On Feb. 14 (Thursday),听, associate professor of American studies at the University of Notre Dame, together with听a group听of musicians, activists and听academics, including the composer , will participate in a panel discussion at the听听titled听鈥淰oices of the Enslaved: Tales of Love and Longing."
This gathering coincides with the world premiere of de la Martinez鈥檚 new opera, 鈥淚moinda: A Story of Love and Slavery,鈥� at听the听听鈥斕齛 complex love story set against the backdrop of enslavement in the Americas. Drawing听inspiration from 鈥淥roonoko,鈥澨齛 17th-century novel by听Aphra听Behn, "Imoinda" is听the first modern opera to address slavery and the beginnings of Afro-Caribbean culture.
听
The panel will explore voices past and present, looking at the realities of听Aphra听Behn鈥檚 novel and how her characters鈥� stories were recorded, before considering how to perceive these chapters of history, how to represent them today听and how to anticipate future depictions.
听
Sophie White
White鈥檚 forthcoming book, 鈥淏ound Bodies, Free Voices: Slave Testimony in French Louisiana,鈥� uncovers the voices of enslaved Africans in colonial America through an exceptional set of source material: the court cases in which they testified.
听
White鈥檚 research and de la Martinez鈥檚 opera will be examined side by side, inviting engagement with lost voices.
听
鈥淎s an historian of colonial America, my contribution is to bring to light the actual voices of enslaved Africans, as they spoke them in court,"听said White. 鈥淭his is extremely rare evidence that allows us to know about these individuals by hearing their words, including the cadences of their speech, the snatches of Creole, the metaphors and the emotions that seep through their written testimony.鈥�
听
鈥淏oth the opera and court records allow us to give voice to enslaved individuals,"听said听White. 鈥淎nd, perhaps surprisingly, what we uncover when we hear the testimony of these individuals is how often they chose to talk about intimacy, family听and their often-tragic tales of love and longing.鈥�
听
White will be joined by de la Martinez, political activist and writer听, research fellow听,听author and Vanity Fair travel editor听听and "Imoinda" librettist听听in a discussion moderated by BBC journalist听听 De la Martinez will perform at the piano with singers from the opera production.听
Originally published by at on Feb.听4.