La Jolla Music Society
Cotton
CO-PRODUCTION with SAN DIEGO OPERA
Music by DAMIEN GETER
J’NAI BRIDGES, mezzo-soprano
JUSTIN AUSTIN, baritone
LAURA WARD, piano
Poignantly rooted in John E. Dowell’s haunting photography of South Carolina cotton fields, COTTON explores an African American narrative of past and present, from rural Southern fields where enslaved people were forced to labor on the land, to the concrete canyons of New York City. Acclaimed Philadelphia artist John Dowell felt called by his grandmother in a dream to travel to the cotton fields in South Carolina, where his ancestors had likely been enslaved. Thus he began an exploration and journey deep into the world of cotton, where for over a decade, he produced a body of amazing and evocative work. Dowell’s work explores African American ancestral survival strategies and resilience in penetrating super-imposed images, and looks at the wealth of this nation through the lens of the cotton industry.
Outstanding artists unite to explore African American stories touched by the “soft, dangerous beauty” of cotton. J’Nai Bridges and Justin Austin perform this intensely moving song cycle by rising-star composer Damien Geter. Eight nationally renowned voices of the 21st century respond to Dowell’s photography with a poem: Nikki Giovanni, Charlotte Blake Alston, Afaa Michael Weaver, Trapeta Mayson, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Lauren K. Alleyne, Alora Young, and Glenis Redmond. Throughout the performance, enormous screens of constantly changing images accompany songs and poetry. Each poet is presented in video, reading their own poem in the context of the performance.
COTTON takes the audience on a journey of the mind and heart, exploring truths about how the wealth of our nation was built, and the continued struggle that has resulted from the institution of slavery. Through breathtaking high art, the work awakens a sense of shared humanity, and illuminates a path toward better understanding.
Learn More About J’Nai Bridges
COTTON was inspired by the cotton photography of John Dowell. COTTON was conceived and the poetry and music were commissioned by Lyric Fest (Philadelphia).
