Llorando/Crying features Natalie Doonan and Guadalupe Martinez performing Rebekah del Rio’s Spanish rendition of Roy Orbison’s 1961 ballad. The singers stand facing each other (the distance between the singers’ bodies and their placement in relation to the audience is determined by the space in which the piece is performed). They sing in two of the colonial languages of the Americas: one in Spanish, the other in English, although each vocalist sings in her second language (Doonan in Spanish, Martinez in English). The songs are sung in the form of a canon. Therefore, following the same cadence, rhythm, and dynamics they are always out of time, continuously missing each other despite their efforts to connect.

The strong emotive impact of this live performance hinges not only on the personal narrative of unfulfilled expectations and longing, but on the persistent desire to bridge the chasm between self and other, which can only ever fall short. This piece addresses struggles for individuality and relationship. It presents an approach to cultural identity and language as the foundation for healing a contemporary society wounded by colonialism, capitalism and migration.
This piece has been adapted for radio and as an installation.

Below are installation shots from the exhibition Waiting-for at Centre A, Vancouver, in 2010, curated by Makiko Hara.

This video documentation is from a performance at Bestway Studio, Vancouver, in 2010, curated by Jeremy Todd.