Order includes a digital download of PDF part for bass tuba, and a performance track.

Instrumentation: tuba and produced track

Duration: 3’ 23”

Program Notes: Jab Molassie at Daybreak (2023) is inspired by a traditional Trinidad and Tobago folkloric figure, often depicted as a devil or demon. In this piece, I have sought to capture the energy and spirit of J'ouvert which marks the unofficial start of Carnival. The tradition of J’ouvert goes back to 1838 and began as an act of civil disobedience known as the Canboulay Riots.

Canboulay, meaning burnt cane, is a precursor to Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival. This harvest festival is where calypso music has its roots. It was an artistic outlet for enslaved people to create and stage their own mini-carnivals. However, in 1881 the British colonial government’s attempt to ban the festival resulted in riots between Afro-Creole revelers and police. They banned percussion and animal skin drums which would lead to the innovations that gave birth to the steelpan.

In Jab Molassie you can hear the steelpan as well as popular calypso back-beats, which create the foundation of the work. The hope is that this piece transports the listener to the vibrant streets of Trinidad during carnival season, and evokes the joy, history, and excitement that is so characteristic of this beloved cultural event.

Commissioned by Steph Frye-Clark and ETSU as a part of the Research Development Grant, Amplifying Queer Composers.