Program
Florence Price (1887-1953)
For this concert, I wanted to highlight the stories of women, who were traditionally marginalized in the world of classical music. Florence Price is a composer who has been a powerful influence in my life. My connection with her is rooted in our shared experiences as women of color from the South. Florence Price was a fierce pioneer who paved the way for so many African-American musicians. This performance features five pieces from her collection of art songs and spirituals. I chose these pieces as they tell the story of a young woman who finds the courage and strength to hold on to hope in a world that seems determined to shatter it. - Veena Akama-Makia
Song to the Dark Virgin (poem by Langston Hughes)
Bewilderment (poem by Langston Hughes)
Sympathy (poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar)
Hold Fast to Dreams (poem by Langston Hughes)
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
I have been in love with Dvorak's “Gyspy Songs” since the first time I heard them. During the past twelve months, the yearning for freedom, the fear of the unknown, and the longing for the family have been themes that shaped my life. Through the “Gypsy Songs”, I have been able to find a sense of peace, despite the ever-present feeling that the world around me was in a constant state of chaos. As I perform these pieces, I hope you will also feel that same sense of peace, which I found in the words of the poet Adolf Heyduk. - Veena Akama-Makia
Mein lied ertönt
Rings ist der Wald
Als die Alte Mutter
Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)
The pandemic has given me an opportunity to learn new pieces of music. Among them, are a group of art songs, the Three Dream Portraits composed by Margaret Bonds. I was introduced to these works by, Reflections Through the River, a visual album directed and conceived by Allison Lewis. The work explores the historically racist, destructive, and dehumanizing images of Black women in media and its consequences. I chose Three Dream Portraits as a reminder that Black women still face discrimination and misrepresentation. I want to use my voice for those who cannot, those who still live in fear of speaking out against injustice in our times. - Veena Akama-Makia
Three Dream Portraits (with poems by Langston Hughes)
Minstrel Man
Dream Variation
I, Too
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
I chose this piece for tonight’s recital in honor of a woman who played an instrumental and inspirational role in my journey as an artist. The late African-American mezzo-soprano Shirley Verrett is one of my role models. Her mesmerizing performance of O, Mio Fernando from Donizetti’s opera La favorita, inspired me to study this aria and perform it here tonight. - Veena Akama-Makia
O, mio Fernando (Oh my Fernando)
Xavier Montsalvatge (1912-2002)
Cinco Canciones Negras by Xavier Montsalvatge focuses on the lives of Afro-Cuban and Creole women during the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s. I chose this specifically because the perspectives and experiences of women of African descent are rarely highlighted in classical music, and I felt these powerful pieces illustrate the ever-changing and challenging environment in Cuba at that time. - Veena Akama-Makia
Cinco Canciones Negras
Cuba dentro de un pian
Chévere
Canción de cuna para dormir un negrito
Canto Negro
Thank you!
I would like to thank the Church of St. Thomas More and their musical director Connor Doran for allowing us to use the church as a venue for this recital. I would also like to thank Evan Ritter for his hard work as my collaborator; and Professor Kathryn Cowdrick for her patience and encouragement over these past years and for connecting me with Matthew Hileman and the Marilyn Horne Museum. Without her help, this recital would not have been possible. Finally, I want to thank my family for their constant love, my mentors for their guidance, and my friends for being supportive. You all mean so much to me, and I appreciate you for being a part of my journey. I hope that these pieces have a place in your heart as they have a place in mine!
- Veena Akama-Makia
For this concert, I wanted to highlight the stories of women, who were traditionally marginalized in the world of classical music. Florence Price is a composer who has been a powerful influence in my life. My connection with her is rooted in our shared experiences as women of color from the South. Florence Price was a fierce pioneer who paved the way for so many African-American musicians. This performance features five pieces from her collection of art songs and spirituals. I chose these pieces as they tell the story of a young woman who finds the courage and strength to hold on to hope in a world that seems determined to shatter it. - Veena Akama-Makia
Song to the Dark Virgin (poem by Langston Hughes)
Bewilderment (poem by Langston Hughes)
Sympathy (poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar)
Hold Fast to Dreams (poem by Langston Hughes)
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904)
I have been in love with Dvorak's “Gyspy Songs” since the first time I heard them. During the past twelve months, the yearning for freedom, the fear of the unknown, and the longing for the family have been themes that shaped my life. Through the “Gypsy Songs”, I have been able to find a sense of peace, despite the ever-present feeling that the world around me was in a constant state of chaos. As I perform these pieces, I hope you will also feel that same sense of peace, which I found in the words of the poet Adolf Heyduk. - Veena Akama-Makia
Mein lied ertönt
Rings ist der Wald
Als die Alte Mutter
Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)
The pandemic has given me an opportunity to learn new pieces of music. Among them, are a group of art songs, the Three Dream Portraits composed by Margaret Bonds. I was introduced to these works by, Reflections Through the River, a visual album directed and conceived by Allison Lewis. The work explores the historically racist, destructive, and dehumanizing images of Black women in media and its consequences. I chose Three Dream Portraits as a reminder that Black women still face discrimination and misrepresentation. I want to use my voice for those who cannot, those who still live in fear of speaking out against injustice in our times. - Veena Akama-Makia
Three Dream Portraits (with poems by Langston Hughes)
Minstrel Man
Dream Variation
I, Too
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
I chose this piece for tonight’s recital in honor of a woman who played an instrumental and inspirational role in my journey as an artist. The late African-American mezzo-soprano Shirley Verrett is one of my role models. Her mesmerizing performance of O, Mio Fernando from Donizetti’s opera La favorita, inspired me to study this aria and perform it here tonight. - Veena Akama-Makia
O, mio Fernando (Oh my Fernando)
Xavier Montsalvatge (1912-2002)
Cinco Canciones Negras by Xavier Montsalvatge focuses on the lives of Afro-Cuban and Creole women during the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930s. I chose this specifically because the perspectives and experiences of women of African descent are rarely highlighted in classical music, and I felt these powerful pieces illustrate the ever-changing and challenging environment in Cuba at that time. - Veena Akama-Makia
Cinco Canciones Negras
Cuba dentro de un pian
Chévere
Canción de cuna para dormir un negrito
Canto Negro
Thank you!
I would like to thank the Church of St. Thomas More and their musical director Connor Doran for allowing us to use the church as a venue for this recital. I would also like to thank Evan Ritter for his hard work as my collaborator; and Professor Kathryn Cowdrick for her patience and encouragement over these past years and for connecting me with Matthew Hileman and the Marilyn Horne Museum. Without her help, this recital would not have been possible. Finally, I want to thank my family for their constant love, my mentors for their guidance, and my friends for being supportive. You all mean so much to me, and I appreciate you for being a part of my journey. I hope that these pieces have a place in your heart as they have a place in mine!
- Veena Akama-Makia
Lyrics
Florence Price
Song to the Dark Virgin
Poem by Langston Hughes
The meaning of Langston's Hughes's enigmatic poem Song to the Dark Virgin has been debated by scholars. Its interpretation is dependent on the personal experiences and perspectives of the reader, or, in this case, the listener.
Would
That I were a jewel
A shattered jewel
That all my shining brilliants
Might fall at thy feet
Thou dark one
Would
That I were a garment
A shimmering, silken garment
That all my folds
Might wrap about thy body
Absorb thy body
Hold and hide thy body
Thou dark one
Would
That I were a flame
But one sharp, leaping flame
To annihilate thy body
Thou dark one
Bewilderment
Poem by Langston Hughes
Academics and biographers frequently disagree about the meaning of the works of Langston Hughes, which can, at first glance, appear deceptively simple. Often the perspective of the reader is subjective of their own life experiences. Whatever the ultimate intention of Bewilderment, it is a summation of the human experience, where each of us is perpetually presented with conflicting choices and societal pressures. Ultimately we seek the guidance of the divine for clarity.
I ask you this: Which way to go?
I ask you this: Which way to go?
I ask you this: Which sin to bear?
I ask you this: Which sin to bear?
I ask you this: Which crown to put upon my hair?
I ask you this: Which crown to put upon my hair?
I do not know, I do not know.
I do not know.
Lord God, I do not know.
Sympathy
Poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Sympathy is an undated work set to the poem of the same title of the African-American writer Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar was born in Kentucky in 1872 and became one of the first influential Black poets in American literature. The familiar words, "I know why the caged bird sings" were adopted by Maya Angelou as the title of her seminal autobiography first published in 1969.
I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opens
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals --
I know what the caged bird feels!
I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting --
I know why he beats his wing!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,--
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings --
I know why the caged bird sings!
Hold Fast to Dreams
Poem by Langston Hughes
Hold Fast to Dreams is based on the poem Dreams by Langston Hughes. First published in 1923, the short piece reflects common themes in Hughes' works - the importance of dreams in the face of suppression and the power of hope in preserving our individual humanity.
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow
Song to the Dark Virgin
Poem by Langston Hughes
The meaning of Langston's Hughes's enigmatic poem Song to the Dark Virgin has been debated by scholars. Its interpretation is dependent on the personal experiences and perspectives of the reader, or, in this case, the listener.
Would
That I were a jewel
A shattered jewel
That all my shining brilliants
Might fall at thy feet
Thou dark one
Would
That I were a garment
A shimmering, silken garment
That all my folds
Might wrap about thy body
Absorb thy body
Hold and hide thy body
Thou dark one
Would
That I were a flame
But one sharp, leaping flame
To annihilate thy body
Thou dark one
Bewilderment
Poem by Langston Hughes
Academics and biographers frequently disagree about the meaning of the works of Langston Hughes, which can, at first glance, appear deceptively simple. Often the perspective of the reader is subjective of their own life experiences. Whatever the ultimate intention of Bewilderment, it is a summation of the human experience, where each of us is perpetually presented with conflicting choices and societal pressures. Ultimately we seek the guidance of the divine for clarity.
I ask you this: Which way to go?
I ask you this: Which way to go?
I ask you this: Which sin to bear?
I ask you this: Which sin to bear?
I ask you this: Which crown to put upon my hair?
I ask you this: Which crown to put upon my hair?
I do not know, I do not know.
I do not know.
Lord God, I do not know.
Sympathy
Poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Sympathy is an undated work set to the poem of the same title of the African-American writer Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar was born in Kentucky in 1872 and became one of the first influential Black poets in American literature. The familiar words, "I know why the caged bird sings" were adopted by Maya Angelou as the title of her seminal autobiography first published in 1969.
I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opens
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals --
I know what the caged bird feels!
I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting --
I know why he beats his wing!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,--
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings --
I know why the caged bird sings!
Hold Fast to Dreams
Poem by Langston Hughes
Hold Fast to Dreams is based on the poem Dreams by Langston Hughes. First published in 1923, the short piece reflects common themes in Hughes' works - the importance of dreams in the face of suppression and the power of hope in preserving our individual humanity.
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow
Antonín Dvořák
The prevalent Romanticism of the 19th century led many artists across a variety of mediums to view native cultures as "exotic." Dvorak's "Gypsy Songs" fall into this category. And like most Western interpretations of non-Western or indigenous cultures, Dvorak's "gypsy" compositions are inspired less by authentic cultural traditions than they are of Slovakian themes and those of his native Bohemia. The work of Florence Price has often been compared to Dvorak's as both composers incorporated themes of their ancestral lands and cultures into their works and collaborated with prominent poets to set their words to music. Price's symphonic works also share the same powerful complexity of many of Dvorak's compositions.
The prevalent Romanticism of the 19th century led many artists across a variety of mediums to view native cultures as "exotic." Dvorak's "Gypsy Songs" fall into this category. And like most Western interpretations of non-Western or indigenous cultures, Dvorak's "gypsy" compositions are inspired less by authentic cultural traditions than they are of Slovakian themes and those of his native Bohemia. The work of Florence Price has often been compared to Dvorak's as both composers incorporated themes of their ancestral lands and cultures into their works and collaborated with prominent poets to set their words to music. Price's symphonic works also share the same powerful complexity of many of Dvorak's compositions.
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Mein Lied ertönt
Mein Lied ertönt, ein Liebespsalm, beginnt der Tag zu sinken, und wenn das Moos, der welke Halm Tauperlen heimlich trinken. Mein Lied ertönt voll Wanderlust, wenn wir die Welt durchwallen, nur auf der Puszta weitem Plan kann froh mein Sang erschallen. Mein Lied ertönt voll Liebe auch, wenn Heidestürme toben; wenn sich befreit zum letzten Hauch des Bruders Brust gehoben! Rings ist der Wald Rings ist der Wald so stumm und still, das Herz schlägt mir so bange; der schwarze Rauch sinkt tiefer stets, die Träne trocknend meiner Wange. Doch meine Träne trockne nicht, sollst anders wohin wehen! Wer auch im Schmerz noch singen kann, der lebt, nicht wird sein Lied vergehen! Als die Alte Mutter Als die alte Mutter mich noch lehrte singen, sonderbar, daß Tränen ihr am Auge hingen. Jetzt die braunen Wangen netzen mir die Zähren, wenn ich will die Kinder Sang und Spielen lehren! |
My Song of Love
My song resounds, a psalm of love, When day begins to fade, And when the moss and withered grass Secretly drink in pearls of dew. My song resounds full of wanderlust, As we journey through the world, Only on my wide native plains Can my song ring out happily. My song is also full of love, As storms rage across the heath, And my friend breathes his last And frees himself from pain! The Forest is Silent All Around All around the woods are so still and silent, My heart beats so fearfully; The black smoke sinks ever deeper Drying the tears on my cheek. But do not dry my tears, You shall blow in other places! He who can sing while grieving, Still lives, and his song will not fade! Songs My Mother Taught Me When my old mother taught me songs to sing, Tears would well strangely in her eyes. Now my brown cheeks are wet with tears, When I teach the children how to sing and play! |
Margaret Bonds and Langston Hughes - Three Dream Portraits
Minstrel Man
Minstrel Man needs little interpretation as it references the minstrel performers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Although once wildly popular with many white audiences around the United States, the depictions of African-Americans in minstrel shows were saturated with stereotypes and racist tropes. For people of color, the minstrel man represents the deeply painful scars of racism, segregation, and historical marginalization.
Because my mouth
Is wide with laughter
And my throat
Is deep with song
You do not think
I suffer after
I have held my pain
So long?
Because my mouth
Is wide with laughter
You do not hear
My inner cry?
Because my feet
Are gay with dancing
You do not know
I die?
Dream Variation
Dream Variation is a powerful poem that encapsulates the zeitgeist of the Civil Rights Movement. The dream of the narrator is to be finally liberated and live in a world free of all oppression.
To fling my arms wide
In some place of the sun
To whirl and to dance
Till the white day is done
Then rest at cool evening
Beneath a tall tree
While night comes on gently
Dark like me--
That is my dream!
To fling my arms wide
In the face of the sun
Dance! Whirl! Whirl!
Till the quick day is done
Rest at pale evening . .
A tall, slim tree . .
Night coming tenderly
Black like me
I, Too
The third of Bonds's "Dream Portraits" evokes the often silent suffering of African-Americans who struggled under segregation. The dream here is to be seen and heard not as others, but as fellow Americans deserving of seat at the table.
I, too, sing America
I am the darker brother
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes
But I laugh
And eat well
And grow strong
Tomorrow
I'll be at the table
When company comes
Nobody'll dare
Say to me
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then
Besides
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--
I, too, am America
Minstrel Man
Minstrel Man needs little interpretation as it references the minstrel performers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Although once wildly popular with many white audiences around the United States, the depictions of African-Americans in minstrel shows were saturated with stereotypes and racist tropes. For people of color, the minstrel man represents the deeply painful scars of racism, segregation, and historical marginalization.
Because my mouth
Is wide with laughter
And my throat
Is deep with song
You do not think
I suffer after
I have held my pain
So long?
Because my mouth
Is wide with laughter
You do not hear
My inner cry?
Because my feet
Are gay with dancing
You do not know
I die?
Dream Variation
Dream Variation is a powerful poem that encapsulates the zeitgeist of the Civil Rights Movement. The dream of the narrator is to be finally liberated and live in a world free of all oppression.
To fling my arms wide
In some place of the sun
To whirl and to dance
Till the white day is done
Then rest at cool evening
Beneath a tall tree
While night comes on gently
Dark like me--
That is my dream!
To fling my arms wide
In the face of the sun
Dance! Whirl! Whirl!
Till the quick day is done
Rest at pale evening . .
A tall, slim tree . .
Night coming tenderly
Black like me
I, Too
The third of Bonds's "Dream Portraits" evokes the often silent suffering of African-Americans who struggled under segregation. The dream here is to be seen and heard not as others, but as fellow Americans deserving of seat at the table.
I, too, sing America
I am the darker brother
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes
But I laugh
And eat well
And grow strong
Tomorrow
I'll be at the table
When company comes
Nobody'll dare
Say to me
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then
Besides
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--
I, too, am America
Gaetano Donizetti
O, mio Fernando (Oh, my Fernando)
O, mio Fernando is an aria written for La favorita, a romantic opera set against the backdrop of the Moorish conflicts in 14th-century Spain. The aria is sung by Leonora, "favorite" and mistress of King Alfonso of Castile. However, in typical operatic fashion, Leonora is not singing her passionate song of love and despair to the King, but to her lover Fernando.
O, mio Fernando (Oh, my Fernando)
O, mio Fernando is an aria written for La favorita, a romantic opera set against the backdrop of the Moorish conflicts in 14th-century Spain. The aria is sung by Leonora, "favorite" and mistress of King Alfonso of Castile. However, in typical operatic fashion, Leonora is not singing her passionate song of love and despair to the King, but to her lover Fernando.
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O, mio Fernando! della terra il trono
a possederti avria donato il cor, ma puro l'amor mio come il perdono, dannato, ahi lassa! è a disperato orror. Il ver sia noto, e in tuo dispregio estremo la pena avrommi che maggior si de'; se il giusto tuo disdegno allor sia scemo piombi gran Dio, la folgor tua su me. Su, crudeli, e chi v'arresta? Scritto è in cielo il mio dolor, su, venite, ella è una festa, sparsa l'ara sia di fior. Già la tomba a me s'appresta; negro vel già mi copri; ah! la trista fidanzata, maledetta, disperata, sarà spenta in questo dì! |
Oh, my Fernando! Throne of the earth,
I would have given my heart to possess you, But my pure love is like a pardon, and yet I am damned, alas! It is a terrifying horror. The truth shall be known, and in your extreme contempt I will face the worst penalty possible; If you are rightly displeased, then I will be a mockery Strike me, great God, with your lightning. Come, death, what is stopping you? My pain is written in the skies, Come, she is a festival, An altar spread with flowers. The grave is already opening for me; The black veil is already covering me; Ah! The sad bride, damned, desperate, She will not have forgiveness in heaven. |
Xavier Montsalvatge - Cinco Canciones Negras
Cinco canciones negras marked Montsalvatge's first foray into vocal composition in 1945. Although operatic in nature, the work incorporates jazz chords, Cuban dance rhythms, and Caribbean percussive figures. In keeping with the theme of tonight's recital, these combine music and poetry. The following works not only focus on the lives of Afro-Cubans but were a political cry against the oppressive Franco regime, which had banned the publication of literature written about enslaved people of color and Native Americans in Spain and its colonies.
Cinco canciones negras marked Montsalvatge's first foray into vocal composition in 1945. Although operatic in nature, the work incorporates jazz chords, Cuban dance rhythms, and Caribbean percussive figures. In keeping with the theme of tonight's recital, these combine music and poetry. The following works not only focus on the lives of Afro-Cubans but were a political cry against the oppressive Franco regime, which had banned the publication of literature written about enslaved people of color and Native Americans in Spain and its colonies.
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Cuba dentro de un piano
Poem by Rafael Alberti Cuando mi madre llevaba un sorbete de fresa por sombrero y el humo de los barcos aún era humo de habanero. Mulata vueltabajera … Cádiz se adormecía entre fandangos y habaneras y un lorito al piano quería hacer de tenor. … dime dónde está la flor que el hombre tanto venera. Mi tío Antonio volvía con su aire de insurrecto. La Cabaña y el Príncipe sonaban por los patios del Puerto. (Ya no brilla la Perla azul del mar de las Antillas. Ya se apagó, se nos ha muerto.) Me encontré con la bella Trinidad … Cuba se había perdido y ahora era verdad. Era verdad, no era mentira. Un cañonero huido llegó cantándolo en guajira. La Habana ya se perdió. Tuvo la culpa el dinero … Calló, cayó el cañonero. Pero después, pero ¡ah! después fue cuando al SÍ lo hicieron YES. |
Cuba in a piano
When my mother wore a strawberry ice for a hat and the smoke from the boats was still Havana smoke. Mulata from Vuelta Abajo … Cadiz was falling asleep to fandango and habanera and a little parrot at the piano tried to sing tenor. … tell me, where is the flower that a man can really respect. My uncle Anthony would come home in his rebellious way. The Cabaña and El Príncipe resounded in the patios of the port. (But the blue pearl of the Carribean shines no more. Extinguished. For us no more.) I met beautiful Trinidad … Cuba was lost, this time it was true. True and not a lie. A gunner on the run arrived, sang Cuban songs about it all. Havana was lost and money was to blame … The gunner went silent, and fell. But later, ah, later they changed SÍ to YES. |
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Chévere
Poem by Nicolás Guillén Chévere del navajazo, se vuelve él mismo navaja: pica tajadas de luna, mas la luna se le acaba; pica tajadas de sombra, mas la sombra se le acaba; pica tajadas de canto, mas el canto se le acaba; y entonces pica que pica carne de su negra mala. |
The Dandy
The dandy of the knife thrust himself becomes a knife: he cuts slices of the moon, but the moon is fading on him; he cuts slices of shadow, but the shadow is fading on him, he cuts slices of song, but the song is fading on him; and then he cuts up, cuts up the flesh of his evil black woman. |
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Canción de cuna para dormir un negrito
Poem by Ildefonso Pereda Valdés Ninghe, ninghe, ninghe, tan chiquitito, el negrito que no quiere dormir. Cabeza de coco, grano de café, con lindas motitas, con ojos grandotes como dos ventanas que miran al mar. Cierra los ojitos, negrito asustado; el mandinga blanco te puede comer. ¡Ya no eres esclavo! Y si duermes mucho, el señor de casa promete comprar traje con botones para ser un ‘groom’. Ninghe, ninghe, ninghe, duérmete, negrito, cabeza de coco, grano de café. |
Lullaby for a Little Black Boy
Lullay, lullay, lullay, tiny little child, little black boy, who won’t go to sleep. Head like a coconut, head like a coffee bean, with pretty freckles and wide eyes like two windows looking out to sea. Close your tiny eyes, frightened little boy, or the white devil will eat you up. You’re no longer a slave! And if you sleep soundly, the master of the house promises to buy a suit with buttons to make you a ‘groom’. Lullay, lullay, lullay, sleep, little black boy, head like a coconut, head like a coffee bean. |
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Canto negro
Poem Nicolás Guillén ¡Yambambó, yambambé! Repica el congo solongo, repica el negro bien negro. congo solongo del Songo baila yambó sobre un pie. Mamatomba, serembé cuserembá, El negro canta y se ajuma. el negro se ajuma y canta. el negro canta y se va. Acuemem e serembó aé, yambó aé. Tamba, tamba, tamba, tamba, tamba del negro que tumba, tamba del negro, caramba, caramba, que el negro tumba, ¡Yambá, yambó, yambambé! |
Negro Song
Yambambó, yambambé! The congo solongo is ringing, the black man, the real black man is ringing; congo solongo from the Songo is dancing the yambó on one foot. Mamatomba, Serembe cuserembá. The black man sings and gets drunk, the black man gets drunk and sings, the black man sings and goes away. Acuemem e serembó aé, yambó aé. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam of the black man who tumbles; drum of the black man, wow, wow, how the black man's tumbling! ¡Yambá, yambó, yambambé! |
Encore
My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord arranged by Florence Price
My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord is a traditional African-American spiritual arranged by Florence Price and made famous by the pioneering American contralto Marian Anderson. Anderson was the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera and would go on to become a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United States Department of State, giving concerts around the world.
In the Lord, in the Lord
My soul's been anchored in the Lord
Before I'd stay in hell one day
My soul's been anchored in the Lord;
I'd sing and pray myself away
My soul's been anchored in the Lord
I'm going to pray and never stop
My soul's been anchored in the Lord;
Until I've reached the mountain top
My soul's been anchored in the Lord
My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord arranged by Florence Price
My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord is a traditional African-American spiritual arranged by Florence Price and made famous by the pioneering American contralto Marian Anderson. Anderson was the first African-American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera and would go on to become a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Committee and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United States Department of State, giving concerts around the world.
In the Lord, in the Lord
My soul's been anchored in the Lord
Before I'd stay in hell one day
My soul's been anchored in the Lord;
I'd sing and pray myself away
My soul's been anchored in the Lord
I'm going to pray and never stop
My soul's been anchored in the Lord;
Until I've reached the mountain top
My soul's been anchored in the Lord
