Diana Sáez's engaging original work.
SATB
Composed by Diana Sáez and Suzzette Ortiz, Temporal is a traditional plena from Puerto Rico. Plena is an Afro-Puerto Rican rhythm that blends melodic and rhythmic elements from Spanish and African musical influences. Temporal means storm, but it can also refer to the hurricanes that are common...
SSA
Based on Afro-Peruvian songs, Festejo is a festive and rhythmic celebration. The title invokes Peru’s most popular folk rhythm which was brought to life by salves who were working in the mines and fields of Peru. Composer Diana Saez has become well known as someone who brings authentic style to th...
SSA
The Plena is an early twentieth-century Afro-Puerto Rican rhythm that was also a popular musical form among sugar-cane workers. The rhythm has its roots in West Africa, and in Diana Sáez’s engaging original work, the singers establish the rhythm in a clever introduction. The piano accompaniment em...
SATB
Yemaya is considered the Ocean Mother Goddess in Santería, an Afro-Caribbean religion practiced around the world. This chant melody was brought to America from West Africa and is meant to be sung as a meditation. Pedal notes should sound like a drone that supports the melody. It all leads to an experience for the singers and listeners that is fully grounded in its origins and ethnic roots.
SATB
Canto’ E Libertad (Song of Freedom), commissioned and premiered at the 2023 ACDA National Conference, embodies hope and resilience. This composition in the Afro-Puerto Rican folk-style of bomba invites us to break free from hate and prejudice.
Bomba is a captivating and rhythmic musical genre...
SSAA
El Monigote (The Ragdoll) is a traditional Venezuelan children’s song is arranged in the joropo style-a ¾ Venezuelan rhythm from the plains. The singers imitate the sounds of the Venezuelan harp and the cuatro (a four-stringed guitar). The piece is sung in the native language with a translation a...
SA
El Río (The River), a captivating folk song from the Andes Mountains of Peru, exemplifies the region’s rich musical heritage. Imagine a piano part that skillfully echoes the soulful strumming of a Latin American guitar, while the vocal lines intertwine with tuneful melodies and rhythmic patterns. Y...
SA
Vidalita is an arrangement for SA choir and piano with optional guitar is a beautiful and simple setting of a northern Argentinian folk melody. The vidalita is a melancholic rhythm from the pampas region of Argentina and Uruguay typically accompanied by the guitar. Its lyrics, often centered on t...