Kanchay_Yupana/ /: Tangible rhythm sequencer inspired by ancestral Andean technologies

Laddy Patricia Cadavid Hinojosa

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

• Year: 2022
• Location: The University of Auckland, New Zealand
• Article Number: 56
• DOI: 10.21428/92fbeb44.61d01269 (Link to paper)
• PDF link
• Presentation Video

Abstract:

The Kanchay_Yupana// is an open-source NIME for the generation of rhythms, inspired by the Andean yupana: a tangible board similar to an abacus of different sizes and materials with a system of carved geometric boxes into which seeds or pebbles were disposed to perform arithmetic calculations, used since pre-colonial times. As in the traditional artifact, the interaction of this new electronic yupana is based on the arrangement of seeds on a specially designed board with boxes, holes, and photoresistors. The shadow detected by the seeds’ positioning sends real-time motion data in MIDI messages to Pure Data in a drum machine patch. As a result, percussion samples of Andean instruments fill pulses in a four-quarter beat, generating patterns that can be transformed live into different rhythms. This interface complements the Electronic_Khipu_ (a previous NIME based on an Andean khipu) by producing the rhythmic component. This experience unites ancestral and contemporary technologies in experimental sound performance following the theoretical-practical research on the vindication of the memory in ancestral Andean technological interfaces made invisible by colonization, reusing them from a decolonial perspective in NIMEs.

Citation:

BibTeX Entry:

  @inproceedings{NIME22_56,
 abstract = {The Kanchay_Yupana// is an open-source NIME for the generation of rhythms, inspired by the Andean yupana: a tangible board similar to an abacus of different sizes and materials with a system of carved geometric boxes into which seeds or pebbles were disposed to perform arithmetic calculations, used since pre-colonial times. As in the traditional artifact, the interaction of this new electronic yupana is based on the arrangement of seeds on a specially designed board with boxes, holes, and photoresistors. The shadow detected by the seeds’ positioning sends real-time motion data in MIDI messages to Pure Data in a drum machine patch. As a result, percussion samples of Andean instruments fill pulses in a four-quarter beat, generating patterns that can be transformed live into different rhythms. This interface complements the Electronic_Khipu_ (a previous NIME based on an Andean khipu) by producing the rhythmic component. This experience unites ancestral and contemporary technologies in experimental sound performance following the theoretical-practical research on the vindication of the memory in ancestral Andean technological interfaces made invisible by colonization, reusing them from a decolonial perspective in NIMEs.},
 address = {The University of Auckland, New Zealand},
 articleno = {56},
 author = {Cadavid Hinojosa, Laddy Patricia},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 copyright = {Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International},
 doi = {10.21428/92fbeb44.61d01269},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {jun},
 pdf = {49.pdf},
 presentation-video = {https://youtu.be/MpMFL6R14kQ},
 title = {Kanchay_Yupana{\slash \slash}: Tangible rhythm sequencer inspired by ancestral Andean technologies},
 url = {https://doi.org/10.21428/92fbeb44.61d01269},
 year = {2022}
}