Resonance Commissions | From the book of Sankofa, Pt 1: Words She Would Have Us Know

Commission story

ABOUT FROM THE BOOK OF SANKOFA, PART 1: WORDS SHE WOULD HAVE US KNOW

From The Book of Sankofa, Pt.1: Words She Would Have Us Know is a poem to the future that takes its cue from the cultural memory and ancestral wisdom that we, as Black people, carry with us from the past into the present and beyond.

Sankofa is a Twi word from the Akan tribe in Ghana that literally means to “Go back and get it.” Often represented by the symbol of a bird with its head turned backward, carrying an egg in its mouth, it represents the idea of looking back at our past to learn from it and move forward. Both the symbol and concept of Sankofa were widely used during the transatlantic slave trade as a way for enslaved Africans to connect with their heritage and culture. The idea also has a strong connection to social justice, as it encourages us to remember the struggles and triumphs of our ancestors, and to use that knowledge in our pursuit of a better future.

Musically, the piece is informed by my love of polyphony and counterpoint, as well as a jazz pianist’s desire to play with harmony. It celebrates what I believe is the transcendent magic of choral singing — the coming together of multiple voices into a powerfully unified whole, while leaving room for the individuality of expression embodied in jazz and gospel music.

I was excited to collaborate in the creation of this piece with Aminata “Mimi” Radia Sei, a Sierra Leonean-American, Portland based writer and social justice advocate, whose powerful, poetic voice provides both anchor and throughline for this work.

In our early discussions about the piece, Mimi spoke of the tension between acknowledging the effects of historical trauma and oppression and the desire to reframe our narratives in order to Illuminate the treasures obscured by the pain of the past. She spoke about the idea of freedom of spirit — a freedom that isn’t weighed down by the need to address past burdens, but rather highlights the liberatory potential of BIPOC ways of seeing and being, cultural knowledge, and the rich diversity of Black experiences. Through this revelatory lens, we can rise with resilience and perseverance into the future. As the whispered instructions that introduce the piece encourage us to do, we can “Go, look, seek, take, return.”

As a first step in the collaborative process, Mimi and I came up with a list of twelve words — Mission, Essence, Reflection, Progress, Reimagine, Channel, Dignity, Migrate, Reincarnate, Piety, Reverence, Stir — that could serve as inspiration for the text. These are the Words She Would Have Us Know, referred to in the piece’s subtitle. As I composed, I also found myself weaving them into the fabric of the piece itself.

It was a welcome challenge to create a narrative arc —a journey — within a single movement work. Mimi’s vivid text supplied ample fuel for a variety of musical and emotional colors. The opening words of the first stanza: “A sacred longing opens up a heart in song,” inspired both the lyrical accompaniment and the melodic impetus for the cello, whose obligato represents the flight of the Sankofa bird.

Mimi’s second stanza shifts to a darker and more somber tone that I marked “forceful and stark.” A repeated diminished progression in the piano provides underscore for the recitation, and grounds the ensemble’s resolute declarations of “a soul drenched in battle.” Stanza three starts from a place of both longing and reflection for “a sweet haven for dreams laced in song,” which, for me, evokes the soulful harmony of Negro spirituals in the US and the Mbube choral music of South Africa. The choir responds to Mimi’s final stanza with an anthemic affirmation of “unmatched prowess,” and “persistence reborn,” which lifts us into a coda that embraces the joyous rhythmic pulse at the heart of Afro-diasporic expression, until we return, strengthened and empowered, to where we began, with a prayer of benediction and gratitude.

People might rightly ask if this is a jazz piece. I would respond that, while it is informed by jazz harmonic and rhythmic language, my intention is a personal synthesis that draws on the many influences that have shaped my musicmaking. I hear echoes of Thomas Tallis, The Staple Singers, Herbie Hancock, Caroline Shaw, Franz Schubert, Bobby McFerrin, and Maurice Ravel, among others.

I hope that The Book of Sankofa, Pt.1: Words She Would Have Us Know provides listeners an opportunity to reflect on the questions of what we will pass on, what we must sacrifice, and what must we always remember in order to realize the dreams we hold for ourselves, our children and our communities.

I’m grateful to Resonance Ensemble for this opportunity, and for the commitment and consummate artistry that they bring to the endeavor of creating music that reminds us of our humanity. I dedicate this piece to my parents and grandparents, whose courage and perseverance blessed me with this life.

program note by Darrell Grant

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From the Book of Sankofa