...is an ever-growing collection of art films documenting scenes experienced
during the perpetual travels of Thollem and Angela C Villa. The subjects of these
films include art in galleries and studios as well as public works, murals, graffiti
and unique travel scenes. They are accompanied by audio recordings of pianist/ comproviser Thollem, playing with some of the greatest improvisors of today.
The films are shown as gallery exhibits, as well as presented live by these two peripatetic artists.
Thollem travels perpetually as a pianist, vocalist, collaborator and facilitator. His musical
experiences are extremely diverse and his ever expanding variety of approaches to making
music result in dramatically new and different outcomes. He plays in punk clubs, museums,
concert halls and riots. He works regularly with film makers, dancers, poets and painters as
well as a wide array of divergent musicians and communities. He is the founding director
of Estamos Ensemble, a Mexican-American cross-border ensemble for musical exchange,
as well as lead singer of Tsigoti, a socio-politically charged avant-punk band among many
other groups and collaborations.
Thollem's keyboard flights unleash cascades of notes of seemingly impossible velocity and no
matter where he goes tonally, it always seems right, fresh and satisfying. He should be on
everyone's listening list who appreciates great piano music. As an improviser, he inhabits
a world uniquely his own, rhythmically, harmonically and formally. A true original. - Terry Riley
Not long after birth, Thollem began studying the keyboard repertoire from the medieval
to the 20th century. After graduating with degrees in both piano performance and
composition, he dedicated his time for years in grassroots political and ecological
movements before returning to his own music with his full focus in 2005. Since then,
he has added 24 albums to his discography on 10 different vanguard record labels in
4 different countries. He is currently touring perpetually as a soloist, in collaboration
with many other individuals and groups, as well as leading large ensemble free
improvisation/collaboration workshops.
Thollem performs in theaters, art galleries, universities, elementary schools, concert halls,
jazz clubs, rock clubs, festivals, warehouses, house concerts, streets, prisons, forests,
riots and on television, radio and the internet. He has performed piano concertos with
symphonies, played in West African drumming troupes, Javanese gamelan ensembles,
punk bands, free improv ensembles, and regularly collaborates as a comproviser for film
and modern dance. He participates in communities as he travels, collaborating with
individuals and organizations, helping to connect artistic communities and artists. "Thollem McDonas is simply one of the great improvisers of today" - The Detroiter (U.S.)
Thollem McDonas does what few can: He combines extreme imagination with terrific post-classical chops and
an ability to communicate through melody a fresh, disciplined avant-pianist
with an attractively extreme viewpoint." - Greg Burk - LA Weekly (U.S.)
Some collaborators last couple of years not in order of importance: Stefano Scodanibbio, Nels Cline, William Parker, Jad Fair, Mike Watt, Rent Romus, Alex Cline,
Amy Denio, Faruq Z. Bey, Arrington de Dionyso, John Dieterich, LaDonna Smith, Vinny Golia,
Ava Mendoza, Eduardo Ricci, Tatsuya Nakatani, Jacopo Andreini, Gino Robair, Joel Peterson,
Ben Wright, Nicola Guazzaloca, Andrea Caprara, Marco Eneidi, Tim DuRoche, João Castro Pinto,
Bruce Ackley, Theresa Wong, Greg Saunier
Cinema Picoas
tours the
United States
In 2012, the focus of this project is the States where Thollem and
Angela will be touring until mid-November, after the presidential
elections. They will continue to collect and create films from their
interactions with the communities and the environment throughout
this country. Cinema Picoas is open to invitations from galleries,
homes, museums, classrooms, listening venues, etc. For more
information about exhibiting these films or hosting a presentation,
please contact
Angela C Villa was a bilingual Spanish teacher and painter with words. Her
observations continue with camera in hand. Traveling perpetually with
Thollem as of 2008, Angela has made photos throughout their travels
in North America and Europe, and became a videographer of concerts and
scenes, seeing and listening to Life in new and unique ways.
This following example is the first collaboration for Cinema Picoas taken
the opening night of the inaugural installation for Nomad Gallery at The
Flying House in Lisboa, Portugal. It's an old factory building near the
Lisbon airport. Thollem played this night with dUASsEMIcOLCHEIASiNVERTIDAS, a local ensemble from Lisbon.
The music accompanying the film is from the duo album "All For Now"
on Dromos Records (Portugal) with John Dieterich (Deerhoof)