The cities that made me

CHAPTER 01SOY TAVO · PASS

Mexico City19.43° N / 99.13° W

PHOTO TO COMETavo in Mexico Cityportrait 4:5

My first city.
And my returns.

It saw me born.
It saw me return.

Mexico City saw me born. It’s the city that knew me as Erik and shaped me. I returned to it in my thirties, with nothing, to start over.

I came back again in my forties, with Hope and Max. I had to get them to safety. Today, from here, I’m building HME84, still writing, and looking for a life I can sustain.

My city. The place from which I keep telling my story.

CHAPTER 02SOY TAVO · PASS

Madrid40.42° N / 3.70° W

PHOTO TO COMETavo in Madridportrait 4:5

My second city.
Another home.

It opened its doors.
There they called me Tavo.

Madrid opened its doors to me, forged me professionally and gave me a new personality. In my twenties I started introducing myself as Octavio; there they called me Tavo.

A twelve-square-metre flat with a terrace, friendships, concerts and dinners that could bring together fifteen or twenty people. I made a life there.

Madrid became another place I call home.

CHAPTER 03SOY TAVO · PASS

Buenos Aires34.60° S / 58.38° W

PHOTO TO COMETavo in Buenos Airesportrait 4:5

To the south of a continent.
The three of us.

To stop apologising.
To build myself again.

Buenos Aires taught me not to apologise for the things I liked, to free my mind and to rebuild myself by destroying what I believed, so I could build myself anew.

We went to the south of a continent for an opportunity with Danone. To accept it I set one condition: Hope and Max had to come with me.

Erik, Hope and Max. Another city, another way of living.

CHAPTER 04SOY TAVO · PASS

Nancy48.69° N / 6.18° E

PHOTO TO COMETavo in Nancyportrait 4:5

La vie en rose.

My Pandora’s box.
My greatest lesson.

I arrived looking for my vie en rose. That life ended up opening my Pandora’s box. I fell lower than ever. It is also where I gave shape to Las Voces del Sepulcro.

Nancy became my greatest lesson. I learned that changing places isn’t enough: if I’m not aware of who I am and who I’m not, I’ll keep living while blaming everyone else.

HME is wherever we are.

The citiesthat made me.

It saw me born.It saw me return.

It opened its doors.There they called me Tavo.

To stop apologising.To build myself again.

My Pandora’s box.My greatest lesson.

The cities
that made me.

It saw me born.
It saw me return.

It opened its doors.
There they called me Tavo.

To stop apologising.
To build myself again.

My Pandora’s box.
My greatest lesson.