To daydream and sleep serenely, the project unites sound, image and literature

Sleep — permeated and often dominated by resistance or impasses — is where we meet our dreams. It is when our thoughts, which scream in our ears during the day, rest peacefully and deeply. To dispel obstacles, now sleep, a fundamental part of our night, finds support in the lap of the project’s stories and songs Serene Song, curated by Thiago Ramil and anthropologist and producer Georgia Macedo. The proposal is to bring songs and storytelling that prepare us for peaceful sleep, with seven guest artists.

As if taken from the world of dreams, the project mixes the sound, with episodes of Podcasts and musical presentation; the image, with the launch of a visual album; and literature, with a digital book. The dreamlike mix will be released over eight months, with one podcast episode per month, concluding with the visual album in August and the concert and digital book in September.

A decade ago, Thiago Ramil and Raul Jung embarked on the research and practice of lullaby (storytelling and songs to sleep) in public institutions in the city of Porto Alegre and, more recently, intensified their work with a group of civil society supporters. who believes in the work that has been developed.

The new phase of the project now begins with the launch of a series of seven podcasts with guest storytellers, all masters of knowledge and artists. The public will be able to soothe themselves in the cultural expressions of different regions of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, brought by these stories, accompanied by songs for each episode. Afterwards, this material will be released in the format of an animated visual album with the seven songs; a digital book with the stories, images and tracks, as well as a special free show with the lullabies of the Serene Song and guest participation.

The first episode will be released this Friday (27). Written by Thiago Ramil and Raul Jung, Psychologist at the UFRGS School of Application, the story is called The colored tears of a talking tree and introduces us to Marcela, who believed she didn’t need to sleep. After a sleepless night, she falls asleep on her way to school and, in her dream, comes across a large tree. As the tree falls from the dew, the tree lets “colored tears” drip from its leaves: stories and experiences that accompany the girl throughout her life.

“Sleep is a sensitive point in our psychic constitution and there are multiple difficulties related to sleep. It represents a challenge for many people at different ages. It is a moment of solitude, sometimes of anguish, and we realize that Calanto is a process that helps to face and soften this moment, and not run away from it”, suggests Thiago Ramil, who, alongside psychologist Raul Jung, has been experiencing and developing the project with children and teenagers from foster homes and municipal public schools in Porto Alegre since 2012.

The extension of this project materializes in the podcast Serene Song, which makes us listen with attentive ears about popular culture and the moment of sleep, taking us serenely to the closing of our eyes and the opening of the door to the universe of dreams. In addition, the production values ​​social, ethnic and racial diversity, with the oral transmission of stories and experiences brought by the guests.

All the stories on the podcast will dissolve the boundaries between stories and music and will receive original tracks composed or adapted by Thiago Ramil, whether sung, instrumental or with other sound elements. The episodes will be released month by month, ending in July, and, at the end of the project, will be available as a digital book on the website of Serene Song.

The next episodes will feature Iracema Gah Téh Nascimento, indigenous teacher and kujá (pajé) of the Kaingang people; Maurício Alves, social educator for 20 years in the socio-assistance network of Porto Alegre; Clarissa Ferreira, violinist, composer, postgraduate in Art Therapy and PhD in Ethnomusicology; Maria Ortega, Mbyá-Guarani indigenous teacher, kindergarten teacher at the school located in the Koenju Indigenous Land; Pedro Bertoldi, professor and active in socio-educational projects in Porto Alegre; Iara Deodoro, post-graduated in Popular Education, Management of Social Movements and Graduated in Social Assistance.

After the podcast episodes, the journey of the project will follow an extensive itinerary, starting at the first stop on August 11th, with the release of the visual album “Sereno Canto”. Then, on the 1st of September, the Digital Book will be released along with the Digital Album. Coming to the last stop, the album release show, on September 15th.

“Lulking is not just a lullaby or a bedtime story. It is a set of intentions supported by sweet melody, deep narratives and exchange. A way to a peaceful and safe sleep”, suggests Ramil. The project is made possible by the Culture Incentive Law of the State of Rio Grande do Sul.