“Do not be ungrateful, fool.Maria Olivia Ramirez Rabiela
Live always
With whomever is with you
With whomever is with you.”
On December 1st, 2007, Maria Olivia Ramirez Rabiela died alone in her apartment. She was found by her landlord 5 weeks later. Olivia, who had spent the past 30 years in Montreal without family contact, was trying to return to her native Mexico. In preparation, she entrusted an envelope of documents to her friend Katherine Peacock.
These documents inspired Katherine, who writes and performs under the name of Mussaver, to compose the music and script for Olivia, a folk opera. The drama explores themes of alienation, isolation, & community through the final hours of Olivia’s life.
“With Olivia’s documents… I felt it was necessary to trace a line through them with music, so that people could hear the undercurrents of their politics. To try and follow the borders that marked her life & the circumstances of her death, finding places to wrench them open with song.”
Olivia is performed by the Coal Choir, an ensemble founded by Mussaver in 2006. The production features twenty-five of these musician-artists, playing accordions, strings, percussion, and various found objects and singing full choral arrangements. Sarah Tracy, member of the Coal Choir, will perform the role of Olivia. The show runs for a limited engagement at St. James United Church, November 25th, 26th, and 28th, and proceeds will be donated to the Montreal City Mission and the Immigrant Workers Centre.
For further information or to schedule interviews, please contact
media@oliviasoundings.com