Pasquale Mirra – Jagged Rhythms
July 3, 2026 @ 17:30 August 12, 2027 @ 23:30
Pasquale Mirra, acoustic vibraphone, midi vibraphone, log drum, Tibetan bells, timpani, percussion; Petra Strban, visuals
(IT)
“What an incredulous and happy coincidence! During my frequent visits to Sežana, I recently bought two poetry collections by Srečko Kosovel in a local bookshop. This is precisely why I became interested in him and passionate about his work almost immediately,” reads the reply to our invitation to Italian vibraphonist Pasquale Mirra to create a special project based on Kosovel’s poetry for the Ljubljana Jazz Festival in the year we celebrate 100 years from poet’s too early death. The creative forces were set in motion instantly.
Mirra, a classically educated percussionist who discovered jazz through the sound of the vibraphone – and vice versa – elevates the compositions of his collaborators with virtuosity, attentiveness and empathy. Among them are Rob Mazurek, Hamid Drake, Shabaka Hutchings, Moor Mother, Trilok Gurtu, William Parker, Fred Frith, Nicole Mitchell, Ballaké Sissoko, Jeff Parker, Tomeka Reid, James Brandon Lewis and Mulatu Astatke. Mirra’s music is atmospheric, airy, heartfelt, sharp-edged, subtle, elusive, organic and mechanical – when he wants it to be, at times otherworldly, yet strangely familiar. He says the essence lies in the idea of sound, not in the technique of playing, in which he uses a wide array of percussion instruments and tools.
This approach parallels that of Kosovel’s, who explored new forms of expression and stylistic techniques to find a deeper insight into humanity, society and the signs of the times. His Kons’ are impromptu improvisations; his Integrals’ – as noted by his contemporary Anton Ocvirk – a brand-new world, a world of dissonance, antitheses, absurdities, explosions and jarring disharmonies.
Kosovel = vision ∞ Human > humanity
Mirra approaches sound intuitively, sensing the hidden meanings in the vowels and consonants within the Slovenian poet’s verses. In sharp rhythms and fragmented chords, he searches for new function, new content. The instrumentation, handpicked for this commissioned work, echoes three conceptual currents in Kosovel’s poetry: the nature-oriented; the constructivist, social-revolutionary focused; and the lyrical-intimate-confessional turn. The soundscape of Pasquale Mirra will unfold gradually in two performances at Štih Hall, as Kosovel’s poetry slowly reveals itself over time.
The synesthetic effect it evokes will be further explored by Petra Strban – painter and graphic artist – who will create her own visual interpretation of Jagged Rhythms on screen in response to Mirra’s music.
Jagged Rhythms *
I’m the broken arc
of a circle,
the cracked form
of some statue,
and someone’s stifled
thought.
I’m a force
cleft by distress.
As if I’m walking
on splinters,
I can’t bear your calm
presence any longer.
*Kosovel, Srečko. OPEN: Selected Poems and Thoughts. Društvo Konstruktivist. 2018
The poem Jagged Rhythms translated by Ana Jelnikar and Barbara Siegel Carlson