Name: Turning Jewels Into Water
Start: 2026-01-24T19:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-01-24T21:00:00-07:00
Location: The Bug Theatre

When Momin was an artist-in-residence at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn NY in 2017, he’d invited Val Jeanty for an informal jam session, which led to the formation of Turning Jewels Into Water.
The name of the project alludes to one of the impacts of climate-change where water itself will become an extremely precious resource in the near future. Their collaboration, rooted in improvisation, evokes the esoteric realms of the creative subconscious. Drawing from the voodoo religion, Val recreates the ancient rhythms and pulse of Haiti through digital beats, while Momin, rooted in Indian folk and Black Music traditions, is also influenced by street music from Sao Paulo to Durban. Drawing on the AACM motto of “ancient to the future,” they employ cutting-edge music-technological tools such as Ableton, acoustic drums outfitted with Sensory Percussion triggers, Force Sensing Resistor (FSR) drum pads and Smart Fabric MIDI Controllers, to create music with spiritual resonance.
They have released a critically-acclaimed full-length album on the Chicago-based FPE Records, entitled A Map of Absences. Their music was described by Bandcamp as ‘a sound that feels deeply rooted in tradition, but adapted for a generation of people who care as much about their roots as they do innovation.
They have toured Europe and the US, and most notably have performed at the Earshot Festival (Seattle, WA, US) Bang On A Can Marathon (New York City, NY, US), ZEZ Festival (Croatia) and Tarcento Jazz Festival (Italy.) In 2020, Momin was awarded a prestigious grant from NewMusic USA for Turning Jewels into Water to collaborate with video artist Art Jones and dancers Rosalynd Harris and Infinite Lynn, to create an interdisciplinary work that depicted the transformation of an individual facing the impacts of climate change.