Radio Papesse

Ananda Costa's piece takes its cue from the disclosure of recent investigations about an hypothetical sonic warfare used by the Cuban government against North American diplomats.

It started few years ago, after a number of American and Canadian diplomats stationed in Cuba began to accuse severe health and hearing issues. Many speculations were made on targeted attacks and new forms of warfare.

The intelligence community got hot on the topic while top researchers tried to understand the phenomena, until…scientific research identified that the advanced audio device thought responsible for causing a number of health problems in the diplomatic community was, after all...a common American cricket known as Indies shortail cricket (Anurogryllus celerinictus).

Brasilian artist and musician Ananda Costa used this cricket as the main source for this piece by called Sonic Weapons from Latin America, a sound collage that uses archive field recordings of the Indies shortail cricket and other three tropical crickets.

The aim of this piece was to donate Latin American countries the natural science fiction weapons they are expected to have and explore the absurd relation of fear and demotion in the diplomatic environment.

Ananda A. L. Costa (b. 1990) is a Berlin­ based composer and music researcher, originally from Salvador (Brazil). She researches and teaches in the field of electronic music and theremin performance, besides composing for film and art videos. Her fields of interest are mainly Brazilian and South American music and the influence of nature and geographical stereotypes in their reception.