This listening party is proposed as an informal study session – convened in consideration and in contrast to an accepted hegemonic aural regime. Canto IX (after Listening All Night To The Rain) proposes an exploration of sound as an entry point into a diverse decolonial temporality. Departing from dominant narratives and sonic landscapes that reinforce colonial power frameworks, Canto IX (after Listening All Night To The Rain) expands on disrupting and subverting these norms by inviting participants to engage with a multiplicity of voices, rhythms, and sonic textures.

Through curated listening sessions, discussions, and interactive experiences, Canto IX aims to unveil the complexities of decolonial sonic expressions and their potential to challenge, reimagine, and transform our understanding of history, memory and identity. By foregrounding voices and narratives that have been marginalised or silenced within the dominant aural regime, the listening party endeavours to create space for alternative perspectives, experiences, and forms of knowledge production.

Convened by Shamica Ruddock, an advocate for decolonial praxis and sonic liberation, in collaboration with the Stuart Hall Library and various related archives and research platforms, Canto IX brings together scholars, artists, activists, and community members to collectively explore the intersections of sound, memory, and resistance. Drawing upon resources from the Stuart Hall Library and other archival repositories, the event seeks to foreground the rich tapestry of decolonial sonic heritage while also imagining future sonic possibilities that challenge the confines of coloniality.

As participants immerse themselves in the sonic landscapes curated by Canto IX, they are invited to reflect on their own embodied histories and the ways in which sound shapes and informs their lived experiences. By centering decolonial temporality as a framework for engagement, the listening party encourages participants to envision new horizons of sonic memory and collective liberation, forging pathways towards a more just and inclusive sonic future.