During a thorough research for proof of the French Horn being used in Afro-Cuban music I came across the next image (Figure1):
Sarah Willis
Sarah Willis, began playing the horn at 14, and later started studying at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She joined the Berlin State Opera from 1991 until 2001 when she made history as the first woman of the brass section of Berlin Philarmonic.
Apart from her orchestral work, she is a renowned soloist and chamber musician, with acclaimed recordings such as the Brahms Horn Trio. Passionate about music education, she engages global audiences through digital platforms and social media. Recognised for her contributions, she was appointed an MBE in the Queen's 2021 Birthday Honors List for services to charity and classical music promotion.
In addition to all of this, Willis has shared her enthusiasm for Cuban music in the past years. On one of her trips to Cuba, she was very impressed by the Havana Lyceum Orchestra and decided that, with this orchestra, she would fulfill one of her dreams: recording Mozart’s four horn Concertos. She started the project Mozart y Mambo, bringing together some of the most famous horn concertos with Cuban music. To date, she has completed three albums. "And this is changing the bar line in Cuba for writing for the horn." (Willis 2022) After exhaustive research, I have not found any other French horn player who does anything similar.
The interpretations of Mozart’s horn concertos throughout her albums are exceptional recordings to listen to and be inspired. Anyhow, I would like to bring special attention to the Six Cuban Dances for solo horn, strings, and percussion that she recorded for her second album of this series, Mozart y Mambo: Cuban Dances. With these pieces, she brings to life six different styles of Afro-Cuban music giving the French Horn the main voice in each of them. “I commissioned six talented young Cuban composers to write the first ever Cuban horn concerto and thus “Cuban Dances” for solo horn, strings, and percussion was born. With “Cuban Dances”, we have created a musical map of Cuba and its musical heritage in six movements from six different areas in Cuba. The result is a fresh and modern adaptation of Cuba’s most well-known dances.” (Sarah 2022)
Following is a list of the six works:
- Cuban Dances for Solo Horn, Strings and Percussion: Nº1, Tamarindo Scherzo-son by Pepe Gavilondo. The vibrant melody showcases the wide register of the horn.
- Cuban Dances for Solo Horn, Strings and Percussion: Nº2, Danzón de la Medianoche by Yuniet Lombida. Is the perfect piece for the velvety sound of the horn to be the spotlight with the güiro and timbales marking the rhythms of the Danzón.
- Cuban Dances for Solo Horn, Strings and Percussion: Nº3, Guaguancó Sencillo by Wilma Alba Cal. There are several examples of guaguancós that start with “reciting” or singing, in this case, it is the horn that takes this role in the opening, followed by an addition of the percussion instruments that give the feeling of a Guaguancó.
- Cuban Dances for Solo Horn, Strings and Percussion: Nº4, Un Bolero para Sarah by Jorge Aragón. An introduction of piano and orchestra presents this piece in which a love story is sung through the horn.
- Cuban Dances for Solo Horn, Strings and Percussion: Nº5, Sarahchá by Yuniet Lombida and Ernesto Oliva. The montuno played by the horn and the rhythm of the güiro start Sarahchá in a very characteristic way. Throughout this piece, Sarah Willis exposes the technical possibilities of the horn with improvisations and melodies, all this while managing tempo and character changes.
- Cuban Dances for Solo Horn, Strings and Percussion: Nº6, ¡Ay comay! Un changüí pa Sari by Ernesto Oliva. The rhythmic complexity of a changüí challenges the main voice of the horn with polyrhythms.
The Sarahbanda is Sarah Wilis's next project. In this case, she has created an actual Cuban ensemble in which the horn has a soloist role with some other melodic instruments and the rhythm section. It is the first French Horn to play Afro-Cuban rhythms in a traditional ensemble there is record of.
In Salsa Guidebook for Piano & Ensemble, Rebeca Mauleón develops a catalogue of instruments brought to Cuba by Europeans: "The instruments brought by the French in the late 18th century include the piccolo, five-keyed flute, oboe, clarinet, brass, trumpet and French horn." (Mauleón 2005, 24). In any case, the French Horn is not mentioned again in the rest of the book.
Alejandro García Caturla (1906-1940) was a renowned Cuban composer recognised for his significant contributions to the development of classical music in Cuba. Amadeo Roldán (1900-1939) composed a wide range of works, including orchestral pieces, chamber music, piano compositions and choral music, all of which were innovative compositions that fused Cuban cultural elements with classical forms and were instrumental in shaping Cuban music in the 20th century. In the case of both composers, we find pieces in which they include the horn in their orchestral pieces with Afro-Cuban rhythms.
An example of a Cuban horn quartet playing El Cumbanchero, a piece with Afro-Cuban rhythms composed by Rafael Hernández: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4W6XkX2-xA
Another piece with Afro-Cuban rhythms that features the horn is Valerie Coleman's Afro-Cuban Concerto for Wind Quintet. “Afro-Cuban Concerto is a work that focuses on Afro-Cuban rhythms, the feel of Santeria worship, and the virtuosity of wind instruments (…) Often mistaken for a 'neo-classic' work due to its harmonic structure, the essence within the Concerto is purely African and Cuban. (…) It is the feel of spirituality, passion, and rhythmic precisions that brings the essence of Afro-Cuban music to life in this piece.” (Coleman n.d.) Throughout the three movements, Afro, Vocalise and Danza, the role of the French horn moves from harmonic support, melodies to more percussive rhythms. Nothing like a traditional Afro-Cuban ensemble, but a good example of the horn playing alongside the flute, oboe, bassoon and clarinet in intricate traditional rhythms.
In interviews with Cuban musicians, I found that the horn is used in the academic scene, in orchestras and in wind bands. Keila Arocha, Cuban horn player, explains: "The horn is not a very popular instrument. Outside of symphony orchestras, brass quintets, wind quintets and wind bands, you will not find a horn, it is an instrument that not many people have. You can easily find a trumpet and percussion instruments, but not the French Horn".
In all the sources found, Sarah Willis is the only hornist playing Afro-Cuban rhythms as a soloist.
After months of searching for information about the use of the horn in this music and finding nothing, I was very shocked; why would they use the horn on the cover of a book about music in Cuba if they would never use this instrument in their traditional songs and rhythms? Little did I know that this was just evidence of how the horn was basically used in formal settings. "That the use of horns was common in Havana in those days is shown by the fact that the first successful contradanza at the beginning of the 19th century, of San Pascual Bailón (1803), included the mention of two horns for the execution of the opening theme. In fact, the orchestra of the Principal was not far from being a true classical orchestra...". (Carpentier 1988, 89). Once again, the horn is used in an orchestral setting.
Interview with Sarah Willis
- When was the first time you were in touch with Cuban music?
The first time I was in touch with Cuban music was when Buena Vista Social Club appeared, for the first time over here (Europe), of course, it had been going on for a long time in Cuba, and when this film and their music came out I totally fell in love with Cuban music and I decided to learn how to dance salsa, so I have a Cuban teacher here in Berlin for that.
- What made you interested in Cuban music?
It is very interesting with us human beings how one person likes tomatoes and another prefers cucumbers or somebody hates red but loves purple. It’s a little bit the same in music I think and I’m a professional musician, so I’m open to all types of music, the main thing is that it's played well. Cuban music gets under my skin, it gets into my blood, and it turns me completely crazy. I want to dance all night and I don’t know why. Maybe I was a cubana in my previous lives, maybe I’ve had some ancestors that were Cuban... My Cuban musicians are convinced that I was a latina in another life… I just love it, I absolutely love it!
- What are the technical challenges you found when you started playing Afro-Cuban rhythms?
First of all, it was all the Cuban rhythms that were technical challenges because I didn’t grow up with this music, it was not in my blood. I could play the rhythms and notes, but it still sounded like a foreigner trying to play it. The technical challenges for a horn player are, first of all, to keep in time. There is no space for any sort of rubato or any sort of stopping and starting in Afro-Cuban rhythms. The biggest technical challenge for a horn player is that people can’t hear you over a band. I have to turn and stand sideways especially when I play with my Sarahbanda, my Cuban dance band, because otherwise, no one would hear me. We play acoustic so I have to point out. I think that’s why French Horn was not used before in Cuban popular music. As far as I know, I’m the first, I’m sure other French Horns have played some tunes but there’s never been a horn in a Cuban band as far as we know. Articulation has to be sometimes much more direct and harder than I would use in classical music. Sometimes I have to sacrifice the beauty of sound for the technical aspect of it even just to be heard. Afro-Cuban rhythms are so complex, following the clave is also a big challenge.
- Which other horn players do you know of that do something similar? During your time in Cuba, what salsa bands with a horn did you see if any?
I think I’m the first and we couldn’t find any evidence of any other horn players doing this. Most horn players think I’m completely crazy to do this but now we have a whole new set of repertoire for the French horn and Cuban music which is very valuable for all of us.
- Why do you think the horn is not usually used in this genre?
Because you don’t hear it. It points backward so either you point yourself backward or to the side. But I think the horn is known for its beautiful sound, for its singing quality and this is not a quality that was really needed in salsa bands. Horn is very good at Boleros and Danzón tunes, It´s very good at romantic things but you still have to turn sideways to make sure somebody will hear you. I also think the horn was none of a traditional band dance instrument, it seemed more classical in Cuba and all over the world. Also, horn players are very sensitive people, they say the horn is the most difficult instrument in the orchestra. We can’t slam the horn on our face and blow for hours like trumpets and trombone players can. Our mouthpieces are smaller, and we have more tubing to get through so basically, I think nobody was crazy enough to do this until now.
- Which were your goals when you decided to start recording your three albums Mozart y Mambo?
I didn’t have any goals except I wanted to record the Mozart Horn Concertos as beautifully as I could. My intentions were to explore the possibility of mixing classical music with Cuban music and doing this with Mozart because of the horn concertos and because Mozart and Mambo just sounded really good together. In album nº1 we just recorded what we liked and wondered if anyone else would like it. In album nº2 my goal was to include some original music, an original work that I could leave behind as a mark in the horn world, and we’ve done that with the Cuban Dances, the first Cuban horn concerto. In album nº3 my goal was to get the orchestra as good as they possibly could be and I think the orchestra plays absolutely amazing if you compare them with any world-class chamber orchestra. Each album's goal has been to get better than the one before but I think they are all similar but different and unique in their one ways.
- What are the elements from Cuban music that you can take with you to your classical music practice?
Rhythm of course! You have to have such a good rhythm to play Cuban music and also be open to changing rhythm. Love! I love playing Cuban music so much and I have noticed Cuban musicians play with all their heart and soul, they are happy even maybe they don’t have very much and I think all of us could use a bit of that in our lives, being grateful for what we have. The element of feeling in your body. Cuban music is felt in your whole body, Cubans don’t practice music they just are music and make music and I take that with me to my practice and also sometimes on stage on the Berliner Philarmonic I have to be careful that I don’t dance to much the music.
- What cultural barriers do you think exist for non-Cuban people who try playing this music?
I like to say there are no barriers at all but of course, there are cultural differences. The differences are that we don’t feel the music in our body like the Cubans do with their music and that was something I had to learn. My Cuban musicians said to me, especially while I was learning the six traditional Cuban dances for the horn concerto, the son, guaguancó, bolero, danzon, mambo, chachachá, and changüí (we are sure no horn players ever played changüí or guaguancó before). They were not easy for me, I could learn all the notes but my Cuban musicians said “Sari, if you can’t dance them you can’t play them”, so I learned every single one of those dances. I’m better at some than others even though I will never dance it like a Cuban. I think a lot of non-Cuban people are a bit afraid of moving to the music, not latinos but here in Europe and in Asia definitely, so that is a cultural difference that is a challenge. What I love about my project is that we have managed to print and publish a lot of the music that we’ve played in Mozart y Mambo and now for the Sarahbanda we will be doing the same with the music of the first CD we have just recorded. This is something that breaks down these cultural barriers and makes it possible for non-Cuban people to play this music. Maybe they will not play it like a Cuban would, I don’t play it like a Cuban would I just do it the best I can, but I have so much fun doing it and I learn a lot about Cuba and its culture and I think that is the point, not to play it as if you were born in Cuba if you weren’t but to have a lot of fun doing it and discovering a lot of other Cuban music as well.
- What do you think is essential for a person who is not from Cuba to learn this genre?
It’s essential that the person listens to as much Cuban music as possible. I listened to all the original recordings, it´s really essential to go into the roots of Cuban music. To play it often to Cubans. I did that and got a lot of advice, talked to the composers and other horn players in Cuba about articulation, and talked to trumpet and trombone players to try and get an idea of how they tongued and how to make it sound a bit more authentic. Is essential to do your research, take it seriously, it’s very complicated, very detailed, there are so many different rhythms…so respect it and take it seriously. Another thing that I think is essential for me, and if people reading this are afraid of it and decide not to play Cuban music because of it then I would say “Don’t worry, do it anyway”, but for me it was essential to learn how to dance and to feel it in my body. It doesn’t mean everyone has to be a fantastic dancer, I certainly am not, but I think it’s really important to make that effort to try and move it in your body and I promise you, if you can feel mambo, guaguancó, changüí, danzon… you are going to play your classical music an awful lot better. Now I feel dance music in all the classical music, I hear it in Bruckner, Messiaen, and Mozart and I’m very grateful to have these two musical worlds in my life. It's been the project of my life, I can’t wait for you to hear the Sarahbanda album because that’s going to be very special too.