Tasveer and Seattle Opera announce new partnership

The South Asian film and arts nonprofit will host annual Film Summit in Tagney Jones Hall

Tasveer staff members Rita Meher, Anterpreet Bains, Uzma Khan, and Khenrab Palden. © David Jaewon Oh.

The South Asian film and arts nonprofit Tasveer has moved its administrative staff into the Opera Center, where they will share facilities and event space with Seattle Opera staff. In addition to access to workspace, storage, and technical support, Tasveer will host its annual Film Summit in Tagney Jones Hall, Seattle Opera’s 200-seat theater.

Indigenizing Opera: Renson Madarang

In a year where racial equity has been top of mind, what does decolonization in opera look like? Decolonization is the process of breaking down systems that place Western worldviews above all others. This is relevant for opera, which has often existed through the lens of narrow, European perspectives. Opera has often told stories that exoticized People of Color. They are depicted as caricatures (Ping, Pang, and Pong), tragically foreign (Cio-Cio-San), stereotypes (Sportin' Life), or as sexy, exotic firecrackers (Carmen). But decolonization is about returning to our shared place of humanity; here, we can no longer hide behind our own ignorance, or create stories about people whom we fear or don't know. Decolonization is about recognizing one another as equals, and courageously embracing our differences. It requires valuing Indigenous ways of life, and ensuring that Indigenous people are able to determine their own destinies, be it in a story or in real life. 

One person who is finding ways to be his full self in opera is tenor Renson Madarang. Madarang has performed on operatic and concert stages around the world, as well as in the studio collaborating with Disney. As a Kanaka ʻŌiwi (being of Native Hawaiian and Filipino descent), he is also a member of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I. In addition to his work in the arts, Madarang is passionate about his work at Indiana University's First Nations Educational & Cultural Center (FNECC). As the Native Education and Programs Assistant, he's been working with various departments and schools at IU, discussing issues around Native voice and the systemic oppression of racialized minorities in higher education. He recently engaged with Music Education students surrounding Native/Indigenous music, and its treatment in American Music Education. Madarang describes his experience as having a "decolonized identity" in a "colonized art." As someone who loves opera and is committed to the sovereignty of his own people, he has ideas on both potential problems—and exciting collaborations—between Indigenous people and Western art forms.   

What is it like having a decolonized identity within a colonized art? How do you navigate that?

I would liken it to being an analog person in a digital world. I try to live out parts of my Native Hawaiian culture, but it’s still very much a colonizers’ world. You still need the ability to be able to code-switch between cultures. Indigenizing opera is not an easy task, but it’s an idea we still need to embrace. Opera is for all people—it has the ability to embrace our Indigenous mechanisms, our sounds, our ideas. Opera can be a bridge between people, too. Every culture uses music and movement to present stories. Opera can be a vehicle to introduce Indigenous ways of knowing and existing to the non-Indigenous.