The project began with a musical creation by Aruán Ortiz—an avant-garde jazz pianist, violinist, singer, and composer—drawing inspiration from Tropiques, the influential journal the Césaire’s founded in 1940s Martinique.
Building around this creation, HotHouse invited additional co-presenters, transforming the project into a dynamic six-part program that spans film screenings, a masterclass, and a concert. The program delves into Afro-centric surrealism, Négritude, Caribbean liberation, pan-Africanism, and the expression of marginalized voices.
Master Class with Aruán Ortiz
Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center
Nov 13, 2024 – 6PM
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Aruán Ortiz’s workshop aims to help students expand their musical expression by integrating influences from contemporary classical music, Afro-Cuban polyrhythms, and avant-garde improvisation. The class will focus on rhythmic patterns, harmonic expansion, and exercises to build unique musical structures.
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Concert – Reimagining Tropiques: Then and Now
Constellation Chicago
Nov 14, 2024 – 8PM
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This musical work draws inspiration from the Martinican journal Tropiques (1941-1945), exploring Négritude, creolization, and transatlantic Surrealism. Featuring Ortiz, Anaïs Maviel, and Aliya Ultan, the performance combines musical essays addressing both contemporary and historical social and political issues.
This concert has been made possible through Jazz & New Music, a program of Villa Albertine and Albertine Foundation, with support from the French Ministry of Culture, Institut français, SACEM (Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique) and the CNM (Centre National de la Musique).
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Screening – Two movies by Sarah Maldoror and Manthia Diawara
Chicago Filmmakers
Nov 15, 2024 – 7PM
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- Un Homme Une Terre/ At the End of Daybreak by Sarah Maldoror
With remarks by Chicago-based curator and writer Denny Mwaura.
Sarah Maldoror’s film Aimé Césaire, Un Homme Une Terre offers an intimate portrait of Martinican poet and activist Aimé Césaire, co-founder of the Négritude movement. The film explores his life and legacy, highlighting his commitment to defending Black culture through Marxist and anti-colonial perspectives.
- Négritude: A Dialogue Between Wole Soyinka and Senghor by Manthia Diawara
Remarks by Roselyne Gerazime, Assistant Professor, Department of French and Francophone Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago.
This imagined dialogue between Léopold Sédar Senghor, a Négritude founding father, and Nobel laureate is based on archival materials. It explores Négritude’s relevance amid criticism, focusing on its influence on the decolonization movements of the 1950s and 1960s and contemporary issues like nationalism, religious intolerance, multiculturalism, migration from the Global South, and xenophobic immigration policies in the West.
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Screening – Aimé Césaire : A Voice For History/Aimé Césaire: Une voix pour l'histoire by Euzhan Palcy
Alliance Française de Chicago
Nov 16, 2024 – 2PM
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A three-part documentary on Martinican poet Aimé Césaire, exploring his life, the philosophy of Négritude, and the challenges of post-colonialism. The film highlights Césaire’s intellectual journey and his encounters with figures like Léopold Sédar Senghor.
Reception after the film sponsored by Villa Albertine.
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About Aruán Ortiz:
Aruán Ortiz, born in Santiago de Cuba, is a celebrated pianist, violist, and composer known for his innovative work in the US progressive jazz and avant-garde scenes. Blending Afro-Haitian traditions, avant-garde jazz, and classical influences, Ortiz centers the Afro-Caribbean experience in his compositions. He holds an MFA in music composition and has received honors such as the 2024 Guggenheim Fellowship and the 2014 Doris Duke Impact Award. His work includes Episodes of an Unforeseen Departure (2023) and Pastor’s Paradox (2022).
About Aimé and Suzanne Césaire:
Aimé Césaire, a Martinican poet, author, and politician, co-founded the Négritude movement with Léopold Senghor and Léon Damas, promoting Black pride and anti-colonial thought. His seminal works include Cahier d’un retour au pays natal, capturing the colonial experience, and his plays that blend modernist and surrealist elements to resist colonial oppression.
Suzanne Césaire, a theorist and writer, co-founded the journal Tropiques with Aimé. A key figure in Négritude and surrealism, she explored the Caribbean’s multi-ethnic potential and redefined colonial stereotypes. Her work emphasized cultural transformation over a return to roots, advocating for a vibrant, experimental approach to identity.
About HotHouse:
HotHouse, founded in 1988 by Marguerite Horberg, is a Chicago-based non-profit known for creating inclusive cultural spaces. It has hosted groundbreaking events like Chicago’s first Flamenco Festival and showcased experimental voices from the African Diaspora. HotHouse continues to produce diverse cultural programming while pursuing plans for a permanent arts center on Chicago’s South Side.
