“his thoughtfully conceived opus made it feel vibrant, present, and alive – with plenty to teach us.”

— JazzTimes on Etienne Charles’ San Juan Hill

UNSILENT SPRING | MUSIC AND OUR CHANGING PLANET | APRIL 19-20
Etienne Charles Earth Tones
World Premiere | DACAMERA co-commission

Etienne Charles Creole Soul
Etienne Charles, trumpet & percussion; Marcus Strickland, woodwinds; Warren Wolf, vibraphone & keyboards; Eva Scow, mandolin; Jorge Glem, cuatro; Val Jeanty, turntables; Jonathon Muir-Cotton, bass; John Davis, drums

Etienne Charles triumphed when his illuminating San Juan Hill: A New York Story was presented by the New York Philharmonic to reopen David Geffen Hall, cementing his reputation for creating meaningful multimedia works connecting music with place and history.

The evening begins with a set of Etienne Charles’s music featuring this unconventional band. Then, for Unsilent Spring, Etienne Charles unveils his newest multimedia creation, Earth Tones. Employing sounds, stories, images and film from the Maldives islands, the Louisiana wetlands and Galveston, and incorporating musical styles and musicians from at-risk coastal communities, Charles invites us into a sensory journey among mangrove swamps, coral reefs, oyster beds, seagrass, sand dunes and mud volcanoes. With contributions from musicians from the very communities most at risk from the effects of climate change, Earth Tones promises to be a powerful and unique one-night-only event.

“a graceful and eclectic introduction to a local history… his thoughtfully conceived opus made it feel vibrant, present, and alive—with plenty to teach us.” — JazzTimes on Etienne Charles’ San Juan Hill

“an auteur” — The New York Times