Nube brings South American groove to Maize
The Maize was pulsing with South American groove on Monday, students and professors alike swaying with the rhythm and soul of Nube.
Nube (newb-ae), meaning “cloud” in Spanish, brings a contemporary Latin feel to whatever they play and have performed all across the Midwest. The group met in Minneapolis in early 2000. The four performers, all from different countries, have many diverse talents to bring to the stage and create the sound they’re known for.
Nicolas Carter, from Paraguay, plays a lever harp native to his country and has released many albums both as a solo artist and with Nube. At some points, if you weren’t watching his hands fly up and down the strings, you would be have a tough time distinguishing the harp from an acoustic guitar.
But the guitar talent belonged to Renato Lombardi, an Argentinian music producer who has given Nube the classic Latin string feel, sitting on his stool in the corner of the stage and practically whispering to the instrument as he performs.
Most eyes were on Mario Arroyo, a traditional Andian flute maker and master of his craft, breathing life into the story of Ulubamba, a young boy following a golden bird in his quest to bring his city rain. Eliezer Santos provided the beat and supported the imagination, using numerous percussion instruments to emulate water and heartbeats while laying a foundation for the other performers to utilize.
After a short performance in Anderson Commons during dinner hours, Nube moved down to The Maize, where most of their equipment was ready and waiting for the concert to begin. The event was a stamper for the music majors in need of a concert to attend for credit, something sophomore guitar performance major Joseph Gilmore was thrilled about.
“We don’t usually have stamped events down in The Maize, so it was cool to go hang out with friends in a relaxed environment,” he said.
Alexander Liu, first-year experience coordinator for Intercultural Affairs, was primarily responsible for bringing Nube to campus.
Carter and Liu met through a friend last summer in Minneapolis and found out that they both graduated from the same high school in the same town, only with a 30-year difference. Inspired to bring the music of Carter and the rest of Nube to Concordia, Liu made contact for this concert at the beginning of the school year.
“This is a bridge between cultures, promoting diversity,” Liu said.
Haunting melodies rang out over the prerecording of a narrator interacting with the characters of the story. It felt like Nube was performing a soundtrack to a television show we couldn’t see, that we could just listen to and lose ourselves in the storytelling. Students lucky enough to get a couch or cushioned chair relaxed into their friend’s shoulders while those who sat in the chairs brought from the Centrum leaned back and shut their eyes.
Professors mingled with students, an odd sight to see in the evening after classes were through for the day, and staff with tapping feet and bobbing heads stood in corners. The music metamorphosed from ancient and mysterious to contemporary, complete with stadium vocals and street chatter. Newspapers were shared on stage as though the performers were sitting outside a cafe on a busy Argentinian street, whoops and whispers echoing through microphones. The audience joined in with clapping and singing when appropriate, the words to the final song muttered under people’s breaths: “walk through peace, walk through love.”
Abner Arauza, assistant director of Intercultural Affairs, was pleased with the turnout for the evening, emphasizing the importance of learning while being entertained.
“Anything that gives us a peak at another culture is wonderful,” Arauza said.
“I’m not sure how often you have events like these,” Lombardi said as he carefully packed away his guitars. “This is a great opportunity for young learners to come and hear something unique. Everyone has been so welcoming and it was a pleasure to perform for you.”
Angela Seward-Marquardtt, faculty advisor for Intercultural Affairs, could be seen grinning before the performance began, giving a brief introduction to the group as well as why they were here.
“Music is beautiful,” she said, “Giving us a flavor for South American culture. This is music not unique to one culture but to many. Music is one way to understand a culture, to give small glimpses. Students should use every opportunity to learn from, understand, and interact with difference to better influence the world.”
The music was much more than sound, much different than what many musicians and music lovers have heard before. The fusion of emotion and technique into what was The Golden Bird surpassed expectations, even though many of us didn’t know what to expect in the first place. Audience members gathered around the stage after the performance, buying recordings and talking with the performers. Junior flute performance major and Spanish minor Hannah Due chattered away with Arroyo as the two admired the pan flutes Arroyo made and performed with, drawing an audience of its own.
Lilting, expressive, and completely impressive, Nube proved that the powers of imagination can stretch far beyond what we would expect with an hour of cultural immersion.
