This collaboration between Dutch composer Michel van der Aa and South African cellist-singer-composer Abel Selaocoe combines cello, voice, and electronic soundtrack in a three-part work lasting approximately 20 minutes. The piece incorporates text excerpts from South African poets Lesego Rampolokeng and Ingrid Jonker.
The composition draws from two distinct African musical traditions. The repetitive, polyphonic vocal music of the Central African Baka people, with its characteristic spaces for rhythmic improvisation, is contrasted with Ethiopian musical forms, which feature specific modal scales and reflect Eastern and Mediterranean influences.
The electronic soundtrack has been created entirely from cello and voice samples recorded for this composition. These electronics serve to expand the timbral range of the live cello performance, creating additional sonic layers throughout the work.
In “Entanglements”, Van der Aa and Selaocoe bring together elements of music, spoken text, and theatrical presentation, exploring the intersection between traditional African musical forms and contemporary compositional techniques.
