King Cuicatl

ABOUT THE SHOW

“King Cuicatl” (kwee-cot-l) is an ensemble performance based on an ancient Aztec ritual wherein a foreign war prisoner (known as an “Ixiptla”) was made to impersonate the Aztec God “Tezcatlipoca” for one full year before being sacrificed. The 12 songs are written from the perspective of the Ixitptla as he attempts to use the power of music in conjunction with the illustrious ritual as a device to transform into a genuinely divine creature before the end of the year, thereby transcending the sacrificial ceremony and living forever in perfect harmony.

ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE

Allan Pray is a former professional tennis player turned composer. Originally from Cincinnati, OH., Pray developed “King Cuicatl” while living in Oaxaca, Mexico in collaboration with historians from Mexico City’s UNAM University. He began performing “King Cuicatl” in Oaxaca with a large ensemble of musicians from Oaxaca’s indigenous “Mixtec” tribe, later with a blend of these Mixtec musicians and the Oaxaca Symphony, and most recently with the Mexican National Symphony.

Allan Pray: guitar, voice

Iva Casian-Lakos: cello, voice, percussion

Sarah Elizabeth Haines: viola, voice, keyboard, percussion

Jordan Dodson: guitar, voice, percussion, flutes

Ethan Cohn: bass guitar, voice

Joe Bergen: percussion, voice, keyboard, flutes