Si el oxígeno fuera verde

In memory of Jorge Verdín (Clorofila)

Si el oxígeno fuera verde (If Oxygen Were Green) is a work dedicated to the memory of my friend and fellow Mexican musician Jorge Verdín, founder of the collective Nortec Collective, and known by his artist name “Clorofila.” Verdín’s musical originality lay in the way he combined electronic sounds with banda music from northern Mexico, forging a style that reflected the borderland experience between Tijuana and San Diego. I was fortunate to collaborate with Verdín on several occasions, whether as the graphic designer of my album Únicamente la Verdad, or helping me shape the electronic sounds used in my seventh string quartet with percussion, Pico-Bite-Beat.

Although I never had the chance to ask him why he chose the word clorofila (“chlorophyll”) as his artist name, I decided to take the meaning and implications of that word as a starting point for this piece, within the framework my sonic imagination.

Chlorophyll is a biomolecule of vital importance to life on our planet. Without it, the process of photosynthesis—carried out by plants and other organisms—would not be possible, and without photosynthesis, oxygen would not be present in our atmosphere.

Nature is made up of numerous cycles that are fundamental to the functioning of ecosystems and the maintenance of life on Earth. These cycles are interdependent and form a complex network that keeps our environment in balance. They are essential for conserving natural resources and protecting the planet.
With these reflections in mind, I began to imagine particles of oxygen as sonic fractals ringing in the atmosphere, celebrating life in its purest, most essential form.

Just as fractal geometry features self-replicating patterns on different scales, in this piece I use rhythmic patterns and melodies that develop independently, gradually transforming through a mechanical sonic process akin to those found in nature. These groupings evolve through subtle variations, creating a sense of continuity and growth—forming diverse, intricate musical structures.

Si el oxígeno fuera verde is structured in four main sections, each conceived as an autonomous life cycle within an infinite universe:

1. Fractal structures and sound particles floating in the atmosphere
2. A nocturnal song nourished by the soul of a forest
3. The dawn of plants transforming light into oxygen
4. The dance of chlorophyll begins

The title’s metaphor suggests the fragile green murmur of life—where a disruptive, ecological nature can be imagined as a forest that, after a transformative event, reinvents itself and blooms with greater diversity and sustainability. The piece concludes with a final dance, becoming a symbol of the interdependence of all living beings—a reminder that each of us, as human beings, holds an urgent responsibility to help build a future that is more balanced and harmonious with the natural world.

Gabriela Ortiz