parapitinga vaz'a baril (2025)

The project "Parapitinga Vaz'a Baril – Research, Immersion, and Sound Composition in the Vaza Barris River" is an endeavor that seeks to observe, record, and represent the soundscape of the Vaza Barris River basin, located between the states of Bahia and Sergipe, Brazil. Through an acousmatic composition, the project connects with the soundscapes of the riverside communities living along the riverbanks, proposing a process of immersion, documentation and composition.

This project is a continuation of the work initiated in 2019 with the creation of "Apicum", a sound composition developed through the manipulation of natural sounds from the region between the river and the vegetation, in the village of Caípe Velho (São Cristóvão-SE). Watch the video here.

Now, my listening turns to the Vaza Barris River and its history, marked by the War of Canudos at the end of the 19th century, as well as by the significance of this vast body of water for the regions it crosses. The river rises in the semi-arid backlands of Bahia, in the municipality of Uauá, and flows into the southern coast of Sergipe, at Mosqueiro, Aracaju.

The work also seeks to provoke reflections on the socio-environmental issues affecting the Vaza Barris. The river’s degradation process began in the colonial period with the deforestation of the Atlantic Forest and the advance of sugarcane plantations and cattle ranching, and it persists to this day through the excessive exploitation of its waters. Currently, about 40% more than its natural capacity is being withdrawn for irrigation, using outdated and wasteful systems. Pollution is also a serious issue, with untreated sewage, slaughterhouse waste, urban garbage, and the runoff of fertilizers and pesticides contaminating the river, contributing to the advance of desertification in the region.

The Vaza Barris River is in a state of alert, and our role as artists is to raise awareness and foster discussions about this pressing socio-environmental issue, using the strength of our artistic language to spark reflection.