Borja Flames & Barbara Dang ‘Soy Tierra’

The Spanish composer and singer Borja Flames and the pianist, composer, and improviser Barbara Dang first crossed paths while taking part in a tribute to Moondog and his album H’art Songs. Their desire to deepen this collaboration quickly took root. With Flames on vocals and Dang on prepared piano, they bring to life Soy Tierra, a journey through South American and Spanish poetry by contemporary authors (Cristina Peregrina, Edgar Luján, Carmen Matute, Berta García Faet, Lezama Lima, among others). These poems explore the body’s relationship with its environment and with society, weaving between metaphysical introspection, earthly and cosmic thought, and the narratives of human connections—love, desire, the vital forces that drive us forward. The vocal lines draw from ancient European and Iberian traditions, touching on medieval and Gregorian melodies. Flames’ signature spoken-word emerges at times, intertwining with sonic explorations on the prepared piano, where Dang transforms a playground of objects—stones, nails, magnetic tapes, wood—into a rich and unexpected soundscape. This artistic adventure will unfold in live performances starting in 2025, followed by a recording at GMEA in Albi which will be released later.

BORJA FLAMES
A self-taught musician, he released his first LP with the band Tedium in Spain in 1997. Between 2001 and 2006, as part of the experimental duo Belmonde, he recorded three albums and composed for theater and film. In 2004, he pursued advanced musical studies in Barcelona. In 2006, he formed June et Jim with Marion Cousin, later moving to Paris. The duo recorded four albums and toured across Europe. In 2016, Borja released his debut solo album Nacer Blanco, joined Murailles Music, and toured with a quartet. His second album, Rojo Vivo, followed in 2018. He contributed to a tribute to the Saravah label with Areski Belkacem, participated in One Night Stand at the Philharmonie de Paris, and took part in the creation of Moondog’s H’art Songs. In 2021, he and Marion Cousin released the first album under the name Catalina Matorral. In 2022, he unveiled his third solo record, Nuevo Medievo, and composed Romane, an opera-novel with writer Amélie Lucas-Gary. Currently, he is working on his fourth solo album, his duo project with Barbara Dang, and Catalina Matorral’s second album.

BARBARA DANG
As a pianist from Lille and member of the Muzzix collective, Barbara Dang draws from an eclectic musical heritage. Her sound universe is shaped by experimental repertoire, leading her to embrace unconventional techniques—prepared and amplified piano, playing inside the instrument, integrating silence, and incorporating environmental sounds. Whether in small formations or large ensembles, she explores other instruments such as amplified objects, electronics, organ, and harpsichord. She performs solo as well as with various projects: Kezn, Abdou/Dang/Orins, Le Cercle… She has collaborated with Olivier Benoit, Jérémie Ternoy, Sophie Agnel, Aude Romary, the Dedalus ensemble, Tom Johnson, Radu Malfatti, Michael Pisaro, Halory Goerger, David Boinnard, and more. Between 2020 and 2021, she released two albums and recorded Tombstones (songs by Michael Pisaro).