[African Portraits; Hannibal Lokumbé; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Teldec (1996)]
The African American jazz trumpeter and composer Hannibal Lokumbé (b. 1948) was born Marvin Peterson in Smithville, Texas. His oratorio Dear Mrs. Parks, about the famed Civil Rights figure Rosa
Parks, was given its world premiere by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2005. We recently learned that the orchestra plans to record the work for the acclaimed Naxos “American Classics” series next season. Scott Roush, Public Relations Associate for the DSO, tells AfriClassical: “William, thank you for your interest. I do know it will be recorded next season, I just do not know when yet. We will have a specific press release about the recording sometime next season.”
The African American jazz trumpeter and composer Hannibal Lokumbé (b. 1948) was born Marvin Peterson in Smithville, Texas. His oratorio Dear Mrs. Parks, about the famed Civil Rights figure Rosa
Parks, was given its world premiere by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2005. We recently learned that the orchestra plans to record the work for the acclaimed Naxos “American Classics” series next season. Scott Roush, Public Relations Associate for the DSO, tells AfriClassical: “William, thank you for your interest. I do know it will be recorded next season, I just do not know when yet. We will have a specific press release about the recording sometime next season.”
I just finished singing this piece at the Berkshire Choral Festival under the direction of Phillip Brunelle. Make no mistake. This is a powerful deeply moving tribute to Rosa Parks and to the civil rights movement. It is a fine piece of American classical music with deep African roots. It is a rather incredible work. The odds are you won't have dry eyes by the end of the piece. The use of percussion is fantastic. There is a 2 and 1/2 minute tympani solo, in the jazz tradition. If you don't buy or hear this piece in concert you are really missing something fine.
ReplyDeleteClifford Beck
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