The string quartet ETHEL, and Native American flute player, Robert Mirabal captivated an audience at Western Carolina University. They brought music, poetry and dance about love for people and the environment in their musical ceremony, “The River.”
The group defined their performance as a musical ceremony meaning it brings the audience on a spiritual and sacred journey through storytelling and music.
Each musician wrote original work for “The River” which they recorded in Mirabal’s home on the Taos Pueblo River. The group found creative inspiration in their natural surroundings by jumping in the river and listening to thunderstorms between recording sessions. “The River” illustrates water as the embodiment of spirit and an essential, connecting life force among humans.
Mirabal is a three-time Emmy award winner and is world renowned having toured around the world including Europe and Japan. He was born and raised on the Taos Pueblo and Native American culture, as well as other world cultures, have had a strong impact on his art.
ETHEL was established in New York City in 1998 and is made up of Ralph Farris on viola, Kip Jones on violin, Dorothy Lawson on cello and Corin Lee on violin. The group has been working with Mirabal for over 15 years. Lawson said they met Mirabal when each band member “went looking for the most different culture and music style they could find” Lawson met Mirabal and the rest is history.
The hundreds of audience members at Bardo Arts Center on Thursday, Oct. 23, were part of the performance. The musicians encouraged the audience to participate by clapping and stomping, providing rhythm pops to their song, “Tsoma.” As an encore, ETHEL and Mirabal played a heavy metal song which got the crowd out of their seats and concluded the concert with a standing ovation.
As Western Carolina’s campus theme this year is sustainability and the environment, Mirabal and ETHEL reminded the community why this is so important.
Jones also urged the audience to “be the generation that learns to love the environment again,” echoing the themes of environmental awareness in “The River.”
“The water connects us to our history…people 300 years ago lived on this same river,” said Mirabal.
ETHEL and Robert Mirabal’s music is available for download on apple music and Spotify. You can also listen online here.
