African Sketches

Description

Piano — The opening movement, “The Village Children at Play,” depicts a band of happy children. Whether running by in excited exploration or pausing momentarily to play hand- clapping counting games, they are joyously raucous.“Dusk” was written in tribute to my late mentor, the Nigerian-born composer of Jamaican descent, Noel George DaCosta. It is soulful, spiritual, and reflective, invoking the still, reflective spirituality of my departed teacher.“Dancing Barefoot in the Rain” is the remembrance of playing in the warm shower of West African rain with childhood schoolmates during the year I spent in Nigeria as a child.“Drums Talking” was added to the suite much later. It tells a story of a mother calling for her missing child. The mother’s calls are echoed by talking drums, until their sweet reunion. AFRICAN SKETCHES is a four-movement suite inspired by the composer’s childhood years in Nigeria, her father’s homeland. “The Village Children at Play,” captures the children’s joyful energy, “Dusk” is a beautifully gentle memorial to Okoye’s first musical mentor, and “Dancing Barefoot in the Rain” is a scherzo with all the scenic charm of its title. This movement appears as the underscoring in Carnegie Hall’s social media campaign announcing their “CH” monogram. “Drums Talking” is a call-and-refrain between a mother searching for her daughter, and talking drums echoing her calls. The 12-minute AFRICAN SKETCHES makes an ideal suite for recitals, and each movement may be performed separately.