What do you bring with you when you have to leave and leave everything? Throughout the centuries, people have left for various reasons, willingly or unintentionally. They have carried memories in the form of songs.

If you heard someone suspire is a journey to early phases of flamenco. The music of this performance is based on the historical elements of flamenco style petenera, which has been considered to be somehow fateful in nature.

Petenera has entered the genre of flamenco via Mexico in the mid-19th century, but its roots reach back to different layers of early European music. Echoes of folk songs, old romances and Sephardic Jew melodies can be heard in the music.

The songs of various eras and places tell of departure and departed longing.

Performers: Erika Alajärvi, Ulla Paakkunainen and Mika Seppänen

Choreographer: Erika Alajärvi

Music: Jos kuulisit jonkun huokaavan (folk song petenera from Andalucia, origin unknown, tranlation to Finnish: Aale Tynni), Ah, el novio no quere dinero (a Sephardic Jewish wedding song from the 16th century), Como la rosa en la güerta (15th century, recorded from Rhodes), Petenera (flamenco versions from about 1845, Spain), A la una yo nací (also known as Nana Sefardí, Petenera del Niño Turco, before 1492, Turkey), Romance de la monja (the first written version was published in the 1550s in the collection Silva de Romances, Spain ), J. S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor BWV 1011: I. Prélude (1717-1723), Si hasta ti llega un suspiro (folk song petenera from Andalucia, origin unknown) ja Peteneras antiguas (at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Mexico )

Music arrangement: Mika Seppänen, Ulla Paakkunainen and Erika Alajärvi

Costumes: Ateljee Anna Pérez

Production: Hierbabuena

Websites: www.hierbabuena.fi www.ullapaakkunainen.com

Premiere: June 19, 2019 Aino Acktén kamarifestivaali, Helsinki, Finland

Thank you

Than you for supporting the choreographical work for this piece.