SZU-HAN HO / 何思涵




MIGRANT SONGS is a choral performance art piece that combines stories and songs from human and non-human migrants. This experimental visual and sound performance incorporates interviews with migrants living in Tiwa Territory (Albuquerque, NM) who come from many parts of the world, including Mexico, Cuba, El Salvador, Costa Rica, The Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Vietnam, to name a few. These stories of human migration are woven together with bird songs from the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico to explore how we think about migration, our sense of home and dislocation, as well as the biological role of song in both humans and non-humans. MIGRANT SONGS premiered on March 28 and 29, 2019 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center as part of the Revolutions International Theatre Festival hosted by Tricklock Theatre Company.

Created, Directed, and Produced by Szu-Han Ho
Composed by Ana R. Alonso-Minutti, Candice Hopkins and Raven Chacon, Peter Gilbert, Marya Errin Jones, and Szu-Han Ho
Musical Direction by Lina Ramos
Movement by Diana Delgado and Szu-Han Ho
Performed by Tzvi Bat Asherah, Luana C. Berger, Amy Alisana Chavez, Diana Delgado, Priscilla Mariah Gomez, Szu-Han Ho, Rex Hoeltke, Gena Lawson, Ellisif V. Leishman, Martin Ly, Joe McCanna, Lina Ramos, Jenny Shalom, Cheryl Sharps, Paul Strasser

Thank you to the interviewees who generously shared their stories: Flora María Gutierrez, Isabell Solis, Jennifer Zafra, Khadija Al Alwan, Maggie Kentilitisca, Margarita Copas, Martha Gamboa, Msambya-Amisi Eboko, Razia Ayab, Samia Assed, Selene Vences-Ortiz, Sumaya Almansur, Sylvester Niyongira, Thao Nguyen, Tiba Abdul Jabbar, Zahra Ishaq, and others who wished to remain unnamed.

Special thanks to Juli Hendren, Elsa Menéndez, Katie Farmin, Andres Martinez, José Gallardo, and the staff & crew at NHCC and Tricklock Company; Celia Yapita, Parwin Hussaini, Saja Lilo, Peace Izabayo, Hazel Batrezchavez, Kency Cornejo, Ana Alonso-Minutti, Regina Carlow, Ellen Babcock, and Mary Tsiongas for their support.

Photography by Stefan Jennings Batista

KUNM coveragehttps://www.kunm.org/post/migrant-songs-canciones-migratorias