Dennis Llinás Music

The term “Chispita” translates to a little spark. In the Cuban culture, this is generally a nickname given to a person with an energetic personality, with a likable feistiness, and who is short. I like to have pieces represent the personality of the person commissioning it and this is the perfect description of Sarah. The piece is also meant to represent music that is near and dear to me and so it incorporates elements of salsa, intricate percussion, and rhythms in the melody that move across barlines as Latin singers generally perform with. The work is intended to have wind players collaborate with percussionists as an alternative to the traditional piano accompaniment. The use of the cajón is a wonderful alternative to non-pitched percussion to ensure balance with all registers of the flute and the marimba.

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