Edinburgh International Festival 2024
NIGAMON / TUNAI
Émilie Monnet and Waira Nina
Genre: Theatre
Venue: The Studio
Festival: Edinburgh International Festival
Low Down
The multi sensory performance touches all our senses and it’s a wonderful way of sharing their cultures and offering us a unique experience of their world for a short while. Monnet and Waira merge both their cultures for us to experience the wonder, beauty and deep connection to the earth and water the Indigenous people have to their land. A very moving, sensory and beautiful experience underpinned by important issues.
Review
The Edinburgh International Festival presented the European premiere of Nigamon/Tunai co-authored, co-directed and performed by two Indigenous artists, Émilie Monnet from Canada, and Waira Nina, from the Colombian Amazon. The message of this show is about the strength and solidarity needed against the ongoing destruction of the Amazon.
Representing both North America and South America Monnet and Nina have created this immersive Performative installation and share routines and a kind of ritual or certainly a ritualistic approach in their performance.
The words Nigamon/Tunai mean ‘song’ in each of their respective languages, which provides a hint at the atmosphere we are about to step into. The Studio has been transformed into an enchanted forest where we are invited to sit among the trees and pond in this interactive show.
Monnet and Waira greet us by moving slowly about the spaces, with large copper forms of pipes that resonate with sound. They activate the space with the sounds and elements they create in front of us.
Their starting point is to share awareness about the modern world’s mining for resources and particularly copper extraction which is happening right now next to Nina’s family’s home in the Colombian Amazon. We do not consider the danger local people are in because copper is needed for green energy and batteries in cell phones among other things. These resources are continuously taken from their natural habitat for the modern world’s needs and local landowners are expected to give access to their land and are sometimes attacked and worse.
Monnet and Waira are nimble and walk on stepping stones across the pond and around trees and audience members sitting on stools, cushions and a few chairs, where we all experience being together in the space and listening. They use their voices and breath and their bodies to create the authentic sounds of birds they and bring the special environment to life for us.
We are invited to touch trees at the trunk or branch and hear and feel them – singing trees with traditional songs from their elders vibrate their trunks. They want to awaken our feelings that we are all connected to everything including the water and rocks. For Monnet and Waira it is a sacred connection.
Throughout the one hour forty five minute performance Monnet and Waira change places among us, sometimes positioned next to fascinating water containers or hand turn mechanical objects. They narrate, sing and brief video patterns are projected on the walls with sound effects.
The multi sensory performance touches all our senses and it’s a wonderful way of sharing their cultures and offering us a unique experience of their world for a short while. Monnet and Waira merge both their cultures for us to experience the wonder, beauty and deep connection to the earth and water the Indigenous people have to their land.
However there is the urgency of acting on their information and warning by urging the slowing down or stopping of mining valuable resources – and finding alternates. This is very poignant and Monnet and Waira welcome the audience to stay for a short discussion and a taste of traditional food. A very moving, sensory and beautiful experience underpinned by important issues.
