Born 1954 in Northamptonshire, England, Ivo was joint-founder with Peter Kent of the indie record label 4AD. He has also produced several records, although he prefers to use the term “musical director.”
One of his better-known productions is the Cocteau Twins’ debut Garlands. Presumably, he is the namesake of “Ivo,” the lead track of Cocteau Twins’ 1984 album, Treasure. He also led This Mortal Coil, writing and selecting songs; choosing the personnel for each song; and occasionally playing keyboards. A few years after the release of This Mortal Coil’s final studio album, he founded and produced a band called The Hope Blister which released two albums: …smile’s OK (1998) and Underarms (1999). Although 4AD first released Underarms as a limited edition CD, the label reissued it in 2005 as Underarms and Sideways, the second disc of which has seven remixes by Markus Guentner.
After Watts-Russell sold 4AD back to its original distributors, Beggars Banquet Records, at the end of 1999, he turned to a career in art and photograph publishing.
Ivo currently resides in Lamy, New Mexico.
above: ‘Ivo’ by the Cocteau Twins, from their 1984 album, Treasure
Cipriano Vigil is a 2019 New Mexico Music Commission Platinum Music Awards honoree. He was born and raised in the small village of Chamisal, New Mexico. He received his baccalaureate degree in Music Education from Highlands University. Upon completion of his undergraduate work, he received a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in Bilingual Education, also from Highlands University. Another scholarship followed from the Mexican government. In Mexico, he studied at the National Institute of Fine Arts where he obtained a second master’s degree in Ethnomusicology. While studying in Mexico, he would go to every and any place where music was played, including dance halls and bars. From these excursions, he absorbed the knowledge of many different styles of music.
He began his career as a professor at Northern New Mexico College in 1980, and retired from that institution in 2004. It was during this time that he also completed his doctorate in Ethnomusicology, which he received in 1988. This same year he became the Chairperson of the Fine Arts Department, a position he held for ten years. Because of his love for music and teaching, he continues to work at NNMC as a part time instructor in folk music.
His early background and training in music instilled his with a passion for preserving and disseminating the folk music of northern New Mexico. From his several presentations at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C., to elementary school classrooms of New Mexico, and cowboy poetry gatherings in Elko, Nevada, he has presented thousands of performances and workshops. He has brought traditional music to various regions throughout the U.S. and has performed in several states in the country of Mexico. These presentations consist not only of traditional New Mexican folk music but also La Nueva Canción (the new songs), a style that originated in South America.
Cipriano produced a four volume set of traditional New Mexican folk music, with accompanying CDs that he uses with his students at NNMC. Another self published work is a collection of his own compositions written in the traditional style as well as the style of La Nueva Canción. He self published a manuscript of sixty-seven of his compositions for violin and guitar, which he uses with my folk ensemble class. He has written several compositions for theatrical performances and for films. Recently, he composed and recorded several one movement symphonic works named Poemas Musicales (musical poems). UNM Press is currently publishing a book he wrote of the folklore of New Mexico, which will be accompanied by twenty-one long playing CDs.
In his many presentations at local schools, he brings part of his collection of over three hundred musical instruments from around the world. He plays them and gives the students a little history of each instrument.
His presentations and performances have won several prestigious awards. These include being honored as a Living Treasure, the Governor’s Arts Award, and the New Mexico Endowment for the Humanities Award. He has been nominated three times for the National Heritage Award for outstanding work in maintaining and preserving traditional folk music.
Cipriano’s son, Cipriano Pablo Vigil, and his daughter, Felicita Vigil Piñón, have performed with him in concerts for over 25 years. Recently, his granddaughter Marisol Vigil, his grandson Mitzael Piñón, and his youngest grandson Alonzo Vigil have been performing with them on stage.
above: video biopic short about Cipriano – premiered August 23, 2019 at the Platinum Music Awards show – created by Bunee Tomlinson of Windswept Media.
Wickham (1932-2013), beloved guitarist, singer-songwriter, and New Mexico music legend, entertained audiences for over sixty years. He started with his father’s band when he was twelve years old, playing banjo on radio station WLS in Chicago in the early 1930’s. The Wickham family moved to New Mexico for their father’s health in 1933. Lewie founded the Lewie Wickham Trio, with his younger brother Hank and bassist john Dagucon, in the early 1960’s. He and his brother owned ‘Hank and Lewie’s’ bar located on San Mateo Blvd. in Albuquerque during the 1970’s, where they also performed. Lewie recorded with five major labels during is career. He is most remembered for his rendition of “How Come My Dog Don’t Bark When You Come ‘Round.” Wickham has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Governor-appointed New Mexico Music Commission.
above: Famous Guitar Player Lewie Wickham is known for his humorous novelty song lyrics like this spoof of legendary TV show Gunsmoke. His custom Guitar was hand made by Lorenzo Pimentel. There were only about three Pimentel guitars made with the Lewie Wickham eagle eye logo.
Born in Albuquerque, Stroope is a composer, conductor and lecturer. He has had recent conducting engagements at the Sopra Minerva (Rome), American School in Singapore, Canterbury Cathedral (England), Berliner Dom (Germany), Salzburger Dom (Austria), Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and National Presbyterian Cathedral (Washington, D.C.), Carnegie Hall (New York), and five performances at the Vatican in the past four years. He is also the Artistic Director for two summer music festivals in Europe.
Stroope’s composition teachers were Cecil Effinger and Normand Lockwood, both students of the famous French teacher/composer, Nadia Boulanger (student of Gabriel Fauré). The principal publishers of his 125 publisher works are Alliance Music Publications, Walton Music, Colla Voce and Oxford (England). His shorter choral works — best known of which are Conversion of Saul, Lamentaciones de Jeremias, Magnificat, We Beheld Once Again the Stars (ACDA Raymond Brock Commission), O Magnum Mysterium, The Pasture, Revelation, Homeland, I Am Not Yours, Caritas et Amor, Song to the Moon and Inscription of Hope — have sold over three million copies. His choral cycle — Four Sonnets of Garcilaso (which contains Amor de mi alma) — is based on the poetry of Spanish poet, Garcilaso de la Vega and one of his most performed works. Extended works include Hodie! (This Day) for brass/organ/percussion and mixed/treble choirs, the solo song cycle Love’s Waning Seasons, and American Rhapsody are also very popular. He has published many instrumental works, including Fanfare (brass/percussion/organ) and Amor de mi alma (wind ensemble). Stroope is particularly drawn to the poetry of Sara Teasdale, George Herbert, Rainer Maria Rilke, James Agee and Robert Frost. He has conducted and produced 28 YouTube recordings of his works.
Dennis Schrock, in his book Choral Repertoire (2009), recognizes Stroope for his compositional output and quality of writing, noting several works that have entered the mainstream of the choral medium. Conducting Women’s Choirs (2012), edited and compiled by Debra Spurgeon, and Composers on Composing for Choir (2007) both have a myriad of quotes and discussion of Dr. Stroope’s compositional output.
His works have been recorded or performed by prestigious ensembles nationally and internationally, including the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Luther Nordic Choir, University of Miami Frost Chorale, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival, Concordia Choir, Oklahoma State University, Prairie Voices (Canada), Oriana Women’s Choir, United States Navy Sea Chanters, Grex Vocalis, NOVA, Bella Voce, Turtle Creek Chorale, Westminster Choir College and University of British Columbia. His We Beheld Once Again the Stars was recently performed by the Philippine Madrigal Singers in their win of the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing. Stroope’s Revelation was performed by the Ehwa Chamber Choir (South Korea).
Dr. Stroope is the Director of Choral and Vocal Studies at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he conducts the Concert Chorale, Chamber Choir, and Women’s Chorus and coordinates the undergraduate and graduate choral conducting program. The OSU Concert Chorale recently recorded Stroope’s Song to the Moon, Go Lovely Rose, toured France and England (2013) and plan a tour of Ireland and Scotland in 2015. Under his direction, the ensemble also presents a seven-concert season each year, which has included works such as Ein Deutsches Requiem (Brahms), Messiah (Handel), Requiem (Verdi) and Rejoice in the Lamb (Britten).
Dr. Stroope has received many awards, including Distinguished Professor of Creative and Scholarly Research (1995–2001), the Douglas R. McEwen Award for National Choral Excellence, Nebraska Choral Director of the Year, Doug and Nickie Burns Endowed Chair in Choral Music (2013), and one of five Oklahoma State University Distinguished Professors (2013-2014), as well as several composition awards.
As a guest conductor, Stroope has directed 38 all-state choirs, and conducted music festivals in 45 states. He has directed 12 summer international music festivals in England, Germany and Italy.
Stroope completed a Master of Music (Voice Performance) degree at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Doctor of Musical Arts (Choral Conducting) degree at Arizona State University. He did post graduate work with Margaret Hillis, Chorus Master of the Chicago Symphony. As a recipient of the Australian-American Fulbright, he has also done work in western Australia. He and his wife, Cheryl (a junior high choral teacher), love to travel and spend time with their sheltie.
above: Stroope’s “Song to the Moon” performed by the Oklahoma State University Concert Chorale.
If you ask Bri Bagwell where her current “home” is, you’ll most likely get a chuckle and a sigh. The Las Cruces, NM native will always be in love with her hometown, but she is in a 15-passenger white van or on an airplane more than she is anywhere else. The highway truly has become her home.
With more than 120 tour dates per year, Miss Bagwell describes performing as her “ultimate passion” in life. She also somehow finds the time to write for her publishing company (Sony/ATV Music Publishing), by flying back and forth to Nashville during the weekdays for writing appointments. She started her band, awesomely entitled “The Banned”, in 2011 after a top 10 finish on CMT’s Next Superstar, a singing competition and reality show.
She released her first album “Banned from Santa Fe” in summer of 2011, and a self-titled EP in September of 2013. Both have sold through multiple printings, and she has had impressive success on the Texas Music Chart, especially for a female. She has been named Texas Female Vocalist of the year for 2013 and 2014, but she says her biggest accomplishment is a full calendar of tour dates and a growing fan base.
She is booked by William Morris out of Nashville, but operates with no management or record label. Her popularity is 100% word-of-mouth and self-promotion. Not to say she isn’t hopeful for both of those in the future…
If you haven’t heard her before, check out her breakout single and video “Whiskey” and her latest single, “Crazy.” She has an earthy tone with tons of sass. Traveling non-stop in a van (full of boys) that needs oil changes more than once a month, she has earned respect in her scene and is ready to rise to the next level of country music stardom.
above: Bri’s single, ‘Crazy’ ~ produced by Daran Herrman of ColoredLion.com and directed by Paul De La Cerda.
Bri Bagwell, 23, grew up on a large animal farm in Las Cruces, N.M., with older twin brothers. Throughout her childhood, she performed alongside her musician brothers as part of the trio Bri Bagwell and the Band of Brothers in a specially-built music studio on the side of their farmhouse. Bri is both excited and anxious to be in Nashville, singing her heart out to become CMT’s Next Superstar. Her musical influences include Miranda Lambert, Patty Griffin and Johnny Cash.
Lyrics
It’s really chilly in the spring, The state fair in the fall. Its cheering on our Aggies all year round’ when they play ball. It’s asking red or green. It’s downtown old Mesilla, Friday night la Posta, with friends and margiritas Its the Organ mountain that touch the painted sky No matter where I go, I know exactly where my heart is. It belongs forever in the city of three crosses You can find your reason, every season, to call it home. And the truth is I couldn’t be more proud to love Las Cruces The A up on that mountain. It’s the desert wind. Its the old high school rivalry and the sun news It’s festivals with wine, The history of the land, Its pecan trees and family along the Rio Grande It’s the sunset, that will make you never say, goodbye No matter where I go, I know exactly where my heart is. It belongs forever with the city of three crosses You find your reason, every season, to call it home. And the truth is, I couldn’t be more proud to love Las Cruces. You wanna see a place like nowhere else? Just come on down we’d love for you to see it for yourself No matter where I go, I know exactly where my heart is. It belongs forever with the city of three crosses You find your reason, every season to call it home. And the truth is, I couldn’t be more proud to love Las Cruces. Come on and see us in Las Cruces. I love Las Cruces.
