Danzas de Panama
William Grant Still (1895-1978)

THE STORY

     William Grant Still, known as the “Dean of African-American Classical Composers,” was also the first Black American to conduct a major symphony orchestra when he led the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program of his own music at the Hollywood Bowl in 1936. He is known primarily for his Afro-American Symphony.
      His Danzas de Panama is based on a collection of Panamanian folk tunes collected by ethnomusicologist Elizabeth Waldo. These folk tunes would have been inseparable from dance—and each of Still’s movements packs in at least two and sometimes three types of dances.
      The work draws on elements of both African and Latin culture found in Panama—the outer movements are more heavily influenced by Africa, while the middle two have their roots in Spanish musical traditions—yet there is a sense of unity through the entire work.
       Still attempted to approximate the sounds of native instruments, although he used only strings. Danzas de Panama can be performed either by string quartet or string orchestra.

LISTEN FOR

• The string players striking the sides of their instruments in Tamborito (which means “little drum”), creating the rhythmic backdrop for a highly chromatic and sensual introduction

• In Mejorana, the essence of a sweet and upbeat Panamanian waltz

• The clear influence of Mexican music in the rhythms and arpeggio figures of Punto

• Two types of dances brought to Panama by enslaved Africans, the cumbia and the congo, in the fourth movement—the music calls to mind festive dancing in the streets

INSTRUMENTATION

Strings