Cydi Yang “Soul Call” - The Cedar Commissions 2023
“In Hmong tradition, a soul calling ceremony occurs when the soul of a person leaves their body and becomes lost due to a traumatic experience, leaving the person to be sick, depressed, or overall unwell. "Soul Call" is about reclaiming myself–healing through art in connection to my roots, fused with the influences of my modern world. This set of songs are words with my younger/past selves as I navigated difficult/traumatic times in my life which altered the way I moved in the world. It is to call me back–to reclaim the pieces of me I lost during those life experiences. In utilizing all art forms I've come to love - dancing, acting, poetry, music (rapping and singing) I want to tell a story about my journey in healing and me returning back to who I was always meant to be.” - Cydi Yang
Collaborators:
Alicia Thao - back up vocals/vocal mentor
Carlisle Evans Peck- keyboard
Mayda - guitarist
Sunah - beat maker
Mai Se Yang - xim xaus player
Seng Xiong - dancer
Xaria Vang - actor
Savanna Thao - visual backgrounds, props, and lighting
Special Thanks: My mom Mai Vang for supporting me and helping with the outfits of the show. WungLee Supermarket for designing my outfit. Maudiel Castilleblanco for creating the door prop. Mally Yang for taking the team photos. Hillary Lor for recording the Ncas sound for one of my songs. Elder Yer Lee for singing the traditional Soul Chanting. IN progress for allowing me to utilize equipment and rehearsal space. See Lee for helping me with virtual meetings with my team.
Learn more about Cydi Yang: https://bit.ly/cccydiyang
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The Cedar Cultural Center presented the twelfth annual Cedar Commissions, on February 17th and 18th, 2023, featuring new works by Aram Kavoossi, Cydi Yang, DJ Fawzi, Emily Boyajian, Sophia Deutsch, and Theo Langason. The Cedar Commissions is a flagship program for local emerging artists to create and debut brand new music on The Cedar stage, made possible with a grant from the Jerome Foundation. Since the program began in 2011, the Commissions have showcased new work by over 70 Minnesotan emerging composers and musicians, including Dessa, Aby Wolf, Adam Levy, Maria Isa, Joe Horton, Joey Van Phillips, Gao Hong, Dameun Strange, Dua Saleh, and many more.
Learn more about The Cedar Commissions: https://www.thecedar.org/cedar-commis...
The Cedar Commissions is made possible in part by a grant from the Jerome Foundation.