The ballet Revolución Diamantina by Gabriela Ortiz is perhaps the greatest masterpiece of Mexican music of the 21st century.
The most convincing proof of this may be the Grammy he has just won in the category "Best Contemporary Classical Composition"..
Upon receiving the award, Gabriela Ortiz dedicated it “to all the brave women in Mexico and around the world who fight against injustice every day.”
The work is inspired by the Marcha de la Brillantina, which took place in Mexico City (August 2019).
"I couldn't go, but I wanted to be there. I asked for audios of the protest and I received a lot of them. I was impressed to hear shockingly powerful slogans, such as: with clothes or without clothes, my body does not touch. In the ballet I wanted to express the legitimate fury of the feminist protests. Talking with Cristina (Rivera Garza, in charge of the ballet's dramaturgy), she told me about the Violentómetro, that traffic light that measures violence against women according to its severity. And from there, in a section of the ballet, I musically explore the intimacy of the victims. How that violence escalates. Slaps. Kicks. Cuts. Burns. Strangulation. Fatal wounds. In writing the ballet I listened a lot to The Rite of Spring (Stravinski's ballet). Not only because of its musical influence, but also because at the end of the day there is a woman who is sacrificed.
Gabriela Ortiz's greatness is indisputable..
In this blog we explain everything you should know about his Revolución Diamantina, one of the great masterpieces of contemporary music.
Gabriela Ortiz on why Diamond Revolution
I had always wanted to compose a ballet. So when the Los Angeles Philharmonic enthusiastically embraced the idea a little over a year ago, it was like a dream come true. To make that dream come true, I immersed myself in the task of exploring thematic connections related to earthly issues-with humanity in all its complexity, but from a subversive and feminine point of view. The world we live in suffers from a wide range of problems, such as mass migration, economic inequality, unemployment, social decay, racism, climate change and violence, to name just a few. Self-reflection as a form of creative feedback in the midst of this environment has become one of my most powerful obsessions. And of course, in the midst of all this is the issue of feminism.
Previous works such as 'Rio Bravo' and 'Liquid Borders' addressed the issue of feminicide in Ciudad Juarez. However, I had not yet had the opportunity to analyze the feminist movements that began to emerge in the 1990s. These movements have addressed issues such as sexual harassment, condescension, the wage gap, forced motherhood, romantic love, sex education, and the recognition and legal classification of different gender-related crimes; specifically, those related to different forms of violence. All this, driven by the need to eradicate the patriarchal system in order to achieve true gender equality.
The increase in femicides has certainly been a key reference point for this mobilization, but the protests have also marched hand in hand with many other grievances and modalities of gender violence that women find increasingly unacceptable and intolerable, especially the new generations of young women who feel constantly threatened in their daily lives. This is how three recent events related to feminism caught my attention and became my main concern as I began to approach this Ballet.
Historical Chronology of Diamond Revolution
In the words of Gabriela Ortiz:
1- In August 2019, the Glitter March took place in Mexico City: that is the popular name given to an incident where protesters threw pink glitter at the Chief of Police to denounce the lack of response and impunity after the rape of a woman by local agents. This mobilization unleashed an intense reaction and controversy among members of society due to the amount of graffiti left in public spaces, particularly in the so-called Angel of Independence, as well as the damage caused to the infrastructure of the Insurgentes Metrobus station and political actions that included damaging and setting fire to the police station on Florencia Street.
2- On March 8, 2022, also in the capital, a contingent of female police officers from the Secretariat of Citizen Security led by chief 'Andromeda' marched together with other feminist groups on International Women's Day, raising their right fists and shouting the slogan: 'Conscious police joins the contingent'. The empathetic gesture of the demonstrators towards these uniformed women was accompanied by shouts and applause in recognition of their hard work. In an unprecedented event, police and demonstrators united in a single cry for justice and respect for women's rights: 'Women listen, this is your fight'.
3- Starting in 2019, I was intrigued to see this crowd of young women wearing green scarves and with their eyes covered by black scarves, dancing and singing what has now become a global anthem and symbol of the performative struggle against all forms of gender-based violence. This protest song was created by the Chilean feminist collective Las Tesis, based on texts by the Argentine writer Rita Segato. Their goal was to raise awareness of the women’s marches taking to the streets, with the idea that their message would continue to be sung around the world.”
The dramaturgy of Diamond Revolution
GLITTER REVOLUTION
(Glitter Revolution)
Ballet in six acts for symphonic orchestra and eight amplified voices.
Dramaturgy: Cristina Rivera Garza
Music: Gabriela Ortiz
ACT 1: The sounds that cats make
Urban landscape. Muffled sounds of cars. Reflections of traffic lights. Narrow sidewalk.
Scene 1: A girl
A girl enters the public space chasing a big red ball. She picks it up and explores the environment. She walks cautiously. She speeds up, stops. She contemplates the city. She breathes in. Breathe out.
Scene 2: The sounds of cats
Meowing, purring. Then hissing, spitting, yowling and growling. Cat cries and wolf whistles surround her. The shadows of the crushers surround her. The street becomes a prison. A list of shouts and compliments resounds, limiting her mobility.
Scene 3: Red stones
Red stones emerge from under her feet. Assailed by shrieks, the girl shrinks and transforms into a small plastic doll.
Scene 4: Departure of the crushers
They leave, laughing, full of themselves. A young woman dressed in jeans picks up the doll and carefully hides it in her pocket.
ACT 2: We don't love each other
Interior of a messy bedroom. Large window in the background.
Scene 1: A young woman
Sitting on the bed, the young woman takes the doll out of her pocket and puts it next to the pillow. She looks at her phone. Phrases ring out: Love can do anything. To love is to lose control. Lovers fight to the end.
Scene 2: He loves me, he doesn't love me.
Intrigued, she opens the door. In the living room, an older woman plucks petals from a daisy and murmurs: He loves me, he loves me not.
Scene 3: Jumping out of the window
The young woman stops in front of a phonograph. She takes the doll. She jumps out of the window.
ACT 3: Borders and bodies
Open, luminous, desert landscape.
Scene 1: You are here
The young woman and the shrunken doll land. Signs indicate distances: Tijuana/San Diego, Tapachula, Palestine, Beirut, Mediterranean. They stumble over mounds of dirt and gaping holes. They wonder where they are.
Scene 2: Blind march
A regiment of women in black pants and sweatshirts appears. They move in unison and sing a haunting melody. The girl and the doll stare at them motionless. The regiment disappears. The girl asks the doll: Are we imagining things?
ACT 4: Speaking the unspeakable
Empty stage.
Scene 1: Five women
Five women standing. Firm, expressionless. They hold red balls. They represent the phases of violence as assessed by Jacquelyn Campbell. Their bodies contort and fall. The violence escalates.
Scene 2: Domestic Scene I
Slapping. Pushing. No visible injuries.
Scene 3: Domestic Scene II
Punching. Kicks. Bruises. Cuts.
Scene 4: Domestic Scene III
Beatings. Severe contusions. Burns. Broken bones.
Scene 5: Domestic Scene IV
Threats with weapons. Head injuries. Asphyxiation. Strangulation.
Scene 6: Domestic Scene V
Use of weapons. Fatal wounds.
ACT 5: Pink glitter
Scene 1: The girl and the doll
Covered in pink glitter, they chase a big red ball. Whistles and screams surround them. The girl turns and shows them her middle finger.
Scene 2: Race
They race to the desert. Light shines on a discarded parachute. The doll unfolds and regains its human form. All the arrows say: Here. You are here.
Scene 3: Circle of women
The two girls join a circle of women dressed in black. They chat and laugh. Names ring out, vibrant and clear. In the distance, a protest march approaches.
Scene 4: Protest
Women escape from police repression, interrupting the idyllic moment. They run and disappear. The scene suggests hope, but danger lurks.
ACT 6: All of us
We are all. We are all. All of us.
The orchestration of Diamond Revolution
The orchestration of Revolución Diamantina by Gabriela Ortiz unfolds a vast and colorful soundscape that reflects the thematic complexity of the work. Composed in 2023 and lasting approximately 40 minutes, the piece employs an extraordinarily rich instrumental formation that combines elements of the traditional symphony orchestra with an extensive arsenal of multicultural percussion.
The orchestral staff includes:
- Woodwind section: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 2 clarinets, and bass clarinet.
- Brass section: 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba
- An extensive percussion section incorporating instruments from diverse musical traditions:
- Latin American percussion: bongos, cabasa, kettledrums, timbales
- Asian percussion: Thai gongs, triangles, temple blocks
- Unconventional instruments: flexatone, resonant tubes (hollow trunk), river stones, etc.
- Miscellaneous metals: metal blocks, rattles, metal agitators
- Melodic percussion instruments: xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, tubular bells, glockenspiel, etc.
- Plucked string instruments: harp
- Piano
- Complete string section
- Female choir
This rich sonic palette allows Ortiz to create extraordinarily complex and evocative textures that enhance the work's feminist and social justice message. The combination of traditional Western instruments with percussive elements from diverse cultures reflects the global nature of struggles for equality, while the inclusion of a female choir underscores the central theme of feminism and resistance.
10 facts about Gabriela Ortiz and her Diamond Revolution
We share with you 10 key facts about Gabriela Ortiz and her Diamond Revolution:
- The album Revolución Diamantina by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz won three GRAMMY awards at the 67th GRAMMY Awards at the 67th editionwhich was held in February 2025. The awards were: "Best Contemporary Classical Composition" (for the work of the same name), "Best Classical Compendium" and "Best Orchestral Performance".
- The ballet Diamond Revolution is inspired by the 2019 Mexican feminist uprising against violence against women.
- The name of the album refers to an episode that happened in one of the marches where protesters threw pink glitter at police authorities after the lack of response to a rape complaint.
- The album was released on Apple's Platoon label and is Ortiz's first full-length album of orchestral works.
- Gabriela Ortiz was born in Mexico City in 1964 and is considered one of today's most influential composers. is considered one of today's most influential composers..
- The project includes the participation of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Andalusian violinist María Dueñas and the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
- In her acceptance speech, Ortiz dedicated the award “to all the brave women in Mexico and around the world who fight against injustice every day.”
- Mexican writer Cristina Rivera Garza created the dramaturgy of the ballet, which highlights a narrative around the "Violentómetro", a thermometer that measures different types of violence against women according to their severity.
- In 2022, Ortiz received the Bellas Artes Gold Medal for his artistic career..
- The album was recorded live at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in October 2022.
What the specialized press says about Diamond Revolution
Wall Street Journal: “Ms. Ortiz’s ambitious and captivating score resonated with unmistakable allusions to Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite of Spring,’ evocations of Franz Waxman’s exuberant film music, the sweeping currents of John Adams, and more than a few moments reminiscent of Bartók’s now-forgotten ballets. Mr. Dudamel made it all sound wonderfully lucid and palpably powerful.”
Adventures in Music: “Tremendous… roaring… captivating… an earth-shaking event. An orchestral score of breathtaking invention and intensity. One of the most powerful scores the composer has written to date.”
San Francisco Classical Voice: “The pièce de résistance was the world premiere of ‘Revolución diamantina.’ Ortiz has been creating exciting, rhythm-driven works over the past few years—and she may have outdone herself with this often electrifying 45-minute ballet, presented here in a concert version.”
Message from the Mining Symphony to Gabriela Ortiz
We have known for a long time that Gabriela Ortiz is one of the most important composers in the world. But in the Mining Symphony we can't help but be moved and proud with each of her accomplishments. And this latest one is impressive:
The publication of Diamond Revolutionan exclusive album of his work performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, who comments:
"Gabriela Ortiz's music speaks to both body and spirit.full of primordial visceral rhythms and mysterious soulful sound worlds. It has been a lifelong dream to dedicate an entire album to her music."
The album includes three of his orchestral works: ballet Revolución diamantinathe Concerto for violin and orchestra String Altar y Kauyumari. Hypnotic and risky music, intense and colorful, with a rhythmic invention of inexhaustible imagination that allows to articulate disconcerting sound events, at times even opposite, in the same vital pulse that reaches mystical dimensions. His music breaks schemes and poses a universal invitation, at the same time loving and revolutionary, to dissolve any kind of frontier.
That one of the best orchestras in the world under the baton of one of the best conductors in the world is dedicated to recording the work of a single person means that this person is one of the most transcendent composers of our time. Her name is Gabriela Ortiz and she is Mexican.
And from the Sinfónica de Minería we have nothing more to say:
Congratulations, Gaby, because your music never ceases to conquer the world!
