Gallery: Diamanda Galás performs Death Will Come And Will Have Your Eyes in Harlem
Impressions from a spellbinding night with the avant-garde icon
The volcanic composer, vocalist and activist Diamanda Galás is one of the most uncompromising and influential avant-garde performers of the last thirty years, with an extensive catalog of work that is often oppressive but always thrilling. With a searing voice and background in classical and jazz piano, Galás has continually asserted the connection between her art and activism. She's tackled subjects like torture, genocide and AIDS in ways that are both thoughtful and incendiary.
Galás has previously collaborated with musicians varying from free jazz saxophonist John Zorn and Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, to influential composer Iannis Xenakis and industrial musician FM Einheit. Her vocal technique and performance has been cited as an inspiration by performers such as PJ Harvey and Anohni. Over the past few years, Galás has been working extensively in Europe, in particular on the theatrical performance “Das Fieberspital (The Fever Hospital)” — based on the writings of Georg Heym, Gottfried Benn and herself — at the Grotowski Institute in Wroclaw, Poland.
On Tuesday, May 10th, Galás gave the first of three performances of her new show, Death Will Come And Will Have Your Eyes, at the dazzling Former St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Harlem. As her voice filled every square inch of the massive venue, Galás showcased the incredible range of not only her vocals but also her repertoire, casting a spell on her audience with the staggering magnetism of her performance.
Listen live to the second of three Diamanda Galás shows at Red Bull Music Academy Festival New York this Thursday on RBMA Radio, and check out photos from the first night by Maria Jose Govea, Drew Gurian and Jeff Thibodeau below.
