Juba
Item
-
Score title
-
Juba
-
Composer
-
Valerie Coleman
-
Program note
-
Juba for flute choir gives homage to its namesake: a style of hand clapping, leg-slapping, rhythmic word dance found in the origins of both African-American and West African cultures. At the same time, the work is a tone poem about the Juba River, a wildlife-sustaining source that flows throughout Somalia.
JUBA starts with a soulful melody that gives the perspective of taking a riverboat journey through Northeastern Africa, watching the wildlife (lions, cheetahs, giraffes, crocodiles) that inhabit the savanna. There’s an ancient, wildly elemental feel within the Juba River itself, and the introductory section reflects that with a rich, mysterious, earthy tone. The mood then quickly shifts into a lively dance featuring the same melody as before, but this time accompanied by layers of percussive rhythm, alternating with sections of musical ‘jive’.
JUBA is a celebration that I hope will feed the listener’s soul.
Valerie Coleman