Monserrat Torres Guillen: Al ver el alba

from the composer:
In writing a piece for percussion ensemble using only non-pitched instruments, I drew inspiration from the rhythms of Latin and Afro-Brazilian music. Al ver el alba (To See The Sunrise) portrays the reverie of an evening full of life, where music is blasting and people are partying till the break of dawn.
Two distinct sections feature the clave patterns of samba and salsa. The samba section features the son clave pattern, while the salsa section incorporates part of the rhumba clave pattern. The intro is characterized by bursts of rhythms that symbolize the start of the party while the middle section introduces a feeling of tension as the rhythms are played in a constant groove. Lastly, the ending section features a slow decrescendo to represent the music fading away as the sun rises over the horizon