In a groundbreaking initiative, artist and musician Satch Hoyt recently engaged in a unique project at the MARKK Museum in Hamburg, Germany. His goal was to “un-mute” the museum’s African instrument collection, allowing these historically significant items to be played once again. This act serves not just as a demonstration but as a powerful affirmation of cultural continuity, connecting the living with their ancestral past.
Gathered in the museum’s basement, a group of staff members watched as Hoyt, a master of both wind and percussion instruments, discarded the white archival gloves he had been instructed to wear. The moment he began to play a sanza, a palpable energy filled the room. “It was — Pffuuumm, you could just feel the energy all of a sudden in the room,” Hoyt reflected. He expressed a profound sense of gratitude as he reactivated the instruments, which had long been silenced and stored away. “Somebody’s actually, finally returning it to its proper use,” he said, his smile reflecting the joy of the moment.
Born in London in 1957, Hoyt was steeped in a rich cultural milieu during a transformative period in the British Empire. His early influences included prominent figures like filmmaker Horace Ové and jazz musician Mongezi Feza. Over the years, he has collaborated with various artists across the globe, including Louise Bourgeois in Paris and Grace Jones. Now, his focus has shifted towards exploring his ancestral ties, often staging performances in museum basements rather than commercial venues.
Hoyt’s journey into “un-muting” began in 2017 at the Berlin phonographic archive, where he studied wax cylinder recordings made by archaeologist Leo Frobenius in the Congo. These recordings, often filled with static and limited sound, spurred him to explore the instruments themselves. “I thought, ‘Well, we’ve got all of these instruments, which are in these ethnographic museums. I can play them,’” he recalled.
In his studio in Berlin, he maintains a collection of African instruments and ancestral figures, frequently pouring libations and playing them. His first un-muting event took place at the Brucke Museum in Berlin in February 2022. Hoyt noted that museums often misclassify such instruments as mere sculptures, which limits their use and appreciation. He frequently encounters resistance from institutions that prefer to keep these artifacts untouched, arguing that his knowledge and experience with the instruments should allow for their performance.
Hoyt describes this practice as “sonic restitution,” a way to reconnect communities with their intangible cultural heritage. He believes that if museums are unwilling to return material artifacts, they should at least allow for the revival of the sounds associated with them. “Instruments need to be played. If they’re not, they literally dry up,” he emphasized, drawing parallels with the famous Stradivarius violins that are regularly played by musicians.
In a significant moment in 2023, after three years of negotiations, Hoyt gained access to the British Museum’s African instrument collection. However, he was required to sign a waiver acknowledging potential health risks from toxic substances used in the preservation of the instruments. Undeterred, he pursued the sound of the instruments, even acknowledging that some may not want to be played. “Maybe some instruments retain this state of slumber; they don’t want to be awoken,” he mused.
Hoyt’s quest to un-mute these instruments is not only about sound but about reclaiming lost cultural connections. Certain instruments, used only in specific rituals or contexts, carry deep cultural significance. By playing them, Hoyt acts as a medium, bridging the gap between past and present.
As he prepares to un-mute key collections in the United States and even the Vatican, Hoyt acknowledges the daunting task ahead. With an estimated 90% of Africa’s material heritage housed in Western institutions, he recognizes that the journey to reclaim these sounds is immense. Yet, his model of engaging with these instruments offers hope for others in the community to follow suit.
Currently, Satch Hoyt is featured in an exhibition titled “Your Ears Later Will Know to Listen” at Nottingham Contemporary in the United Kingdom, which runs until September 7, 2023. He will also perform at the Afrosonica – Soundscapes exhibition at the MEG – Ethnographic Museum of Geneva on September 5, 2023. Through these performances, Hoyt not only revives the instruments but also invites audiences to witness their rich histories and cultural significance.
