Turning Jewels Into Water

When Momin was an artist-in-residence at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn NY in 2017, he’d invited Val Jeanty for an informal jam session, which led to the formation of Turning Jewels Into Water. The name of the project alludes to one of the impacts of climate-change where water itself will become an extremely precious resource in the near future.

Their collaboration, rooted in improvisation, evokes the esoteric realms of the creative subconscious. Drawing from the voodoo religion, Val recreates the ancient rhythms and pulse of Haiti through digital beats, while Momin, rooted in Indian folk and Black Music traditions, is also influenced by street music from Sao Paulo to Durban. Drawing on the AACM motto of “ancient to the future,” they employ cutting-edge music-technological tools such as Ableton, acoustic drums outfitted with Sensory Percussion triggers, Force Sensing Resistor (FSR) drum pads and Smart Fabric MIDI Controllers, to create music with spiritual…