KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Diamánda Galás Live at the La Jolla Museum, (May 21, 1983)

Analog Audio

Event Type

Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

AM.1983.05.21

Program Length

17 min

Dates

1983-05-21 | created

Description

Recorded live on May 21, 1983 at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art, Diamánda Galás performs her “Wild Women with Steak-Knives,” an avant-garde performance art work for vocals and live signal processing. Part of her 1981 album “The Litanies of Satan,” the piece features the operatic range and diabolic inflections of vintage Galás. With sounds that vary from hisses, to screeches, moans, hollers, spits, and stutters, all accompanied by minimal electronic manipulations and elaboration, this harrowing work is part torture and part catharsis. The work’s subtitle, “The Homicidal Love Song for Solo Scream” sets the stage for what may be to some an evocative commentary on domestic violence and for others simply unbearable noise, but regardless of one’s personal reaction, the memory of this work will always be etched deeply within the mind of any one who listens.

Genres

Avant-garde
Performance Art

Musical Selections

Wild Women with Steak-Knives (The Homicidal Love Song for Solo Scream) [from “The Litanies of Satan”, text by Charles Baudelaire] (1981-83) (16:45) / Diamánda Galás

Performers

Diamánda Galás, vocals
Richard Zvonar, live electronics
Martin Brenner, live electronics

Subjects

Avant-garde (Music)
Performance art
Songs with electronics
Monologues with music (Electronics)

Related place

La Jolla (Calif.) (was recorded at)

Related Entities

Galás, Diamánda
Baudelaire, Charles, 1821-1867
Zvonar, Richard