Over this period of strict quarantine rules, people could not go outside and have a normal social life. Therefore, the loud banging was also a way for people to express their feelings, political views, and share a common space through sound. In a way, panelaço can be considered as a social act which gives shape to a new type of collectiveness, in a creative manner.

In the context of Latin American countries such as Argentina and Chile (where panelaço is called, in Spanish, “cacerolazo”), and Brazil, such practice of banging pans as a form of protest has become quite common nowadays. It is an extremely simple act in which anyone can participate; it is indeed a DIY kind of demonstration. In addition, since pots and pans obviously relate to food, such acts can also be interpreted as a strive for survival in times of crisis. Yet, in this era of social distancing and community containment, this practice has come to hold a new meaning for people: a way of coping with a new reality and connect with others through sound. In panelaço, sound reveals itself in its sociality as it operates as a medium for political discourse, going beyond the physical and aesthetic level. This is why it inspired me on a fundamental level.

While listening to the multitude of spontaneous banging and shouting coming from outside the window, I decided to participate in their angry and euphoric demand for change in my own way, through an improvisation with my modular synthesizer. Then, original sounds of Brazilian panelaço were collected from the Internet and added to create a polyphonic composition in which each sound fragment would respond and communicate with each other in an improvised fashion. This is how and why these three tracks “Movimento 1”, “Movimento 2”, “Movimento 3” came about."

- Yama Yuki

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Sampled, performed ,recorded, and edited by Yama Yuki

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Mastered at Casa Metaesquema 

Artwork design by Oliver Barrett