Carolina Oliveros Work-in-Progress Showing

Join us for a work-in-progress showing of a new theatrical performance by Colombian-born, Brooklyn-based artist Carolina Oliveros, presented at the culmination of her residency at ArtYard.

During her residency, Oliveros is developing a live presentation for Ya Rompimos el Silencio, her first solo studio album. Rooted in her Afro-Caribbean heritage and shaped by a unique musical path — from formal opera training to performing in heavy metal bands in Colombia — this album embodies a sound that is mystical and rebellious, ancestral and experimental. Her solo work explores lineage, spirituality, and resistance through a bold sonic language that lives as powerfully onstage as it does in the recordings.

Known as the voice of Combo Chimbita and the founder of the bullerengue-fusion project Bulla En El Barrio, Oliveros brings together hypnotic percussion, layered vocals, chant, improvisation, and traditional drums in a sound that is both deeply rooted and radically exploratory. Her solo work draws on lineage, spirituality, and resistance, creating a musical world that feels at once ancient and searching.

This residency marks the next stage of her new work, translating the album into a fully realized live experience. Oliveros and her collaborators are building a permanent band, shaping live arrangements, and developing a theatrical presentation that expands beyond the traditional concert format. The result will weave together music, movement, visual elements, and narrative to create a performance world that reflects the album’s emotional arc.

This informal showing offers a first look at that work in progress, and an opportunity to experience a new live work as it takes shape.