Presence and other poems of José Emilio Pacheco / Presencia y otros poemas de José Emilio Pacheco 

Come to experience one of the major Mexican poets of the second half of the 20th century. The Berlin International Literature Festival has praised him as "one of the most significant contemporary Latin American poets". In 2009 he was awarded the Cervantes Prize for his literary work. Spanish musician, singer and composer, Tomás Lozano, has selected a handful of poems spanning different stages of the poetic trajectory of José Emilio Pacheco's extensive work in order to set them to music and transform them into song. Now Tomás Lozano shares Pacheco's poetry with the world by singing his poems. As an introduction to each song, the declaimer, Rima Montoya, reads aloud her English rendition of each poem. 

A 12 minute documentary about Pacheco’s life and literary work will be shown prior to the recital.  

The Cervantes Institute of Chicago commissioned Tomás Lozano at the end of 2021 to compose a musical program based on the poetry of José Emilio Pacheco for the inauguration of the library that bears his name and which opened on May 10, 2022. So this Spanish musician, singer and composer focused on selecting a handful of poems spanning different stages of the poetic trajectory of the Mexican poet and writer's extensive work in order to set them to music and transform the poem into song. 

On May 10, 2022, part of the poetic musical repertoire premiered as part of the inaugural events of the José Emilio Pacheco Library. The declaimer, Rima Montoya, read aloud each poem translated into English by herself, before Tomás Lozano sang them in their original language.  

This performance will be livestreamed via IUMusicLive. 

Bios 

Tomás Lozano:

A singer, musician, composer, scholar and writer, born in Barcelona, Spain to Andalusian parents. Known for his eclectic musicianship, Lozano's performance of Spain's traditional ballads stands out as iconic. Lozano also plays contemporary, popular and European folk music from Spain, France, Britain, the Middle East and Sepharad. Beyond that, he performs his original compositions, solo or accompanied, masterfully expressed through his smooth voice, the vibrant finger work on his guitar and the soothing droning of his hurdy-gurdy. Today Tomás lives in Bloomington, Indiana and contributes to the culture and folklore of the American Midwest. He currently works with Duo Krupoves Lozano, Tamango, Daily Bread & Butter, Salaam, Shakespeare's Ear, 2 Thousand, Kativar, as well as his own projects and also numerous collaborations with other artist like, Erica Rubis, Yusuf Benli, Maxi Larrea, Richard Scofano, Marija Krupoves, Daniel Cueto, Dena Elssafar, José Valle "Chuscales", Miguel Angel Nieto, Alfonso Domingo… Tomás has performed throughout Europe, the US, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. For more info about his performances, programs and publications please visit: www.tomaslozano.com 

Rima Montoya:

Born in Seville, Spain and raised in a multicultural home, Rima Montoya grew up internationally, living in five countries across four continents before arriving to the United States to attend higher education at the liberal arts College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in central Minnesota. There she earned a B.A. in English Literature with a double minor in French Language and Literature and Spanish Language and Literature. After graduation, she spent a year in Costa Rica teaching English and Spanish at a language school and proceeded to earn a Master’s Degree in Organizational Communication from The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque in 1997. Montoya presently lives in Bloomington, IN and splits her time between creative writing, real estate business and her private practice in hypnotherapy and Neuro Linguistic Coaching for personal wellbeing.

Guest Performers

This event is co-sponsored by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese.