Matana Roberts
Matana Roberts is a highly acclaimed saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and sound experimentalist based in New York City. Known for her powerful and thought-provoking works that explore the intersections of memory, history, identity, and social justice, Roberts has been hailed as "one of the most important figures in contemporary American music" (The Quietus).
Roberts' most ambitious and celebrated project to date is the Coin Coin series. This multi-chapter work traces the legacies of slavery, racism, and resistance in America through a highly original and deeply personal sonic language. The first three albums in the series, released between 2011 and 2015, showcased Roberts' panoramic sound-quilting approach, blending elements of avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, spoken word, folk music, and field recordings into immersive and evocative soundscapes.
With Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis, released in 2019, Roberts continued to push the boundaries of her artistry, assembling a new ensemble of musicians from New York and Montreal to interpret her visionary graphic scores and perform her intricate vocal and instrumental arrangements. The album, hailed as "a majestic masterpiece" (The Wire), weaves together a diverse array of musical traditions, from blues and gospel to Arabic and West African, to create a dynamic and emotionally charged meditation on memory, loss, and resilience.
Roberts' work is deeply rooted in her personal and familial history as a Black American, and she often draws on her own experiences and those of her ancestors to create her art. As she explained in an interview with The Guardian, "My music is about the experience of being a Black person in America and the things I've seen and felt and heard. It's about the struggle for freedom and the ongoing fight for dignity and equality."
Beyond the Coin Coin series, Roberts has been active as a collaborator and sideman in a wide range of musical contexts, from jazz and experimental music to theater and dance. She has worked with artists such as Anthony Braxton, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Vijay Iyer, and Henry Threadgill, among others, and has been commissioned by institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Walker Art Center.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Roberts is also a scholar and educator and has taught at institutions such as the New England Conservatory and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She has been recognized with numerous awards and honours, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2019.
Matana Roberts is a highly acclaimed saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, and sound experimentalist based in New York City. Known for her powerful and thought-provoking works that explore the intersections of memory, history, identity, and social justice, Roberts has been hailed as "one of the most important figures in contemporary American music" (The Quietus).
Roberts' most ambitious and celebrated project to date is the Coin Coin series. This multi-chapter work traces the legacies of slavery, racism, and resistance in America through a highly original and deeply personal sonic language. The first three albums in the series, released between 2011 and 2015, showcased Roberts' panoramic sound-quilting approach, blending elements of avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, spoken word, folk music, and field recordings into immersive and evocative soundscapes.
With Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis, released in 2019, Roberts continued to push the boundaries of her artistry, assembling a new ensemble of musicians from New York and Montreal to interpret her visionary graphic scores and perform her intricate vocal and instrumental arrangements. The album, hailed as "a majestic masterpiece" (The Wire), weaves together a diverse array of musical traditions, from blues and gospel to Arabic and West African, to create a dynamic and emotionally charged meditation on memory, loss, and resilience.
Roberts' work is deeply rooted in her personal and familial history as a Black American, and she often draws on her own experiences and those of her ancestors to create her art. As she explained in an interview with The Guardian, "My music is about the experience of being a Black person in America and the things I've seen and felt and heard. It's about the struggle for freedom and the ongoing fight for dignity and equality."
Beyond the Coin Coin series, Roberts has been active as a collaborator and sideman in a wide range of musical contexts, from jazz and experimental music to theater and dance. She has worked with artists such as Anthony Braxton, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Vijay Iyer, and Henry Threadgill, among others, and has been commissioned by institutions such as the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Walker Art Center.
In addition to her musical pursuits, Roberts is also a scholar and educator and has taught at institutions such as the New England Conservatory and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. She has been recognized with numerous awards and honours, including a MacArthur Fellowship in 2019.
