UNO LADY OFFERS MULTILINGUAL MINDFULNESS IN “MEDITACIÓN”
FEATURED ON THE ALL SCENE EYE
For many, inner peace has never been more elusive than it is right now. So in a new video for “Meditación,” Christa Ebert–aka Uno Lady–wants to make mindfulness more approachable. The track comes from her latest album, GROUNDED, in which the Cleveland experimental artist blends art pop melodies and ambient soundscapes with the language and practice of meditation. It’s an hour-long experience based on mantras as choruses and breathing exercises as spoken-word lyrics.
Since she made the record in part with grant money from the SPACES Urgent Art Fund and Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, she wanted to make it useful to as many people as possible. That’s one reason she approached Erica Snowden-Rodríguez, who lends their voice and cello to “Meditación.” “It was important to me to have a meditation in Spanish because GROUNDED is a public art project,” says Ebert. “I want the piece to be accessible and inclusive in a variety of ways.”
Ebert and Snowden-Rodríguez previously worked together on “Capacity of Love” for Osmosis, the previous Uno Lady record. For “Meditación,” they wrote together at a distance, working in their respective studios and combining their efforts virtually. “I asked Erica to guide a breathing exercise and said if they wanted to add cello, go for it,” says Ebert. “They sent back the most stunning eight-minute piece. I composed the vocals around their words and looped cello. I sang arias, added field recordings of crickets and cicadas, and learned how to polytonal sing for the recording.”
To accompany GROUNDED, Ebert released a short film of the same title, incorporating selections from the album, nature footage, and animations by Sequoia Bostick. The video for “Meditación” expands on that side of the project, pairing Snowden-Rodríguez’ deep, relaxing cello drones with clouds and sunsets filmed from Ebert’s backyard. “The visuals melt like watercolors and paint landscapes to get lost in,” she says. Watching it now, I like seeing the clouds merge into each other. I appreciate that it engages an added sense and gives the audience something to view while experiencing the meditation.”
Next time you need a quiet moment and a deep breath, you can check out the video for “Meditación” here.
Meditación is free to watch and listen to. Virtual tips are welcome.
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Uno Lady’s GROUNDED: Meditación, Guiado por Erica Snowden-Rodríguez y su violonchelo
Meditación es un ejercicio de respiración compuesta por Christa Ebert y Erica Snowden-Rodríguez. Meditación está en el nuevo álbum de Uno Lady, GROUNDED. GROUNDED es una película y álbum experimental ambiental inspirado por la consciencia.