In the rocky landscape of southwest America are many canyons. One particular form of them is the "slot" canyon. The word "slot" means "narrow slot"; a slot canyon is a canyon with high vertical walls that are very close together. Most occur in dry areas, where violent floods occur from time to time. During this natural event, water with stones scour through the softer rock layers, creating the narrow gorges. Many slot canyons have been and remain unknown to the general public, often because they are located in inaccessible areas and are difficult to access. The best-known exceptions to this are six separate, scenic slot canyons on the "Navajo Land" (Arizona), designated "Upper Antelope Canyon", "Rattle Snake Canyon", "Owl Canyon", "Mountain Sheep Canyon", "Canyon X" and "Lower Antelope Canyon".

In this composition, we will limit ourselves to the two-part "Upper & Lower Antelope Canyon", which are believed to have formed 8 to 60 million years ago. A visit is only possible under the guidance of a local "Navajo" guide.

"Upper Antelope Canyon" was discovered in 1931 by Sue Tsosie , a 12-year-old girl descended from the "Navajo" Indians. The tribe gave the canyon the name "Tsé bighánílíní", which loosely translated means "the place where water flows through rocks". The Navajos kept the canyon a secret for many years. The entrance is a narrow opening that doesn't give you the idea that there will be anything special to see. But that changes as soon as you walk in; you enter a magical world of rolling sandstone walls and breathtaking hues that change throughout the day with intervening sunlight. The canyon is about 140 meters long and the walls 40 meters high.

The Native American name for "Lower Antelope Canyon" is "Hazdistazí", which means "spiral rock arches". It is over 400 meters, and therefore more than twice as long as the "Upper" and is also called the "corkscrew". Several times tourists have run into trouble in both canyons, in 1997 even 11 people died in the lower canyon due to a tidal wave caused by severe weather.

Iranian composer Amir Molookpour became inspired by this wonderful natural phenomenon, the beautiful hues formed by the sun and the history of these canyons. He tried to reflect this musically in this atmospheric, mysterious, sometimes slightly or somewhat melancholy composition.

This composition was created with the help of a contribution from the Music Investment Fund, an initiative of Buma/Stemra in cooperation with Voi(C)e, the Copyright Interests Federation and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in the Netherlands.