Mercedes Nasta: Honorata

Conceived as a lullaby, with delicate timbres and a sense of lightness, “Honorata” reflects on the internal rhythms of sound and intimate moments of listening. This piece, commissioned for MUAC, marks Mercedes Nasta’s return to composition, but with a special twist: exploit the immersive possibilities of multichannel technology.

Over the past decade, Mercedes Nasta has been known for her light atmospheres that combine pop, cumbia, bolero and electronica. In this composition, the longest piece of her career, the instrumental layers of the song gradually draw the listener into its atmospheric cadence, as if it took the form of a knot that slowly and continuously unravels as the musical horizon expands, producing a feeling of suspension.

“Honorata” firstly adopts a biographical approach, as the piece was composed during Nasta’s pregnancy, but it can also be understood in relation to the times we live in, in which spaces for protection and care have become politically central. Within these spaces, time can move differently. This piece seeks to explore the internal rhythms of each sound and timbre, inhabiting their possibilities for development and malleability.

Instrumentation is key: bass, viola, Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, synthesisers and electric guitar accompany Nasta’s voice.