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Daymé Arocena: Field Recordings x Aspen Ideas Festival

The inflatable flowers scattered across Anderson Park on the campus of the Aspen Ideas Festival were part of a zero waste initiative. Created by the Australian artist Cj Hendry, Bloom is a cross-section of Hendry's ongoing exploration of botanicals and inflatables. Whimsical and naturally beautiful, this landscape is the perfect complement to the brilliant Afro-Cuban singer Daymé Arocena. A dynamic performer con carisma y fuerza, her ebullient personality and performance shines brightly even under the hot Aspen sun.

Embellished by vocalists Ayme Canto and Hilaria Cacao, who takes a tenacious trombone solo in the first tune, their ensemble is exquisite despite. Arocena then performs three powerful solo arrangements, including two passionate blues compositions: "Mean," written when she was just 15 years old, followed by "Coda" written earlier this year.

SET LIST 

  • "American Boy"
  • "Amor de Invierno"
  • "Mean"
  • "Coda"

MUSICIANS 

  • Daymé Arocena: vocals, keys
  • Ayme Canto: background vocals
  • Hilaria Cacao: trombone, background vocals

PRODUCTION TEAM

  • Director: Mito Habe-Evans
  • Editors: Annabel Edwards, Michael Zamora
  • Videographers: Mito Habe-Evans, Nickolai Hammar, Ryan Lohr, Will Sardinsky
  • Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
  • Post-Production Coordinator: Tsering Bista
  • Senior Producer, Aspen Institute: Ava Hartmann 
  • Program Associate, Aspen Institute: Jacqueline Olivas-Sison
  • Festival Director: Graham Veysey
  • Supervising Editor: Becky Lettenberger
  • Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

SPECIAL THANKS

  • Jaidyn Hurst
  • Ben James
  • Sylvie Labalme
  • Samuel Lasater
  • Matt Windholz
  • Keith Jenkins

Copyright 2025 NPR

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Suraya Mohamed is a three-time Peabody Award-winning producer, sound designer and editor. She currently serves as the project manager for Jazz Night In America and is a contributing producer on the Alt.Latino podcast. She also produces NPR's holiday specials package, including Tinsel Tales, Hanukkah Lights, Toast Of The Nation, Pink Martini's Joy To The World: A Holiday Spectacular and most recently Hamilton: A Story Of US. You'll also find her work on the Tiny Desk series as either a producer or engineer.