Projects

GULLAH ROOTS

Telling the untold stories of the fascinating Gullah Culture through music.

  • Project Created By

    etienne charles

    Hailed by The New York Times as "an auteur" (Ben Ratliff) and by Jazz Times as a, "daring improviser who delivers with heart wrenching lyricism" (Bill Milkowski), Trinidad born Etienne Charles has received critical acclaim for his exciting performances, thrilling compositions and knack for connecting with audiences worldwide.

  • Project Location
    New York, New York
  • Project Dates
    Start Date
    September 10, 2019
    End Date
    September 15, 2019

GULLAH ROOTS

Telling the untold stories of the fascinating Gullah Culture through music.

After numerous trips to the low country of South Carolina and Georgia, interacting with Gullah musicians and researching their history, I was commissioned by Savannah Music Festival to compose and premiere ‘Gullah Roots’ at the 2018 Savannah Music Festival.  The piece is a one hour long suite that references key events and icons in their history.   The suite also draws cultural parallels to my homeland of Trinidad and Tobago.

The piece has been performed once thus far. My goal is to do a studio recording (audio and video) of this piece with my sextet incorporating more Gullah musicians, spoken word artists and dancers into the work.  A commercially released album and video content of this the work will help to create more opportunities for live performance which will enable me to tell stories of one of the most fascinating Creole peoples of the Americas.

NewMusicUSA Grantee Event

Vigorous Tenderness: a vernal equinox concert

March 19, 2024 | 5:30 pm

Wells Reserve at Laudholm

NewMusicUSA Grantee Event

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Noontime Lenten Concerts

March 20, 2024 | 12:15 pm

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church; Decorah, IA

NewMusicUSA Grantee Event

Chou Wen-Chung Centennial Concert

March 21, 2024 | 7:30 pm

Miller Theatre at Columbia University

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