Sören Sieg: Mavumo ya uana. African Suite No. 3. Performed by the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet.

This is a real treasure: A performance of Mavumo ya uana (Childhood memories), my African Suite No.3, by the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet from 11th October 2005 in Japan. They had asked me to write this piece for them in 2002 and I composed it in March 2003 - my first commission ever. Unfortunately, at that time I was so busy with my just founded family with three kids and my a cappella group LaLeLu, that I never had the chance to see them playing it live on stage. So I was even happier when a Japanese friend sent me this recording at the beginning of this year. I think everything is marvelous here: Performance, sound, and camera.

The three movements are: Siku ya kuzaliwa (The Birthday - always the most exciting day of the year in my childhood), kuagana (Farewell) and simo nzuri (The Good News). I dedicated this suite to my grandma Aenne who to me was the central figure when I was a child. Every weekend my sister and I were visiting my grandparents so that my grandpa Heinrich could teach us both on the violin; in Sunday after breakfast, my grandpa left for working in the living room, and my grandma Aenne told us stories from her life, and I loved to sit there and listen. In the same way I tried to tell stories here in this piece.

I wish to thank Daniël Brüggen, Karel van Steenhoven, Daniel Koschitzki, and Andrea Ritter for this stunning performance.

Mavumo ya uana was published in the edition of the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet at Moeck (Edition Moeck Nr. 2826).

You can find out more about my music and my 28 other African Suites on
www.soerensieg.de