The Development of Electroacoustic Music in Colombia, 1965-1999: An Introduction

Author(s): Lucio Edilberto Cuellar Camargo

Source: Leonardo Music Journal , 2000, Vol. 10, Southern Cones: Music Out of Africa
and South America (2000), pp. 7-12
Published by: The MIT Press

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1513370

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide
range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and
facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at
https://about.jstor.org/terms

The MIT Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Leonardo
Music Journal

This content downloaded from

84.46.92.138 on Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:20:33 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
ORIGINS

The Development of Electroacoustic

Music in Colombia, 1965-1999:
An Introduction

Lucio Edilberto Cuellar Camargo

ABSTRACT

The author presents a

eral view of the developme
In a broad sense, the history of Colombian elec- 1932 and began studies at theelectroacoustic music in C
Conservatorio de Bellas Artes de bia from its beginnings up
troacoustic music can be divided into two major periods: the
recent present. The articl
formative years and the microcomputer-generated music Medellin. He continued his stud-
major protagonists and ev
years. This history is a fragmented one due to an 11-year hia-ies at the Conservatorio Nacional that have contributed to th
tus in electroacoustic production and promotion caused de Muisica
by in Bogota, where he opment of this new field o
became the secretary of CentroThe author also focuses on
lack of interest by composers, musicians, musical institutions,
governmental institutions and radio stations dedicated de to Estudios Folkl6ricos y Mu-eral key works in the deve
of this media and their cre
promoting erudite music in the country. The composers sicales.
of At the conservatory, he
the formative era did not have a direct influence on the fol- studied harmony with Antonio
lowing generation of composers interested in electroacoustic Maria Benavides and counter-

music. The early years are represented by a handful of iso-

point with Gonzales-Zuleta. In 1963, h
lated composers working with no intention of pursuing study
ca- at El Centro Latinoamericano d
reers as electroacoustic composers (with the exceptioncales of del Instituto Torcuato Di Tella in
Jacqueline Nova Sondag). On the other hand, composers tina.of There he studied with Alberto Ginasterra, Aaron
the microcomputer era have been working as a network Copland with and Olivier Messiaen, among others. Although more
the goal of establishing a respected field in the country.interested in writing for acoustic instruments, he composed
two electroacoustic works while studying at the Instituto
Torcuato Di Tella: Syrigma I (1966) and Himnos de Amory Vida
THE FORMATIVE YEARS (1965-1975) (1967). These works are the product of Atehortua's formative
Colombian electroacoustic music began in 1965 with Ensayo years as a composer [3]. His music embraces the elements of
electr6nico by Fabio Gonzales-Zuleta, who was born in Bogota contemporary
in music (dodecaphonism, serialism and expres-
1920. He studied at the Los Angeles School of Music (1929) sionism) without neglecting his post-romantic and at times
and at the Conservatorio Nacional de Misica in Bogota nationalistic style. Today, he is considered the father of aca-
(1932). Invited by the German government, he took part demicinmusic in Colombia [4].
courses given by Karlheinz Stockhausen in Cologne (1966). In Syrigma I (Greek word meaning "harmonic"), Atehortua
uses as sound sources sinusoid, square and sawtooth waves,
Although Gonzales-Zuleta's output is traditional and acoustic
white noise and piano samples that had been transformed
with the exception of Ensayo Electronico, he was the first Colom-
bian to realize an electroacoustic work in Colombia. The pro-
with filters and ring modulators. Time distortion techniques
are applied toward the end of the work using "varispeed"-
duction of this work took place in the Studios of the National
Radio of Colombia in Bogota. Guillermo Diaz was the accomplished
sound with a four-track reel-to-reel recorder with the
engineer who assisted technically in production. motor and brake off. This technique allows the manipulation
Ensayo Electr6nico reflects Gonzales-Zuleta's traditionaloften-
various parameters such as speed and playback. This short
(4:36) piece premiered at the Fifth International Festival of
dencies; the work is a transcription of a chorale to electronic
sound using a procedure based on a series of numerical rela-
Contemporary Music, organized by the Instituto Torcuato Di
tions between harmonic structures and frequencies [1]. In this
Tella. It is the first electroacoustic work by Atehortua and was
sense, the piece includes algorithmic elements and shows the while he was studying with Jos Vicente Asuar and en-
written
influence of the Cologne School [2]. In Ensayo Electronico,gineer
there Fernando Von Reichenbach [5].
are recognizable sections of rhythmic patterns and melodic Another contributor to electroacoustic music in Colombia

contours derived from the folk music of the central part ofinCo-the early years was David Feberbaum. He studied theory
and counterpoint with Luis Maria Diaz in Bogota. In 1966, he
lombia (Bambuco and Pasillo). These rhythmic-melodic sections
intermingle with sections in which change of frequency traveled
and to London, where he continued his musical educa-
amplitude evolve at a slow pace. The work uses sinusoidaltion at the London School of Music and later at Trinity Col-
oscil-
lators as the main sound source, and its duration is 14:17.
The next Colombian composer to create an electroacoustic Lucio Edilberto Cuellar Camargo (composer), 1108 N. Elm St. Apt. 6, Denton, TX
76201, U.S.A. E-mail: <lec0003@hotmail.com>.
work was Bias Emilio Atehortua. He was born in Medellin in

? 2000 ISAST LEONARDO MUSICJOURNAL, Vol. 10, pp. 7-12, 2000 7

This content downloaded from

84.46.92.138 on Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:20:33 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 _- List llo CI -]jList 1| 1:1
I-nth -nth -
List I 4 2
12

IList lIo I13

II Decimals

L | Object 4 4
Play-object E
F]

Fig. 1. PatchWork description of each box: 1. Read analysis data from instrument. 2. Separate data by columns. 3. Change format
into structured list. 4. Separate the frequency and the amplitude lists. 5. Normalize amplitude data into between 0 and 1. 6. Conv
plitudes to dB. 7. Rejoin amplitude and frequency lists. 8. Store results temporarily. 9. Filter out all low-amplitude elements. 10.
sults temporarily. 11. Separate the frequency and the amplitude lists. 12. Scale amplitudes into the MIDI range between p andff.
Round off amplitude data into integer values. 14. Convert frequency data into MIDI values. 15. Build chords with the frequencies
namics. 16. Display and edit chord. 17. Play chord via MIDI for testing.

lege, where he studied harmony and in Bogota. He founded his own Center technical assistance of Guillermo Diaz at
analysis with James Petten. Between for Electronic Music in collaboration the composer's private studio. The struc-
1969 and 1970, he was a member of withthe Guillermo Diaz. Feberbaum also ture of the work is traditional, according
work group of the Centre for Electronic
has worked in organizations devoted to the
to composer, and it was conceived
Music at the Royal College of Music. promoting
He contemporary music. onHe
an analog synthesizer developed in
attended summer courses with Michel founded the Centro de Documentacion London in 1970 by a group under Peter
Decoust and Peter Maxwell Davies from Musical de Colcultura (Music Resource Zinovieff's technological leadership and
1966 to 1970. At his arrival in Colombia,
Center of the Colombian Institute of Tristan Cary's musical direction. The lat-
he was appointed lecturer in twentieth- ter was the director of the Centre for
Culture) in 1976 with Hjalmar de Greiff.
century music, electroacoustic music One of Feberbaum's major recorded Electronic Music at the Royal College of
and musical analysis, and taught musical Music at the time. The work is techno-
works is the third movement of a piece
forms and acoustics at the National Uni-
logically related to specific resources
titled Electronic Study in Three Movements
versity (music department, arts faculty) (1971). The work was produced withand
thefunctions of the analog synthesizer

8 Cuellar, The Development of Electroacoustic Music in Colombia

This content downloaded from

84.46.92.138 on Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:20:33 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
and is the result of endless takes, mon-
tages and manual editing. As an expres-
sion, Electronic Study in Three Movements is
the result of the composer's experience
of coming back to his native country.
The composer felt isolated due to the
lack of groups with which to share his
work. In a new socio-cultural environ-
Nova's electroacoustic works can be voice are at first unrecognizable. The
classified in three broad categories, pieceasslowly evolves so that gradually
follows: voice and later text become recogniz-
* Tape music: Oposicion-fusion able. The macrostructure of the work is
(elec-
tronic sounds, 1968); Signo de cyclical, since the sound synthesis pro-
Interrogaci6n (electronic experience, cess just described repeats itself twice.
1969); K Z K (radio experience, The repetition of this process is recog-
1969); Cantos de la Creaci6n de la nizable in the middle and at the end of

Tierra (processed voice on tape, the piece, where the chant is presented
ment, the composer felt compelled to
abandon the search for extreme avant- 1972); and Camilo (tape for film,
in its original form. The sound synthesis
garde expression. Therefore, the struc- 1974). is achieved by cutting, splicing, looping,
* Tape and Instruments: H-K-70 (pi-
ture of Electronic Study in Three Movements changing speed and changing the direc-
is in three parts and is conceived as
ano, percussion and taped voices); tion of the recorded chant and also by
"electronic tonal music," yet it lacks tra-
Julius Cesar (voices and electronic in- the use of filters. The microstructure of
ditional harmonic construction [6]. The struments, 1969); Hiroshima (voices, the work presents additive and subtrac-
third movement uses melodic fragments electronic sound and orchestra, tive processes ofjuxtaposition of a diver-
superimposed with disjointed sounds
1974); Homaggio a Catullo (voices,
sity of sounds in a collage, creating
that are random in direction and ran- strings, percussion and electroniclarger sections in which rich spectral
domly placed in time. Glissandi are sound, a 1972); L.M.A. 11 (voices, textures build and disintegrate. These
common trait in the movement, which strings, percussion and electronic sections begin with lower-register long
in certain places presents interesting sound, 1969); Pitecanthropus (voices,sounds and develop into many rhythmic
placement of sound in space. The pro- electronic sound and orchestra, active sonic worlds. Cantos de la Creaci6n
duction of the movement used fre- 1971); Resonancias I (piano and elec- de la Tierra is an excellent example of
quency modulation and amplitude tronic sound, 1969); Sinkronizacion speech transformation in an analog me-
modulation sound synthesis techniques. (voice, piano, harp, percussion and dium. In my opinion this piece, at 18:35,
Jacqueline Nova Sondag was the most electronic sound, 1969); 14-35 (pro- does not present a boring moment.
prolific and most active composer in Co- cessed voices on tape and orchestra).Sculptor Feliza Bursztyn (b. 1933,
lombian electroacoustic music during * Multimedia Works: Sintesis (voices, Bogota; d. 1983, Paris) created the first
the early years. She was born in Ghent, strings, mime and electronic sound, sound sculpture piece in Colombia. The
Belgium, on 6January 1936. She studied 1969); Ballet (tape and voice, 1972);work is titled Las Histericas and was dis-
at the Facultad de Artes de la Proyecciones (projector and orchestra,played at an art exhibition in 1968 in
Universidad Nacional de Colombia in 1968); Misica para las Esculturas deBogota.
E Las Histericas is an iron sculpture
Bogota under Gonzales-Zuleta and Bursztyn Luis (tape, 1974) [7]. in which the predominant shape is a
A. Escobar. In 1967, she won a scholar- * Discography: Cantos de la Creacion twisted,
de hooklike strip floating free in
ship to study advanced composition la Tierra,
at included in Tres Com- space. With the help of a visible engine,
the Instituto Torcuato Di Tella under A. the sculpture vibrates and sounds con-
posiciones electroacisticas from the se-
Ginasterra, L. Nono, Francisco Kroepfl, ries Musica nueva latinoamericana 2 stantly due to the friction of the various
V. Ussachevsky, R. Haubenstock-Ramati, (Tacuabe, Uruguay 1976); and in 33 twisted iron sheets. Bursztyn favored anar-
F. Von Reichenbach and G. Gandini. She Aiios de musica electroaczistica chy in shape and concept. Her goal was to
took part in many international musiccolombiana (Comunidad Electro- create ephemeral antiaesthetic works in-
acustica Colombiana in Colombia,
festivals and organized courses of elec- stead of beautiful perdurable ones. She
tronic music that were broadcast over 1998); Moviles, included in Clasicoswas the first Colombian sculptor inter-
the radio in 1969. She did conference colombianos siglo XX, Vol. 2
ested in movement in sculpture. She used
concerts in 1970 and worked under the (Colcultura: Comisi6n V Centenario, as a medium of expression everyday
direction of Kroepfl at the Laboratorio 1993). pieces of tools, nuts and salvage metal [9].
de Acustica Estudio de Fonologia Musi-Cantos de la Creacion de la Tierra (pro- These formative years came to a close
cal. Nova formed the Agrupacion Nueva cessed voice on tape, 1972) is one of the with a piece by Francisco Zumaque, en-
most celebrated works by Nova. It was
Muisica in Bogota and organized its first titled Pikkigui. The piece was realized in
concert in 1971. She received many produced at the acoustics lab of the 1975 while the composer was studying at
Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires
awards, including first prize in chamber the Ecole Americaine des Arts in Paris.
music at the Third Festival of Music in under the direction of Francisco Pikkigui is based on a song by the
Caracas, Venezuela, 1966; in Colombia, Kroepfl. The sonic material forRossigaro this work tribe of the Amazon region. It
she won first prize at the Fifth National is a chant in Tunebo, an aboriginal text
is the only known work in this medium
Theater Festival in 1969 and the national from Indian tribes of the central state of by Zumaque, who is more interested in
composition prize in 1971. As an elec- Boyaca-Colombia. The text is a story writingin for acoustic instruments.
troacoustic composer, Nova developed "Paleotegria," the Chibcha tribe's de- Zumaque was born in Cerete, Colombia,
much more sophisticated techniques funct language, which Chibcha priests in 1945 and grew up in a family of profes-
and fluidity for this medium than any used in their magic chants. This work sional musicians. He studied at the Na-

other Colombian composer of her gen-
eration due to her constant involvement
in the medium and her contact with
other composers of electroacoustic
sic throughout the world.
has been performed in Argentina, Co- tional Conservatory of Bogota, where he
lombia, Uruguay and the United States excelled as a student and was awarded a
and was featured at the Contemporary scholarship, "Best Student of Fine Arts,"
Music
mu-Festival of Bourges, France [8]. to In do his postgraduate studies in France,
Cantos de la Creacion de la Tierra, text and
where he studied with Nadia Boulanger

Cuellar, The Development of Electroacoustic Music in Colombia 9

This content downloaded from

84.46.92.138 on Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:20:33 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
and Olivier Messiaen. Zumaque is per-
haps the most celebrated living com-
poser of Colombia. He learned to ex-
press his cultural identity in the precise
language of serious contemporary music.
His work excels not only in erudite music
but also in popular music. He recorded
with Eddie Palmieri and Gloria Estefan
plucked sounds, which have similar sic pedago
color to that of a harpsichord. The Barcelona
plucked sound has two variations of at the Phonos Foundation with Gabriel
color in the attack, depending on the Brncic. Piedrahita also attended work-
amplitude of the sound-if the ampli- shops with Nono and Kroepfl. He has par-
tude is high, a strong percussive sound is ticipated in many international festivals,
the result. If the amplitude is low, the including the International Music Festival
result is a tender sound; (2) bell-like of Barcelona and the Festival Interna-

during the same period that he tones

per-that sound as if they were bowed; tional de Musique Experimentale
and (3) panpipe sounds. These FM
formed concerts of contemporary music Synthese in Bourges, France. Since 1986,
sounds contain percussive and expan- he has organized and participated in
with Lucas Foss. He has worked profes-
sionally in Colombia, France, Mexico
sive effects that expand the piece's many events promoting electroacoustic
and the United States [10]. sampled piano to create a single amal- music in Bogota and Cali, and has
gamated instrument. The structure ofworked with live electronics with R.
Catenaria is based on a matrix of seven Acosta and "Tangram," a group formed
THE MICROCOMPUTER-
sounds that form the major seventh,by students of the National University'
ma-
GENERATED MUSIC YEARS jor sixth, diminished fifth, perfect
music department. He has taught courses
fourth, major third and major second on electroacoustic music in Barcelona
After an 11-year period of no activity in
electroacoustic music (1975-1986), a intervals. The intervals produce theand
nu-at the National University in Bogot
new generation of electroacoustic musi- meric progression 7-6-5-4-3-2. This Among
pro- his works are Palabra Majo
cians emerged in Colombia. An en- gression first follows a descending Ambiguo,
order a dance and theater video; Em
semble called Sol Sonoro, formed by and then a retrograde order, creating Agutroc Emoc; and Del Imperativo for tap
Roberto Garcia, Luis Boyra and Ricardo the form and structure of Catenaria (1998).
[11]. Del Imperativo was recorded for
Computer programmer and CD entitled 33 Anos de Musica Electro-
software
Arias, broke the silence in 1986. Among
this generation of electroacoustic musi- designer Camilo Rueda is another key
acustica en Colombia (1998). According to
cians are composers Mauricio Bejarano, figure in the recent development theof composer, Del Imperativo is the most
Roberto Garcia, Andres Posada, Juanelectroacoustic music in Colombia. He variable of these, expressing existence,
Reyes, Catalina Peralta, Gustavo Parra, co-founded, with Posada, the first action
elec- and sense [14].
performer-artist Ricardo Arias and gui- troacoustic lab in Colombia in 1990, Del Imperativo has four sections. The
tarist Arturo Parra. Laboratorio Colombiano de Misica first section contains very short percussive
From the generation emerging fromElectr6nica Jacqueline Nova, sounds
located in
intermingled with longer ones.
the 1980s, Andres Posada has taught atthe city of Manizales [12]. Rueda is
Every part
short percussive sound in the sec-
and directed the Laboratorio Colom- of the team of designers of the tion is placed at a different point in space.
PatchWork software for algorithmic The second section has a much slower
biano de Musica Electr6nica Jacqueline
composition.
Nova in Manizales, outside Bogota. He is The program links boxespace than the first one due to the long
on the screen where each box repre-
also the director of the Notas y Partituras duration of its sounds, and so is more
computer music center in Medellin sentsand
a Lisp function. The program col-
quiet and introspective. The third section
teaches music at the Universidad de lects data from a spectrum analysis of picks
a up the pace a little by using longer
Antioquia and the Instituto Musical soundDi-to generate harmonies for tradi-
sounds that move through a wide range of
tional
ego Echeverria. Born in Medellin, Co- composition [13] (Fig. 1). frequencies. The fourth section is very
From
lombia, Posada studied composition atthe generation emerging fromsimilar to the first section. It presents the
the Mannes College of Music the 1980s, there are three composers same materials; however, they are orga-
in New
York with Leo Edwards and Peter P. working in Bogoti: Roberto Garcia nized differently. Interesting sound local-
Piedrahita, Juan Reyes and Mauricio ization occurs in this section also. Filtered
Stearns. His pieces have been performed
in Venezuela, Chile, Australia, Cuba, Bejarano (Fig. 2). Garcia was born inwhite noise is the predominant sound syn-
Bogota, where he studied piano and mu-
Mexico, Puerto Rico, Italy, Uruguay, the thesis technique used in Del Imperativo.
United States, Ecuador, Argentina and
Colombia. Among his compositions are
Presagio Lirico for string quartet (1983);
Sonata Estival for cello, trumpet, percus-
sion and double woodwind quintetFig. 2. (left to right)
Juan Reyes,
(1985); Overtura para Concierto, for or-
Mauricio Bejarano
chestra (1987); Los Colores for orchestra
and Roberto Garcia
(1988); Catenaria for tape (1989-1990);
at the auditorium

Canononac for viola, guitar and harpsi-

Olav Roots of the

chord (1992); and Benkos, an electroa-Universidad

Nacional de Colom-
coustic piece for dance (1992).
Catenaria, a work included in the bia, Bogota, per-
forming the cycle
Leonardo Music Journal 4 CD, was pro-
La primera Orja,
duced at Laboratorio Colombiano de 1997. i
Muisica Electr6nica Jacqueline Nova. It
was produced from three types of FM
sounds created on a Yamaha DX: (1)

10 Cuellar, The Development of Electroacoustic Music in Colombia

This content downloaded from

84.46.92.138 on Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:20:33 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
 Born in Barranquilla in 1962, Juan 1993, and Institut National Audiovisual, CONCLUSION
Reyes is one of the pioneer composers Groupe de Recherches Musicales [INA- In general, Colombian electroacoustic
of the 1980s generation. He studied pi- GRM], Paris, 1994); Francis Dhomont,
music has presented all the major aes-
ano and composition at Berklee School Stephane Roy and John Chowning thetic trends and techniques of the times.
of music in Boston, and obtained a de- (Fourth FIMC, Bogota, 1995); and One aspect that makes it unique is the use
gree as a music and mathematics at the Francois Bayle, Daniel Teruggi, Jean- of sonic material from Colombia's musical
University of Tampa. He has been Claude Risset, Serge de Laubier and heritage and culture as primary material
awarded several grants for post-graduate Yann Geslin (INA-GRM, Paris, 1997). in the generation of a work. The main
works at the Center for Computer Re- Bejarano's artworks and music have contributing factors to the development
search in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA)
been exhibited and performed nation- of electroacoustic music in Colombia are:
at Stanford University, where he studied
ally and internationally. He has created comparatively easy access to personal
with John Chowning among others. He radiophonic artworks, has written several computers (still a luxury for many in
has participated at several electroacous-
essays on electroacoustic music and has Latin America); new technology for infor-
tic music conferences in the United
presented lectures on the topic. The Co- mation access (the Internet); the estab-
States, Europe and Asia. Currently heMinistry of Culture has awarded lishment of the Electroacoustic Commu-
lombian
teaches at the Advanced Computer himCen-
a grant to develop a project on nity of Colombia (ECO), which organizes
ter of Los Andes University in Bogota.
Bogota's soundscape, based on environ- periodic cycles of festivals and concerts;
Among other works, he has composed mental sounds. and the creation of new music festivals
incidental music for Albert Camus's
Esquisios (1994-1998) is a series ofand cycles such as the International Festi-
Caligula (1988); Computer Music strokes.
for the It is also a set of short
val of Contemporary Music, organized by
Unexpected Listener, a set of variations
"cinematophonies" on gesture and Cecilia
the
pianist Casas, and the Young
based on popular Colombian themes;
body,apassages of acousmatic writings re-
Composer's cycles organized by the
musical essay based on Las Meninas
lating to the interior of the body,
Americanfrom
Institute Colombo-Americano
(Spanish painter Velasquez's master-
corporeality itself to the outward expres-
with the assistance of Carlos Barreiro. The
piece) (1991); Choi-Hung (1996) forof desire. Esquisios contains six sec-
sion 1980s generation of composers set a solid
tape; Straw-berry (1997) for tape;
tions and
titled and timed as follows:
foundation upon which the following
Joselito (1998) for tape. 1. Escintillante (Spitting and Shining:
generations of electroacoustic music prac-
Prominent among Reyes's record-
first division of the body, flash of the first
titioners continue to build.
ings is Straw-berry, an algorithmic com-
stroke, 0:20).
puter-controlled work. It was produced
2. End6geno (Endogenous: Stroke from
in Common Music and Common Lispintimate space of corporeality,
the inside, References
Music. Some samples were taken from
1:12). 1. Mauricio Bejarano, Juan Reyes and Roberto
the sounds produced by strawberry 3. Estiramiento (Stretching: Tracing a Garcia Piedrahita, jacket notes to 33 Anos de
plants. The work also relates themechanical
sweet- gesture that expands and Musica Electroacistica en Colombia, compact disc
ness of the fruit to the flute. The (1998) pp. 1-2.
contracts, 1:36).
sounds used were achieved through a (Estuary: endogenous wa- 2. Jon H. Appleton, "Electro-Acoustic Music," Don
4. Estuario Randel, ed., The New Harvard Dictionary of Music
synthesis of physical models and digital
ters, water jaws ... on the threshold, (Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press, 1986) pp. 280-282.
signal processing. Sound groups2:52). were
3. Ricardo Arias, "From the Margins of the Periph-
sorted through functions in Common 5. Ensonaci6n (Reverie: Oneiric trace ery," Leonardo MusicJournal 8 (1998) p. 51.
Music; the main function utilized in effects of reverie, 2:12).
4. William Atehortua Amanya, "Blas Emilio
the generation of this composition is 6. Delirio (Delirium: Exterior gesture, Atehortua," Gran Enciclopedia de Colombia
"defun straw-berri (frec dur)." This disquieting passion, 2:08). <http://www.banrep.gov.co:80/blaavirtual/letra-
composition explores the issue of com- Esquisios (Sketches) was composed and b/biogcircu/atheblas.htm> (Bogota, Colombia:
Biblioteca Virtual Luis Angel Arango, 1980).
puter-controlled expression where con- produced at INA-GRM in Paris with the
5. Bejarano et al. [1] pp. 3-4.
trol is achieved with an algorithmic support of Syter System and in the
process and a matrix structure. This composer's private studio in Bogota [16]. 6. Bejarano et al. [1] pp. 5-6.
work was produced at MOX (Advanced In the 1990s, a new generation of 7. Aaron I. Cohen, "Nova Sondag, Jacqueline," In-
Computing Center) at Los Andes Uni- electroacoustic composers emerged who ternational Encyclopedia of Women Composers
versity [15]. (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1984) p. 512.
are not only interested in working with
Mauricio Bejarano, along with Reyes electronic media, but also in working 8. Bejarano et al. [1] p. 6.
and Piedrahita, stands out among the with mixed media. Among them one 9. German Rubiano Caballero, "Feliza Bursztyn,"
composers of the 1980s generation. finds Alba Fernanda Triana, Alejandro Gran Enciclopedia de Colombia <http://
Bejarano was born in Bogota in 1955. He www.banrep.gov.co:80/blaavirtual/letra-b/
G6mez, German Toro, Guillermo
biogcircu/bursfeli.htm> (Bogota, Colombia:
has explored several fields of creativity, Garb6, Mauricio Romero and Ricardo Biblioteca Virtual Luis Angel Arango, 1980).
such as sculpture, painting, poetry, essays Escall6n. Rodolfo Acosta has worked in
10. "Francisco Zumaque" <http://syli34.physik.uni-
and acousmatic arts. He has taught Colombia and Bourges, France, and bonn.de/public_html/hz/fzcv.html>
has (2000).
acousmatic arts at the National Univer-
created a few outstanding electroacous- 11. Ricardo Dal Farra, "Some Comments about
sity of Colombia in Bogota and has ticat-
works. Carlos Barreiro has realized Electroacoustic Music and Life in Latin America,"
tended several workshops on electroa- important work in the field of criticismLeonardo Music Journal 4 (1994) p. 96.

coustic composition run by Michel and Zbardocumentation. He has curated 12.Juan Reyes, "The Choice of Electroacoustic Mu-
(Second International Contemporary concerts for many years and sichasin Colombia,"
edu- Mitteilungen, Deutsche Gesellschaft
fur Elektroakustische Musik 14, electronic journal
Music Festival of Bogota [FIMC], 1991);
cated the public through his writing and
<http://www.kgw.fu-berlin.de/DegeM/Seiten/
Daniel Teruggi (Third FIMC, Bogota, lectures [17]. degem-media-frame.html> (2 September 1999).

Cuellar, The Development of Electroacoustic Music in Colombia 11

This content downloaded from

84.46.92.138 on Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:20:33 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
13. Curtis Roads, The Computer Music Tutorial (Cam-
bridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996) pp. 850-851.
14. Bejarano et al. [1] pp. 7-8.
15. Bejarano et al. [1] p. 9.
16. Bejarano etal. [1] pp. 10-11.
17. Arias [3] pp. 51-52.
Bibliography
Dodge, Charles, and Jerse, Thomas A. Computer
Music: Synthesis, Composition, and Performance (New
York: Macmillan Press, Schirmer Books, 1985).
Discography
Clasicos Colombianos Siglo XX Vol. II, Colcultura
Comisi6n V Centenario CD (1993).
Equus y Resonancias, Comunidad Electroacustica Lucio Edilberto Cuellar Camargo began his
Colombiana CD (1996).
musical studies in Bogota, Colombia, where he
Musica Electrdnica by Compositores Latinoamericanos: was born. He moved to the United States in
Leonardo MusicJournal CD Series 4 (1994).
1979, where he has continued his studies and
Onda Electroacustica, ACME-Colombia CD, produc- has participated in many festivals of new mu-
ers: Carlos Barreiro, BLAA Biblioteca Luis Angel
Arango (1998). sic and electroacoustic music. He has promoted
electroacoustic Latin-American music by estab-
33 Anos de Misica Electroacuistica Colombiana,
Comunidad ElectroacCistica Colombiana (1998). lishing an annual concert by Latin-American
composers at the University of North Texas. He
LPs is a member of the Society of Electro-Acoustic
Music in the United States and the Interna-
Tres Composiciones electroacusticas from the series
tional Computer Music Association.
Mzisica nueva latinoamericana 2 (Tacuabe, 1976).
Manuscript received 14 March 2000.

M::.. i ! &. NA i' l;

The Innovative Artist

Artists are invited to document technical innovations developed as part of their artistic produ
tion. Submitted articles can describe artworks or focus only on technical inventions.

Articles by historians are also sought documenting the role of artists this century in the develop-
ment of various types of instruments, inventions and advances in information and communic
tion technologies. Papers may also document contributions of artists to technical developmen
in other fields.

Articles may be in one of three formats:

* Artist's Statement: 500 words with 1 image. Should reference additional information
available on the Web or in the literature.

* Note: up to 2,500 words and 6 images describing one or two artworks in detail.
* Article: 5,000 words and 12 images describing a body of work by one artist or work by a
number of different artists.

All accepted articles will be published on the Web and in the bi-monthly printjournal Leonardo.

Guest editors: Don Foresta, Jean Gagnon and Roger Malina.

For further information, contact <leo@mitpress.mit.edu>.

12 Cuellar, The Development of Electroacoustic Music in Colombia

This content downloaded from

84.46.92.138 on Thu, 03 Mar 2022 17:20:33 UTC
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms