KWEE: Liberian Literary Magazine AUGUST 1, 2015 ISSUE | Page 9

Liberian Literary Magazine
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people such as Ella Fitzgerald and
Frank Sinatra.
The rest of the suite is
instrumental, organized around 5
“Dances'”. Ellington here uses the
motif of rhythm and dancing as
both a vital connection to Africa,
her music, and the idea of
freedom contained in the Liberian
story. The music is a combination
of bluesy themes, solo’s from his
band members, and Afro Diasporic
rhythms channeled through Latin
America and the Caribbean. My
personal favorite is “Dance No. 5″
which has the most infectious,
funky bass figure of the whole
piece.

“The Liberian Suite” is a unique
musical
accomplishment
for
Liberia, Duke Ellington, and the
African diaspora as a whole. Here
a small black nation, as old as a
long lived human, recognized and
commissioned an extended work
from an American Black artist
who’d go on to be recognized as
one of the greats of all time.
Liberia proved here to be a
sponsor of black talent from all
over the world, it was a small
symbolic glimpse of the grand
dreams the nation has always
nurtured. “The Liberian Suite”
then should by no means be
confined to the margins of history,
but it is up to Liberians to embrace
it and make it their own. For
instance, it would really be an
honor to have Wynton Marsalis, an
artist who considers himself the
heir to Duke’s musical legacy,

July 15, 2015 ISSUE # 0715

Compositions by
Duke Ellington

perform this suite with his Jazz
At the Lincoln Center Orchestra at
a gala affair in Monrovia in the
near future. It would also deepen
the piece if it’s performed in
collaboration
with
African
musicians, as Marsalis did with The
Ghanaian musician Yacub Addey in
his “Congo Square” suite. It would
also be a point of pride if this suite
were added to the music
curriculum in Liberian schools, it
could be studied and integrated
with indigenous music to form a
kind of classical musical language
for Liberia.
Because my fondest hope of all
is that the Liberian bicentennial,
Liberia itself would have produced
it’s own Duke Ellington to
compose music that reflects the
nation and where it will be in
2047. That Liberian musician will
be faced with a great task I hope
they are well prepared for, both
honoring the nation in sound and
following in the footsteps of the
great Duke Ellington!

The Liberian Suite: I Like the Sunrise 4:28
"The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 1" - 4:50
"The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 2" - 3:26
"The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 3" - 3:45
"The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 4" - 3:04
"The Liberian Suite: Dance No. 5" - 5:08
Recorded at Liederkranz Hall in New York
on December 24, 1947
Duke Ellington – PIANO
Shorty Baker, Shelton Hemphill, Al
Killian, Francis Williams – TRUMPET
Ray Nance - trumpet, violin
Lawrence Brown, Tyree Glenn –
TROMBONE
Claude Jones - valve trombone
Jimmy Hamilton –
CLARINET, TENOR SAXOPHONE
Russell Procope- alto saxophone,
CLARINET
Johnny Hodges - ALTO SAXOPHONE
Al Sears - TENOR SAXOPHONE
Harry Carney-baritone saxophone
Fred Guy – GUITAR
Oscar Pettiford, Junior Raglin – BASS
Sonny Greer – DRUMS

By Henrique Hopkins

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