Tizoc

QUE SIGNIFICA...

By archiving recorded whistles and portraits of whistlers I hope to address the following questions:  How is whistling a creative pursuit and what are the performance elements seen in this style of communication? What are ways to elevate quotidian moments, such as whistling, to an art form? How can this process successfully provoke dialogue and interaction between strangers of various backgrounds?

I hope that my project will serve as a way to increase awareness of a cultural phenomenon unknown to many outside of Latin America, and frequently overlooked by the very people who practice it daily.

During my residency in Mexico, three years ago, I heard a variety of whistling tones and cadences, examples include: calling between male friends in Mazatlan, a police officer directing traffic in Guadalajara, a mother calling her children and street market vendors in Mexico City using "chiflidos" to call attention to their wares.

Guadalajara: street whistle

 Guadalajara: street whistle by chiflidos



Whistling done in Guadalajara, Mexico by Octavio. Recorded at La Plaza de Armas in 2007.

Fiat: car commercial

There are two really great moments in this commercial:
1. The drawings of "Wanted" whistlers (0:31)
2. The whistling 'make out' scene--- this moment is simply brilliant! (0:35)

Mazatlán: pistola

 Mazatlán: pistola by chiflidos


"Pistola" (banda de guerra tunes) whistling done in Mazatlán, Mexico by Christian. Recorded by the Pacific ocean in 2007

Bird or Man?

Guadalajara: whistled chiste

"Un Chiste" whistling done in Guadalajara, Mexico. Recorded inside a tattoo shop in 2007

Guadalajara: "chinga tu ...."

"Chinga tu madre" whistling done in Guadalajara, Mexico. Recorded inside a tattoo shop in 2007

OBJECTIVE

- Seek volunteers to interview
- Record audio of various whistle styles and "songs" by participants
- Take portrait photographs- before and during the act of whistling

-    

      

        INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:

1.     Do you know how to whistle?

2.     How and when did you learn to whistle?

3.     Do you consider whistling a form of communication?

4.     What type of uses does whistling have?

5.     Do you think you used whistling more in your home country?

6.     If you grew up in Latin America how many years have you lived in the U.S?

-      

Mazatlán: call and response

Mazatlán: call and response by chiflidos

"Call and Response" whistling done in Mazatlán, Mexico by Christian and Bernardo. Recorded by the Pacific ocean in 2007