Alma Caribeña
for violoncello and piano
- year of composition
- duration
- ca. 5'
About the work
When composing Alma Caribeña (Caribbean Soul) I was inspired to fuse together a mix of musical influences, not only from my home country of the Dominican Republic but also from Haiti (which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic) as well as from Cuba, whose musical culture has historically been closely linked that of both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The result is a polytonal, polyrhythmic piece infused with elements of merengue/méringue, son, guaguanco, balada and bolero. These influences are explored in both the fast and slow sections, whether through contrapuntal lines, rhythmic drive, lyrical melodies, or infectious dance grooves. Extended tonal harmonies create a soundscape that draws the listener in and leads the ear through various tonal centres before settling on a final resolution.
The Caribbean quintuplet - a ubiquitous element in Caribbean music - serves both as a basis for rhythmic and melodic figurations as well as for larger-scale structural elements. I like to think of the end result as ‘un bonche musical’ - a shindig.