roadS to then

tour / project information

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Composer, performer, writer, and researcher, Sorana Santos presents a fascinating insight into Joni Mitchell’s Hejira as seen through the lens of her recreation of the 4200-mile road-trip on which the album was largely written, visiting some of its landmarks, including a now-closed Staten Island guitar shop, as well as recreating some of its other events. In this project, Roads to Then, Sorana analyses the symbology she found interlacing both the lyrics and music of this seminal work, and performs her response to Hejira on voice and piano, re-imagined as a collage blurring time and memory with fragments taken from the Great American Songbook, contemporary composers Adams and Cage, the 90’s activist scenes, and the sounds and experiences Sorana encountered en route. This talk/performance sheds light on the parallel themes women encounter travelling solo, bringing current discussions on trauma, addiction, and parity to the forefront, while simultaneously demystifying some of Mitchell’s more metaphysical musings.

“Singing to make the soul soar, and storytelling that took you there” - Max Reinhardt

“Took my breath away” - Tom Robinson, BBC Introducing

•[NB: the talk can include powerpoint slides and/or photos from the trip if the venue wishes. Please see above for examples of images.]

TALK/PERFORMANCE SAMPLE

[WILTONS MUSIC HALL, 22ND MAY 2023, w/ Vanessa kissule and amy key]

BIOgraphy

Recognised for her music’s ‘fresh originality and power’, BASCA-nominated performer, composer, writer, and researcher, Sorana Santos, brings together elements of the jazz, songwriting, and contemporary music worlds to create work that explores the semantics, sound, and structure of music that also incorporates the literary world into it. Her portfolio includes commissions from and work with the BBC, Tate Modern, and The Rose Theatre Southbank, as well as national and international broadcasts across the Sky and BBC networks. A former lecturer at Oxford University, Sorana is a graduate of the Guildhall School and holds a PhD from Royal Holloway. She currently mentors for ECSA-AEC (co-funded by the European Commission) and teaches across her specialisms at The Guildhall’s Centre for Young Musicians.

high-res photos

trip photo examples…

For venues who would like the talk to include photos of the trip alongside the talk/performance.

secret blog

Access the journey’s secret blog: www.soranasantos.com/hejira-blog - password ‘refugeoftheroads’