinichii’owag imaa piintik)

(keyaapi notaakwan senoo) Nikiipisintaan nipi imaa kisiisiipasoninakanink.

Nisaakitoon kimiwan kaye nimamikaaw nika mochikentaan kiipimaatisiyan awaashime

(apan ani-ankotaakwan kanootaakwakin)

ishkwaase