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Filipina-American Percussionist Susie Ibarra (3 of 3)
Azine: What are some of the Asian folk music elements you have incorporated in your music? Do aspects of that music blend well or contrast well with some of your other musical influences?
Susie Ibarra: Some of these Filipino folk music elements can be heard in my composing and playing in Cds, Folkloriko and Dialects as well as an earlier record Flower after Flower. Also, I have a new solo record, Drum Sketches, that will release this fall in October 2007 on Innova Records which incorporates some traditional kulintang and sarunay music with my drumming and has field recordings on some of the pieces.
In Shangri-La, I have incorporated Thai classical and folk elements into compositional phrasing.
EK has also been doing collaborations with Korean Traditional Drumming and Dance. It went very well here in Flushing Town Hall, and we have been receiving interest to bring this collaboration to the communities in UK and Korea. Its very interesting the Shamanistic, Indigenous and Classical elements that are compatible to both languages Filipino and Korean, as well as our contemporary style.
Right now I’m in the middle of finishing a commission , a drum concerto for American Composers Orchestra, which I’ll play in and world premiere at Zankel Carnegie Hall in October 2007. I have invited visual artist and painter, Japanese American , Makoto Fujimura to do the visual film for the piece. It is an homage to the indigenous people of the Philippines and Japan, and a bridge of cultures. Mako and I have been collaborating for a while with live drumming performance and live painting as well. There is an ongoing documentary by Plywood Pictures which is documenting our concerts and development process together.
Azine: Do you relate to other Asian American musicians that are combining Asian traditional music with the traditions of jazz, such as Jon Jang and Francis Wong? Do you have any thoughts on the direction of Asian American jazz?
Susie Ibarra: I have met both Jon Jang and Francis Wong, but I have not seen them in a while. I hope they are doing well! And also here on the East coast are a lot of wonderful Asian and Asian American artists. Many are doing multi-media projects such as : Ikue Mori, Miya Masaoka , Vijay Iyer, Rudresh Manthappa, Jen Shu, Okkyung Lee from more of the jazz and improv scene, there are many more especially in the new music /contemporary scene that is booming in NYC. It’s exciting I think in this day to see the integration of peoples roots into modern music here in America not just Asian. Also immigrant influences / world music influences into modern music. I think it’s only appropriate in this time of globalization, and I’m very excited about it!
Azine: What other projects do you have in the works?
At the moment, I am working on/ composing Pintados Dream / The Painted’s Dream , drum concerto for Orchestra with visual art by Makoto Fujimura to premiere Oct 19th , 2007 at Zankel Carnegie Hall with American Composers Orchestra.
I just finished a solo commission and recording, Drum Sketches, for Innova Records which will also release Oct 16 2007 ( street release) in stores and online this fall.
And I’ll continue this fall with concerts for Electric Kulintang , Mephista and solo workshops and concerts. Along with several new compositions that I’ll premiere next year, is one for 4 pianists, titled Kit: Music for 4 Pianists ( an 8 hand piano piece) , I’m excited about.
Coming in the fall, we’ll have a new website: www.mundoninos.com and we'll have a new children's lullaby cd out available at the website.
And I’ll be on research fellowship next year in the Philippines through the Asian Arts Council to research several new projects. One being the new musical theatre piece in collaboration with Pulitzer Prize Poet Yusef Komunyakaa and also a film Roberto and I are creating and musically producing, Song of the Bird King, which will be a a feature documentary on indigenous and native music of the Philippines.
For more information on Susie Ibarra and her music, visit www.susieibarra.com. Electric Kulintang’s CD, “Dialects” is on Plastic Records and is available at www.electrickulintang.com and selected retail outlets.
