Daymé Arocena: Field Recordings x Aspen Ideas Festival

Suraya Mohamed | August 26, 2025
The inflatable flowers scattered across Anderson Park on the campus of the Aspen Ideas Festival were part of a zero waste initiative. Created by the Australian artist Cj Hendry, Bloom is a cross-section of Hendry’s ongoing exploration of botanicals and inflatables. Whimsical and naturally beautiful, this landscape is the perfect compliment to the brilliant Afro-Cuban singer Daymé Arocena. A dynamic performer con carisma y fuerza, her ebullient personality and performance shines brightly even under the hot Aspen sun.

Embellished by vocalists Ayme Canto and Hilaria Cacao, who takes a tenacious trombone solo in the first tune, their ensemble is exquisite despite. Arocena then performs three powerful solo arrangements, including two passionate blues compositions: “Mean,” written when she was just 15 years old, followed by “Coda” written earlier this year.

SET LIST
“American Boy”
“Amor de Invierno”
“Mean”
“Coda”

MUSICIANS
Daymé Arocena: vocals, keys
Ayme Canto: background vocals
Hilaria Cacao: trombone, background vocals

PRODUCTION TEAM
Director: Mito Habe-Evans
Editors: Annabel Edwards, Michael Zamora
Videographers: Mito Habe-Evans, Nickolai Hammar, Ryan Lohr, Will Sardinsky
Audio Engineer: Neil Tevault
Post-Production Coordinator: Tsering Bista
Senior Producer, Aspen Institute: Ava Hartmann
Program Associate, Aspen Institute: Jacqueline Olivas-Sison
Festival Director: Graham Veysey
Supervising Editor: Becky Lettenberger
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

SPECIAL THANKS
Jaidyn Hurst
Ben James
Sylvie Labalme
Samuel Lasater
Matt Windholz
Keith Jenkins