The underwater forest

“The underwater forest” tells the story of people living in the mangrove and flooded forests of the south coast of Irian Jaya by the Arafura Sea. It describes their use of art in collective spiritual rites. In particular, in animist ceremonies used to accompanying the soul of the dead in its transit to the world of the ancestors. The main character in the story is an Asmat warrior, outstanding for his courage and strength. The cello gives voice to the Asmat warrior, leader of the dwellers of the flooded forest. The clarinet voices the sound of the wind, which acts as a dynamic force animating the soul of the creatures in the forest. Towards the end of the piece, the clarinet gives its breath to the spirit of the warrior. The violin represents the spirit of the warrior which travels, at the end, to the aquatic world inhabited by the soul of the dead.