World Premiere - Music Mexico 2023 Symposium

Saturday, May 20 - 2023 - 7:30 pm

University of Houston Wind Ensemble - Conductor: David Bertman

Moores Opera House - University of Houston • Houston, Texas • USA

Ciudad Dormitorio

(2022)

Wind Ensamble

Ciudad Dormitorio, composed by Erick Tapia, is a reflection of his daily life in Mexico City. Ciudad Dormitorio translates to “dormitory town” or “commuter town,” a place where people return to after working all day in another place, much like in Mexico City. Tapia uses every section of his piece to represent an aspect of the busy city that resonated with him in his childhood, including Tlatelolco 203, which is the apartment he grew up in, as well as the network of roads that connected him to home and other places throughout the city.

Another section of this piece is labeled La Guerrero? ¡No, Aragón!, which are two neighborhoods of the metropolitan zone where music and dance play a central role in the lives of their residents. Additionally, there’s Salón Los Ángeles, a nearby dance venue where Tapia often went to see musical groups such as Los Angeles Azules, Rayito Colombiano, Grupo Cañaveral, etc. He also mentions Metro Deportivo Oceanía, a metro station located in the northeast of Mexico City, where every Saturday night there was a baile sonidero underneath the bridge.

The last section is labeled Maldito Bongocero, the nickname of David Rodríguez, to whom Ciudad Dormitorio is dedicated. David Rodríguez was Tapia’s mother’s husband, who was a musician and always took Tapia to his events. David raised Tapia to love music, especially cumbia, which is incredibly present throughout the second half of Ciudad Dormitorio. This piece is a tribute to David, as a way to thank him for bringing music to Tapia’s life. Tapia says that the ending of this piece with the conga solo is a part of David’s soul. Ciudad Dormitorio expresses all that Tapia has lived, felt, known, loved and mourned within Mexico City.

- Program Note by Abi Pak

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