Hysterical Racism: Gorée in À l’île de Gorée
Listening to Xenakis in Senegal
Audio Paper by Monika Zyla
It’s 1986. Iannis Xenakis writes a harpsichord concerto for an ensemble. He names his composition À l’île de Gorée. Despite its abstract, purely instrumental character, the piece delivers a powerful social and political criticism.
Through its title, and explicit antiracist commentary, the piece is an homage to the African slaves, dedicated to the black heroes from the African continent. The titular Gorée island is an important place for slave history and memory in Senegal and West Africa. In the words of Xenakis, Goreé was a flourishing slave market.
In 2022, I travel to Senegal and visit Gorée island to learn about this place, its history, and its meaning. Immersed in the island's rich sonosphere, I am deeply touched by the experience of stepping through the Door of No Return in the House of Slaves, and the open view of the vast Atlantic Ocean. In my piece, I reimagine listening to Xenakis' composition, this time through this specific place, its people and their stories.
About the author
Monika Żyła is a musicologist, writer and researcher. She is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Musicology and Dance Studies, University of Salzburg. As a lecturer, she is affiliated with the Universität der Künste Berlin, Humboldt University in Berlin, and the University of Vienna where she teaches seminars on intersectional gender/diversity and
curatorial practices in contemporary music, sound art, and dance. Monika Żyła works as a researcher for Sounds Now, an EU-funded initiative comprising 9 contemporary music festivals and art centers to promote diversity and inclusion in contemporary music and
sound art. She published in Glissando, Ruch Muzyczny, Odra, Dwutygodnik, Contemporary Music Review, and Circuit - Musiques contemporaines.
Audio Paper commissioned by MINU.
Supported by Musikfonds Berlin e.V.
Pictures by Andoz Krishnadas ©Arkandoz Photography
Iannis Xenakis' composition À l’île de Gorée included is published with kind permission by Riot Ensemble and Gośka Isphording (harpsichord). The recording was made by BBC Radio 3.