Ehecatl: A Frugal Digital Wind Instrument Inspired by Aztec Cosmogony

Manuel Ruiz

Image credit: Manuel Ruiz

• oral
• Paper PDF link
• Presence: in person
• Duration: 13
• Type: medium
• Session: Reimagining DMIs

Abstract:

This paper presents Ehecatl (eh-HEK-ah-tl), a digital wind in- strument (DWI) that integrates frugal technologies with Nahua (Aztec) cosmogony. The instrument is inspired by the ceremony of the Voladores de Papantla (Papantla Flyers), which physically enacts the Quincunx, a Mesoamerican cosmological framework representing the four cardinal directions and a central axis mundi. These spatial concepts provide the foundation for mapping ges- tural performance parameters to sound modulations. Ehecatl was designed as a portable, standalone instrument embedding both control and sound synthesis. It employs the ESP32-S3 microcontroller, an I2S DAC, low-cost sensors includ- ing an accelerometer and a magnetometer, alongside a novel custom windmill-based breath sensor designed for affordability and accessibility. Sound is generated using the M16 library’s syn- thesis engine, utilizing a capacitive touch interface that allows for fluid, pentatonic melodic control, translating breath and move- ment into a cohesive sonic landscape. This project illustrates how Indigenous epistemologies can inform the design of accessible, culturally grounded musical interfaces.