Composition & Performances in Theatrical Works
Yerma
University of San Diego
Theater Arts Program Production, April 2004
Manny Cepeda composed and performed original Afro-Caribbean music for the play Yerma. Directed by Evelyn Diaz Cruz.
On February 2004 Prof. Evelyn Díaz-Cruz, Asistant Professor, Theatre Arts Program, University of San Diego and I got together for what has been an extremely rewarding and memorable experience. For the first time in my life I was given the challenge to arrange and compose the music for a play. The play was Federico Garcia Lorca's Yerma, based on themes of social injustice and repression against a shepherd's wife in the 1930's rural Spain.
The challenge of Evelyn's vision was to turn this rural Spaniard play into an Afro-Caribbean theme with all the fire and mystery of Latin "Santeria". Having had plenty of experience as a child attending Zion of Santeria with my mother and being a musician/composer for all my life, I decided to take the challenge and arrange/compose the music with the Afro-Caribbean theme using the styles of Bomba, Plena, Afro, Mozambique and Ñañigo 6/8 rhythms. The result was an amazing blend of culture, fire and emotions that turned the play into an unforgettable performance. With the aide of the accomplished Puerto Rican percussionist, Gene Perry, we created a Caribbean version of this play.
To follow are embossed pictures of the performers involved in this great project and check out samples of the music that was created for the play. Original pictures were derived from Prof. Díaz-Cruz' s website.
Get ready to hear the powerful beat of the drums and the lyrics created by Manny Cepeda for this amazing emotion filled play.
Listen to Yerma's opening song "Mataron a Juan (El Cabezón) Click Here
Listen to the Theme of Yerma "Nunca Más" Click Here
Listen to the closing theme of Yerma "Alguien" Click Here
For more information or to contact Manny Cepeda for theatrical music compositions email to: riveracepeda@msn.com.
Copyright
© 2008 Manny
Cepeda