A Dance for Birds by Samuel Torres
A Dance for Birds is a nine-movement suite of music crafted by the visionary composer and percussionist, Samuel Torres. It showcases his new Latin chamber ensemble featuring the Bergamot String Quartet. This work brings Afro-Latin rhythms, Jazz and classical music together, defying musical stereotypes and expanding the horizons of chamber music. This piece was commissioned by Chamber Music America through the New Jazz Works Grant funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.
A Dance for Birds is a pivotal work in Torres’s career because it showcases his innovative approach to composition by bringing the traditions of Afro-Latin rhythms, the improvisational elements of jazz and the rich complexities of contemporary classical music. It represents Torres's commitment to breaking musical hierarchies by featuring his instrument, the congas, as a centerpiece to this ensemble and fostering equality amongst traditions.
The musicians in the Latin Chamber Ensemble are top in their field. The Bergamot String Quartet is an award-winning impassioned creative force that champions work from living composers. Members of Torres’s Latin Jazz sextet are New York City's finest jazz players who wield a rhythmic force and are unparalleled in skill and creativity. Torres collaborated with acclaimed Colombian visual artist, Diego Pombo. Pombo crafted a mixed media presentation featuring abstract birds within nature which is illuminated behind the ensemble. This artwork guides the audience through a poetic story about migration. Torres encourages us to explore paradoxes of elements both beautiful and reflective of traditions while expanding classical and jazz horizons.
Latin Chamber Ensemble
featuring the Bergamot String Quartet
LATIN CHAMBER ENSEMBLE MEMBERS ARE:
Alex Norris (Trumpet) Troy Roberts (Saxophone) Ahmed Alom (Piano) Ricky Rodriguez (Bass) Jimmy Macbride (Drums)
BERGAMOT QUARTET: Ledah Finck (Violin 1)Sarah Thomas (Violin 2) Amy Tan (Viola) Irene Han (Cello)
Diego Pombo
Diego Pombo, a distinguished Colombian artist hailing from the vibrant city of Cali. Pombo is a musician, painter, sculptor, actor, magazine illustrator and cultural manager. He a self-taught artist with impressive talent and a spark living a life of creativity.
"I am not looking to join the elite. What I want is for my art to be a celebration of life and not just for art lovers and connoisseurs.”
~Diego Pombo
Liner Notes
A Dance for Birds unfolds, starting with the genesis of the congas in Cuba, encapsulating their roots from Africa. It then pays homage to the Cuban tradition of rumba. The composition continues to delve into the challenges, conflicts, and introspective inquiries of an immigrant, framed within the 6/8 rhythm of the Currulao originating from the Pacific Coast of Colombia. It sparks a dialogue between the drumset and conga drums, where congas, widely embraced in the Americas, and the drumset, rooted in European tradition, which symbolically embody the shared African heritage between the two continents. One movement pays tribute to the love songs of the Americas, playing with time and creating a dreamscape of love outside of reality. The harmonies resonate with the musical traditions of 19th-century Europe. Another movement is inspired by Olivier Messiaen's early piano works transcribing bird calls. Torres uses bird calls from the Caribbean coast of Colombia and melodic sounds of the Cumbia. Towards the end of the piece, there are melodic gestures nodding to Torres's family traditions of Bambuco and pays homage to Beethoven's string quartets. Influences of Pauline Oliveros are heard as a sound meditation between the congas and the string quartet. The last movement is inspired by the carnival music of Barranquilla. It’s a celebration that symbolizes the union between different cultures and traditions, emphasizing the strength found in togetherness and the necessity of playing together.
1.From Stillness
2 Horizons take wings
3. Conversations
4. Attraction
5. Expanding Spaces
6. The Song
7. Shall we Fly?
8. The Gathering
9. Strength in Unison