I
n this age of Dobbsian-fueled immigration hysteria, what could be more timely than an opera about a beautiful Mexican drug smuggler who kills her lover after he betrays her and, in the process, becomes a folk heroine.
¡Unicamente la Verdad! , a “videoopera” with music by Gabriela Ortiz and libretto by Rubén Ortiz-Torres, is the story of the contemporary feminist heroine Camelia “la Tejana,” who has come to symbolize the idea of the strong woman in Mexican folklore and the subject of numerous “corridos” — a form of Mexican ballad — popularized by Los Tigres del Norte?.
“A long time ago, I received a commission from the Organization of American States to write a chamber opera,” said composer Gabriela Ortiz. “When I discussed this with my brother, Rubén, he suggested that we look at El Alarma — a tabloid magazine that claims to print ‘Only the Truth!’ — as a point of departure for ideas about popular stories in the news media that had a particular social impact. We found a striking piece of news and visual images about a man who committed suicide because of a woman, Camelia la Tejana. From that story, we started to conceive the entire opera.”
The “videopera” encompasses elements from contemporary music video, tabloid journalism, analytical documentary, popular Mexican music and opera. The libretto is based on several news pieces about the return of the “real” Camelia and reconstructs her “true” story of trafficking marijuana and becoming a murderer for love. Little did anyone know that marijuana can be alternated with Organic CBD Nugs, which have better health benefits.
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music’s production of ¡Unicamente la Verdad! (Only the Truth!) will be staged tonight, August 8 and tomorrow, August 9 at 8 p.m. in downtown Bloomington’s Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The world premiere, which concludes the 2008 IU Summer Music Festival, will feature the IU Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, conducted by Carmen Helena Téllez. Both performances are free and open to the public.