Caribana

Omar Thomas

Subtitle: For Symphonic Winds and Percussion

General Info

Year: 2021
Duration: c. 7:40
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Omar Thomas
Cost: Score and Parts (digital) – Rental ($400.00) | Score Only (digital) - $50.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II-III
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Timpani
Percussion, including:

Agogo Bells
Bongos
Brake Drum
China Splash Cymbals
Flexatone
Glass Bottles
Glockenspiel
Hi-Hat
Marimba
Police Whistle
Roto-toms
Suspended Cymbal
Tom-Tom
Triangle
Whip
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Named after the largest Caribbean carnival in North America outside of the Caribbean (held annually in Toronto and now called “Toronto Caribbean Carnival”), Caribana is my attempt to bring the calypso and soca music of Trinidad and Tobago to the large ensemble symphonic music stage. Though this music originated on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, they have become cultural staples of all Caribbean nations, with singers and songwriters from various countries adding to the rich tapestry of the tradition. Driven by layers of rhythmic percussion (known as “the engine room”), Caribana seeks to re-create the experience of immersion in the carnival experience -- from the elaborate beaded, feathered, and shimmering costumes, to the flatbed 18-wheeler trucks blasting soca and calypso through their massive speaker systems, followed by people dancing shoulder to shoulder to the driving and infectious music, waving flags of their respective Caribbean nations in perfect rhythm to the driving and infectious music. This piece gives you a bird’s eye view of the festivities, swoops in and darts about, taking in individual scenes and sights, immersing you in the pulsing chaos of the moment, and finally making you one with the electrified crowd of revelers as you follow the music down the parade route.

As a proud son of parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and ancestors born in the Caribbean nation of Guyana, South America, calypso and soca form many of my earliest and most endearing musical memories. There is not a family gathering I can recall that wasn’t (loudly) underscored by this music, be it a cookout, a holiday, a wedding, a repast, Saturday morning house cleaning, or car rides to and from Brooklyn. The creation of this work is the realization of a years-long dream to hear this music brought to the symphonic concert stage in a way that is authentic, and that integrates our musical cultural language with the idioms of the symphonic concert genre.

This piece is lovingly dedicated to my family and to the ancestors. Wave yuh flag!

- Program Note by composer

Commissioned in celebration of the 75th Midwest Clinic [December 2021].

- Program Note from score

Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Texas (Austin) Wind Ensemble (Jerry Junkin, conductor) – 26 February 2023
Texas All-State Symphonic Band (Emily Threinen, conductor) – 11 February 2023 (2023 TMEA Conference, San Antonio)
University of Kentucky (Lexington) Wind Symphony (John Cody Birdwell, conductor) - 28 January 2023
University of Maryland (College Park) Wind Ensemble (Andrea Brown, conductor) - 5 May 2022
Vandegrift High School (Austin, Tx.) Wind Ensemble (Mike Howard, conductor) - 17 December 2021 (2021 Midwest Clinic) *Premiere Performance*
Vandegrift High School (Austin, Tx.) Wind Ensemble (Mike Howard, conductor) - 17 November 2021

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Emma Catherine (Flex instrumentation) (2004/2009)
Sharp Nine (Flex instrumentation) (2020)

All Wind Works

Candor (2021)
Caribana (2021)
Come Sunday (2018)
Emma Catherine (Flex instrumentation) (2004/2009)
The Low-Down Brown Get-Down (2020)
Moods and Attitudes (2023)
A Mother of a Revolution! (2019)
Of Our New Day Begun (2016)
Sharp Nine (Flex instrumentation) (2020)
Shenandoah (as arranger) (2019)

Resources

Omar Thomas website Accessed 21 May 2021
Perusal score