Smart Bets: María Chávez

Posted on by Edwin Arnaudin

A native of Lima, Peru, María Chávez was born deaf but received treatment to restore her hearing upon immigrating to the U.S. with her family at the age of 2. Now an abstract turntablist, sound artist and DJ based in Brooklyn, she describes her aesthetic as a combination of “recorded sounds from vinyl records with the electroacoustic sounds of vinyl and needle in various deteriorating phases” in which “accidents, coincidence and failures” serve as overarching themes. An improvised late April show at the University of Richmond saw her using broken records dropped atop intact vinyl, employing the turntable’s needle to scratch them, and tapping the edge of the mechanism with her fist to add bass. Chávez presents a solo turntable performance and workshop Tuesday, June 5, at 7 p.m. at Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. $5 for BMCM+AC members and students/$8 nonmembers. blackmountaincollege.org. Photo by Jaime OBradovich

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About Edwin Arnaudin
Edwin Arnaudin is a staff writer for Mountain Xpress. He also reviews films for ashevillemovies.com and is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA). Follow me @EdwinArnaudin
View all posts by Edwin Arnaudin →

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