Sounding the landscapes of the páramos in the Colombian Andes (From 2025)

In South America, as well as in parts of Africa and New Guinea, there are highly fragile ecosystems known as páramos. These mountain ecosystems exist above the forests, typically at altitudes exceeding 3,000 meters above sea level. Recently, the páramos in South America have experienced catastrophic changes—largely driven by climate change, the rapid pace of modernity, and the overconsumption of natural resources. Many of the communities that inhabit Colombia’s páramos are vulnerable ones of smallholders and Indigenous people who have lived in these high-altitude regions for thousands of years, preserving their traditions far from the influences of the outside world. Páramo Sonoro is a project designed to connect the world with these unique ecosystems, always from the perspective of the people who call them home. Collaborating with communities from the páramo of Berlín in Santander, and the páramos of Guatanfur and Chingaza in Cundinamarca, a group of musicians and sound artists will conduct field recordings in six páramos across the Colombian Andes. Three of these ecosystems have been severely impacted by wildfires, while the other three remain healthy. Through their music and sound recordings, the artists aim to engage directly with the páramos, exploring how these landscapes respond to sound. They will make subterranean and aerial recordings to compare the sounds of the earth before and after their intervention, seeking to answer questions such as: Can a sound exchange or collective creation occur between the land and the people? How do the sounds of scorched earth differ from those of a healthy ecosystem?