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Oct. 20, 2021

Dam Mwen Yo for cello and recorded sound (2017) by Nathalie Joachim (b. 1984) 

Sonata for Solo Cello (1980) by David Baker (1931-2016) 

Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minorb, BWV 1003 by J.S. Bach (1685-1750) 
III. Andante 

Program Notes:

The composer writes: 

Dam mwen yo in Haitian Creole simply translates to “they are my ladies.” In Haiti, the cultural image of women is one of strength. They are pillars of their homes and communities, and are both fearless and loving, all while carrying the weight of their families and children on their backs. As a first generation Haitian-American, these women—my mother, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, cousins—were central to my upbringing and my understanding of what it means to be a woman. In Dantan, Haiti-Sud, where my family is from, it is rare to walk down the countryside roads without hearing the voices of women—in the fields, cooking for their loved ones, gathering water at the wells with their babies. This piece and the voices within it are representative of these ladies—my ladies. And the cello sings their song—one of strength, beauty, pain and simplicity in a familiar landscape