Led by the founder and artistic director Thollem McDonas, Estamos Ensemble is composed of musicians from Mexico and the U.S. The intention of Estamos Ensemble is to foster more communication and collaboration between musicians of our two bordering countries as well as a better understanding of and appreciation for the citizens of our countries in general.
The verb estamos in Spanish means ‘we are’ in the non-permanent sense. This is intrinsic to the nature of Estamos Ensemble. Each performance will be fresh in the hands of great improvisers and some of the most accomplished composers from both sides of the border. This concept is in the spirit of the project: always changing and open to new and different kinds of involvement.
“jimpani kustakwa ka jankwariteecherï” is a direct translation of ‘compositions and improvisations’ in the P’urhépecha language mostly spoken in rural communities in the highlands of Michoacán, Mexico. The border between Mexico and the United States was not conceived of until the mid 1800s after thousands of years of people living throughout these lands. Before that 4.5 billion years of the planetary history had passed without the concept of controlled modern human land borders.

Premieres of compositions written specifically for the ensemble by: Ana Lara (MX); Nels Cline (US); Juan Felipe Waller (MX); Pauline Oliveros (US); Joan Jeanrenaud (US); Vinny Golia (US); Jorge Torres Sáenz (MX); William Parker (US); Thollem McDonas (US)