Uirapuru the Performance
Uirapuru the Performance
The Uirapuru is an Ecoperformance that aims to bring the attention to the extinction crisis of bird populations globally. “The 2018 State of the World’s Birds report”, has found that the extinction crisis has spread so far that it is estimated that in the next few years 500 species will disappear. In the case of Brazil, the report draws attention to the states of the Amazon and Pará, which are home to one of the largest remaining areas of rainforest in the world and an exceptionally large number of bird species. The region, however, is undergoing a rapid expansion of its road network, which is leading to disastrous consequences for this ecosystem. It was found the disappearance of birds that feed on insects close to the ground, such as the True Uirapuru. The research attributes the phenomenon to climate changes, which would be causing warmer and drier droughts, causing physical stress in the birds.
The Performance was never formalized because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. However, Inspired by the experience of being in a lockdown, I decided to created the video version of the performance that I called: Birds & Cage: Uirapuru. It is my hope to be able to bring the performance live to a theater.
The Video: Birds & Cage: UIRAPURU
Performance, Direction and Editing Valeria DeCastro #valeria.decastro.artist . Videography and Lights Anita DeCastro #movement.alchemy. Music REMIX: Heitor Villa-Lobos - Uirapuru (Orquestra Sinfônica Municipal De São Paulo & Rodrigo De Carvalho) and Songs from the Amazonian Forest by Johan Dalgas Frisch.
The Legend of the Uirapuru
The legend says that a young warrior fell in love with the wife of the chief of the tribe. Since it was a forbidden love, he couldn’t approach her. Therefore, he prayed for the god Tupã to turn him into a bird. Tupã turned him into a red, yellow, and black bird with a beautiful chant. The chief of the tribe was the first to hear the wonderful chant of that bird. He was so fascinated that came to follow the bird to imprison him and have its chant just for his own delight. In the eagerness to capture the bird, the chief got lost in the woods. Every night, the Uirapuru sings for his beloved and hopes that someday she’ll hear his chant and knows that he is that young warrior.There is a popular saying that states: “When the Uirapuru sings, the other birds are silent to hear him.”
The True-Uirapuru is a small bird of 10cms and its feathers are between reddish and light brown. It has a strong beak, large feet, and white spots on the head. Look how seemingly deceptive ... a bird so simple, with a common way, that sings wonderfully. Yes, the song of the Uirapuru is so famous that it is called a musician of the forest or cornet. It is found in Brazil, throughout the Amazon region, less at the top of the Negro River and east of the Tapajós River. Their favorite spots are always on dry land in the rainforests.