Tumbao

Horacio Fernández
Duration:
22 minutes
Year Written:
2020 (rev. 2022)
Instrumentation:
3(I=picc).3(III=Eng. horn).3(III=bass clar.).3(III=contra) - 4.3.3(III=bass).1 timp+perc(3) - harp - piano - strings
Conductor:
ACO Event:
Oregon Symphony EarShot Readings
Purchase & Rental Information:
Tumbao
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From the composer: I grew up in a large Mexican family with great party dancers and I was the weird kid in the corner who thought he was too cool for dancing. After much verbal torment from my cousins throughout my teenage years, I decided to take up salsa dancing lessons. Despite my awkward beginnings, I started to really enjoy myself after a few months of practice. Suddenly, eager to partake in the mating rituals, I spent a summer visiting the local Latin Dance Club, aptly named TUMBAO, where I further proved myself to be a "true" Mexican. At the time, the three most popular genres of Latin Dance music were Salsa, Bachata, and Reggaeton, so each movement of this Latin Suite for Orchestra explores their musical possibilities. Having become acquainted to this music through dancing, it became extremely important to me that my music felt authentic, not just another Latin-inspired avant-garde classical music composition. Therefore, this music retains the catchy melodies and infectious rhythm of Salsa, Bachata, and Reggaeton. If you know your Latin Pop music from the early twenty-first century, you might even pick up a few references to great visionary Latin Singers such as Daddy Yankee, Romeo Santos, Oscar de León, among many others. 

The term “Tumbao” refers to the basic rhythm played by the bass in Afro-Cuban genres of music. However, it is also a term that has become intricately associated with Latin culture. It is comparable to the word “swag” or “flow” and it can be used to define someone who has a lively vibe to them. It is a word that represents the spirit of Latino culture, one with an unmistakable lust for life.

Educational module

Students explore popular Latin musical genres salsa, bachata, and reggaeton through introductions to Latin dance and audio production. They use the infectious rhythms and melodies to experiment with improvisation, finding groove and movement in the music of orchestras. The module considers how each Latin dance form is built and what distinguishes them stylistically, with a particular emphasis on the history of Afro-Cuban music and the ways that certain instruments create a sense of groove. Additional classroom strategies include references to popular recognizable songs that have been influenced by Latin music, a discussion of the social use of these dances, and an exploration of how they relate to students in the classroom.

Tumbao is published by American Composers Orchestra via EarShot: Advancing Equity through Publishing & Repertoire Development, made possible through support from the Sphinx Organization.

Recordings

Recording

Red Dirt | Silver Rain (excerpt)
Bolero/Bachata from Tumbao
"Tumbao" Movement 1 "Salsa"
Yvette Janine Jackson Interview with Garrett McQueen
Mark Adamo + Jeffrey Zeigler in conversation with Garrett McQueen
Weathering by George Lewis
Lisa Bielawa: Sanctuary, Violin Concerto. mvt 3
Lisa Bielawa, Sanctuary, Violin Concerto mvt 2
Lisa Bielawa, Sanctuary, Violin Concerto mvt 1
Prophecy in Reverse by Paula Matthusen
Invisible Portals by Dai Wei
Tuxedo: Vasco 'de' Gama (2020) by Hannah Kendall
Restless Oceans by Anna Clyne
Viet Cuong + Victor Caccese of Sandbox Percussion in conversation with Garrett McQueen
Hello, Tomorrow! - Yvette Janine Jackson
Interview with Guillermo Klein
Chrystal E. Williams & Felipe Hostins in Conversation with Loki Karuna
Rei Hotoda in Conversation with Curtis Stewart
Kaki King and D. J. Sparr in Conversation with Curtis Stewart
Kaki King /D J Sparr - The Divided Mind from Modern Yesterdays
Kaki King - Puzzle Me You from Modern Yesterdays
Kaki King - Can’t Touch This or That or You or My Face from Modern Yesterdays
Kaki King - God Child from Modern Yesterdays
Materia Prima by Carlos Bandera
Floodplain by Ellen Reid
Fate Now Conquers by Carlos Simon
Her Land, Expanded by Tonia Ko
Right Now - John Glover/Kelley Rourke
Lowak Shoppala' (Clans) by Jerod Tate
Jazz Symphony by George Antheil
Spirituals for String Orchestra: 10. Homage To Ravel (An Arrangement of “Balm in Gilead”) by Steven R. Gerber
Frailejón by Samuel Torres
Demografía acústica: % / Acoustic Demography: % by Sofía Scheps
Dirty Ice by Madeline Merwin
Kaleidoscope by Eunsung Kim
Statements- a journal entry by Malachi Brown
After the Freeze by Anuj Bhutani
Hommage à Khāleqī by Daniel Sabzgabaei
Mimi's Song by Amy Nam
Gia Đình by Oswald Huỳnh
Rencontres by Brittany J Green
I forgot to say good morning today by Henry Dorn
Feast of Particles by Younje Cho
Fetters by Yuqin Strucky Yi
Increment by Will Stackpole
Restrung by Tommy Dougherty
Ashes and Embers by Yuting Tan
Wraith Weight by Elijah Smith
Bolghar by Adeliia Faizullina
Persephone by Patrick Holcomb
Tomas Peire Serrate: Rauxa
Lowak Shoppala' (Clans) by Jerod Tate
Right Now by John Glover & Kelley Rourke
Fate Now Conquers by Carlos Simon
Carlos Simon in Conversation with Garrett McQueen