paquito d’rivera: caribbean berceuse

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PAQUITO D’RIVERA: Caribbean Berceuse (Caribbean Lullaby) (2021)

In 2021, D’Rivera wrote Caribbean Berceuse, commissioned by the Barcelona Clarinet Players (who today accompany us as soloists). It is an original lullaby that evokes the waters of the Caribbean Sea, so present in the life of the Cuban maestro. In his own words: ‘I was born on the largest of the more than 700 islands that seem to float asleep on the very blue waters of the sea of the Antilles. A true melting pot of races and cultures, the Caribbean speaks Spanish, French, English, Dutch, some Creole languages and Papiamento, which is the main language in Aruba and Curaçao, whose grammar combines Native American elements with European words, as well as some languages of African origin. Inspired by the beauty of these lands and their soulful people, my Caribbean Berceuse is intended to be like a lullaby for a Creole child dreaming of palm trees that seem to dance to a sweet melody that mingles with the voices of the thousands of birds that populate this wonderful region’. The clarinets are rocked by a band rich in colours and rhythms.