TUNING IN TO THE PALABRA SESSIONS
Palabra reintroduces themselves as a music venue this fall with the Palabra Sessions, curating a unique lineup of immersive sound experiences.
Words by Anitah Imani
Photos by Anitah Imani and Justine Lavilla
Featuring interview with Jorge Ignacio Torres and Priscilla Urritia
9.18.24
“We're not a traditional venue space. Like no one is coming in here and just plugging in. We're literally creating this whole experience around their music from the moment they enter; the color, the smell, who's opening for them, it’s all these things that we're pairing.”
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Photo by Anitah Imani
We lingered outside, in the front of the lofty concrete and spacious building. A lively red light poured from the tall windows onto the sidewalk, like a gentle glow kissing the ground. Charmed by the inviting light, we attempted to enter through the front of the building, but were stalled by the firm locked door. We knew we had to enter through the back.
Understanding the synergy of the building is an integral component of interacting with the space, Palabra, according to co-owner Jorge Ignacio Torres.
“That's such a whatever thing, but it's like, you have to go all the way around. And it may sound so simple, but some people don't go all the way around, and that's okay. But when you get in, it's worth it. It's like that gift that you're unraveling and unraveling.”
The dynamic art entity and community gathering destination Palabra (Futuro), has held presence in the Phoenix arts community for over a decade, and has grown in rhythm with the city.
“We felt like Phoenix was gonna come up. I don't know what, mind you, there was nothing,” Jorge mentions.
First opening under the name Propaganda in 2007 on Grand Avenue, and then transitioning to a different building off of 7th and Pierce in 2012, Palabra primarily functioned as an art gallery and hair salon. Owners and partners Jorge Torres and Priscilla Urritia are both multidisciplinary artists from the southwest; Jorge coming from Los Angeles, and Priscilla from Phoenix.
“In both of those beginning spaces, we were still clearing out all the chairs, so we were salon and gallery first,” Priscilla, co-owner of Palabra, reflects. “Cleared the space and used it as an event space for either music or art shows.”
While Palabra has maintained the elements of hair artistry and rotating art displays in how they utilize their space presently, most are unaware that they first started out with a focus on live music.
“Even back then, music was the first thing that I dove into,” Jorge summarizes. “We were doing production and we were bringing DJs and doing music acts and things like that.”
He himself DJ’d during that period as well, and primarily spun genre-bending sounds across the Latin American genre.
“It was music of people from Latin America, but it was non-stereotype,” Jorge shares. “It was rap, it was indie music, it was electronic, but it was all non-stereotype stuff, and that's essentially what I pushed into.”
Music has always served as an ever present force moving through Palabra, as well as a central connection point for the community that engages with their events. While Palabra’s physical location has evolved over time, what has not is the way the space embraces multi purposeful functionality.
The fluidity in expression found within Palabra has attracted many, and allowed the destination to function as a unique hub for the tight-knit Phoenix art community. Creators in the scene tend to gather at Palabra through varying entry points, including but not limited to tasting and dining experiences, media and art curation, hair transformations, and most recently, intimate listening experiences.
Palabra made the transition to its current home off of Roosevelt and 1st Street in 2017. Previously a montessori school with a playground in the back, Palabra has since undergone a complete transition to the eclectic artistic sanctuary it is today.
“This is like our holy mountain. This is where we were able to exercise every single idea,” Jorge says.
Returning to utilizing the venue as a vessel to host live music experiences through the Palabra Sessions is intrinsically connected to Palabra’s integrity as a community space.
“We're trying to create these filters with the intentionality to erase all the bullshit. To erase all the bullshit when you come in, it's heaven. That's our intention,” Jorge shares.
“I think that's what ultimately sets our space apart. It's important for us that whoever is here is able to be comfortable enough to really tap in. Because if you're not able to tap in, then what we are putting on, it didn't hit.”
Music being an ubiquitous force moving through their home holds significant nostalgic value to both Jorge and Priscilla. The intention with the Palabra Sessions is to house niche listening experiences in unique, controlled environments, in the pursuit of sharing their own music taste with the community, while simultaneously carrying on the legacy of similar music and art spaces they interacted with growing up and living in Phoenix.
“When I grew up in this area, these venue spaces, like Trunk Space and Modified are what really helped me,” Jorge reflects. “They really fostered myself by the things that they were putting on, by the people that were engaging with them. And those are gone.”
“And now it's like, we have this platform, and it's our due diligence to keep striving and being intentional and fostering other elements of art that aren't being put out there, or at least supported.”
Jorge continues, “These musicians aren't coming in here because no one is housing them, right? Now we are. And what's beautiful is the artists are getting to see the space, our city, within our lens.”
“Eric Hernandez and Joaquin Tenorio form the collaborative duo nudo by using aural collage techniques, and the schizo-sonic intensity of necropolitics at the US-Mexico Border,” as summarized from Palabra’s Instagram.
“Combining found clips from social media, Tejano fusion, cumbia rhythms, electronic effects, white noise, and acoustic samples, their work expresses a gothic-romantic vitality on the cusp of oblivion.”
Two cowboys took sanctuary behind the glass, one with a dark hat and guitar, the other with a dark shirt and microphone. The echoey concrete space quickly became engulfed by the strong flair of passionately wailing guitar strings, and muffled staticy melodies. The densely stacked melodic structure felt as if two songs were intertwining into one, most comparable to static frequencies and songs that overlap between changing radio stations. The crowd appeared entranced with curiosity by the sonic bath they became submerged in.
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Photos by Anitah Imani and Justine Lavilla
“I would say representing nudo for the first time, that was really emotional,” Jorge says. “Because to me, nudo probably depicts the best representation of us. Like our ideals. Being super proud of where we come from, but not fitting that stereotype. That's kind of like us.”
“It's just beautiful to see these musicians be super proud, but they're portraying something completely new.”
The genre-bending soulful Latin melodies of nudo coated the space and seamlessly blended with the thick red, smoky atmosphere. People floated through the space the rest of the evening, lingering in the warm ambience of the music, sipping on house made cocktails, and engaging in friendly conversations.
The venue intends to continue down the path of returning to their music roots, and has curated a lineup of musicians to perform at the venue through the end of the year. Earlier in August, Palabra also housed Parisian DJ, Emma DJ, along with supporting DJ and Phoenix musician, Parker Corey.
As fall approaches in Arizona, the respected communal third space, Palabra, seeks to invite listeners to experience their carefully curated music experiences, all of which reflect the music they hope to inject and attract within the city.
“That's the feeling of how passionate we are with music and sharing some of these artists that are really life changing,” Jorge shares.
“To imagine, you’re seeing them in your house, and in a space that is stripped with the bullshit. And that's I think what we're really trying to evolve into, is really the same intentionality we've done everything else, but now it's music. And how important music is.”
“The aspect of coming together and just being at one,” Jorge continues. “I guess that's our thing right now. But we just need to find, we need to find the folks.”
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Photos by Justine Lavilla
“This is where we live. We're passionate about it, but these are the things that we love,” Jorges states.
“And we have to be loud about that,” Priscilla asserts.
Palabra’s next music sessions are 9/19 with La Timpa and Saúl Gabirel Milan, and 9/20 with Dinamarca and Stoney Pie.
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We arrived at Palabra (Futuro) around 9 p.m. on the night that they were hosting Palabra Session 003, with featured music duo, nudo.
We lingered outside, in the front of the lofty concrete and spacious building. A lively red light poured from the tall windows onto the sidewalk, like a gentle glow kissing the ground. Charmed by the inviting light, we attempted to enter through the front of the building, but were stalled by the firm locked door. We knew we had to enter through the back.
Understanding the synergy of the building is an integral component of interacting with the space, Palabra, according to co-owner Jorge Ignacio Torres.
“That's such a whatever thing, but it's like, you have to go all the way around. And it may sound so simple, but some people don't go all the way around, and that's okay. But when you get in, it's worth it. It's like that gift that you're unraveling and unraveling.”
The dynamic art entity and community gathering destination Palabra (Futuro), has held presence in the Phoenix arts community for over a decade, and has grown in rhythm with the city.
“We felt like Phoenix was gonna come up. I don't know what, mind you, there was nothing,” Jorge mentions.
First opening under the name Propaganda in 2007 on Grand Avenue, and then transitioning to a different building off of 7th and Pierce in 2012, Palabra primarily functioned as an art gallery and hair salon. Owners and partners Jorge Torres and Priscilla Urritia are both multidisciplinary artists from the southwest; Jorge coming from Los Angeles, and Priscilla from Phoenix.
“In both of those beginning spaces, we were still clearing out all the chairs, so we were salon and gallery first,” Priscilla, co-owner of Palabra, reflects. “Cleared the space and used it as an event space for either music or art shows.”
While Palabra has maintained the elements of hair artistry and rotating art displays in how they utilize their space presently, most are unaware that they first started out with a focus on live music.
“Even back then, music was the first thing that I dove into,” Jorge summarizes. “We were doing production and we were bringing DJs and doing music acts and things like that.”
He himself DJ’d during that period as well, and primarily spun genre-bending sounds across the Latin American genre.
“It was music of people from Latin America, but it was non-stereotype,” Jorge shares. “It was rap, it was indie music, it was electronic, but it was all non-stereotype stuff, and that's essentially what I pushed into.”
Music has always served as an ever present force moving through Palabra, as well as a central connection point for the community that engages with their events. While Palabra’s physical location has evolved over time, what has not is the way the space embraces multi purposeful functionality.
The fluidity in expression found within Palabra has attracted many, and allowed the destination to function as a unique hub for the tight-knit Phoenix art community. Creators in the scene tend to gather at Palabra through varying entry points, including but not limited to tasting and dining experiences, media and art curation, hair transformations, and most recently, intimate listening experiences.
Palabra made the transition to its current home off of Roosevelt and 1st Street in 2017. Previously a montessori school with a playground in the back, Palabra has since undergone a complete transition to the eclectic artistic sanctuary it is today.
“This is like our holy mountain. This is where we were able to exercise every single idea,” Jorge says.
Returning to utilizing the venue as a vessel to host live music experiences through the Palabra Sessions is intrinsically connected to Palabra’s integrity as a community space.
We quickly walked around the parking lot, and one right turn later, we had arrived. We swayed through the foliage-engulfed back patio towards the back door entrance with the glowing red light. Immediately upon entering, we were greeted with the warm scent of earthy incense, as we continued down the long dimly lit hall towards the music. Electronic techno intertwining with lofi city pop beats echoed off the sterile concrete walls.
The sounds we encountered belonged to Shocksite, opening DJ for the evening. We eased into the room as sounds of Sade overlapped with bouncy house beats, and the quiet hiss of a smoke machine coated the fiery red atmosphere with a soft cloud of smoke.
“We're trying to create these filters with the intentionality to erase all the bullshit. To erase all the bullshit when you come in, it's heaven. That's our intention,” Jorge shares.
“I think that's what ultimately sets our space apart. It's important for us that whoever is here is able to be comfortable enough to really tap in. Because if you're not able to tap in, then what we are putting on, it didn't hit.”
Music being an ubiquitous force moving through their home holds significant nostalgic value to both Jorge and Priscilla. The intention with the Palabra Sessions is to house niche listening experiences in unique, controlled environments, in the pursuit of sharing their own music taste with the community, while simultaneously carrying on the legacy of similar music and art spaces they interacted with growing up and living in Phoenix.
“When I grew up in this area, these venue spaces, like Trunk Space and Modified are what really helped me,” Jorge reflects. “They really fostered myself by the things that they were putting on, by the people that were engaging with them. And those are gone.”
“And now it's like, we have this platform, and it's our due diligence to keep striving and being intentional and fostering other elements of art that aren't being put out there, or at least supported.”
Jorge continues, “These musicians aren't coming in here because no one is housing them, right? Now we are. And what's beautiful is the artists are getting to see the space, our city, within our lens.”
The smoke had settled and the crowd had multiplied, ready for the sounds of nudo.
“Eric Hernandez and Joaquin Tenorio form the collaborative duo nudo by using aural collage techniques, and the schizo-sonic intensity of necropolitics at the US-Mexico Border,” as summarized from Palabra’s Instagram.
“Combining found clips from social media, Tejano fusion, cumbia rhythms, electronic effects, white noise, and acoustic samples, their work expresses a gothic-romantic vitality on the cusp of oblivion.”
Two cowboys took sanctuary behind the glass, one with a dark hat and guitar, the other with a dark shirt and microphone. The echoey concrete space quickly became engulfed by the strong flair of passionately wailing guitar strings, and muffled staticy melodies. The densely stacked melodic structure felt as if two songs were intertwining into one, most comparable to static frequencies and songs that overlap between changing radio stations. The crowd appeared entranced with curiosity by the sonic bath they became submerged in.
“I would say representing nudo for the first time, that was really emotional,” Jorge says. “Because to me, nudo probably depicts the best representation of us. Like our ideals. Being super proud of where we come from, but not fitting that stereotype. That's kind of like us.”
“It's just beautiful to see these musicians be super proud, but they're portraying something completely new.”
The genre-bending soulful Latin melodies of nudo coated the space and seamlessly blended with the thick red, smoky atmosphere. People floated through the space the rest of the evening, lingering in the warm ambience of the music, sipping on house made cocktails, and engaging in friendly conversations.
The venue intends to continue down the path of returning to their music roots, and has curated a lineup of musicians to perform at the venue through the end of the year. Earlier in August, Palabra also housed Parisian DJ, Emma DJ, along with supporting DJ and Phoenix musician, Parker Corey.
As fall approaches in Arizona, the respected communal third space, Palabra, seeks to invite listeners to experience their carefully curated music experiences, all of which reflect the music they hope to inject and attract within the city.
“That's the feeling of how passionate we are with music and sharing some of these artists that are really life changing,” Jorge shares.
“To imagine, you’re seeing them in your house, and in a space that is stripped with the bullshit. And that's I think what we're really trying to evolve into, is really the same intentionality we've done everything else, but now it's music. And how important music is.”
“The aspect of coming together and just being at one,” Jorge continues. “I guess that's our thing right now. But we just need to find, we need to find the folks.”
“This is where we live. We're passionate about it, but these are the things that we love,” Jorges states.
“And we have to be loud about that,” Priscilla asserts.
Palabra’s next music sessions are 9/19 with La Timpa and Saúl Gabirel Milan, and 9/20 with Dinamarca and Stoney Pie.
