Que no pare mi canto by Suzzette Ortiz
“Que No pare mi Canto” (Never Stop Singing) was inspired by a very close friend of the composer who had cancer. The song is written in the bomba genre; an Afro- Puerto Rican danceable music rhythm rooted in the island’s African slavery history. The composer chose the style of sicá, one of many music rhythms in this genre. This style moves in a walking pace (andante) which reminded the composer how her beautiful friend “walked” her cancer journey, never stopping her singing while being empowered by music!
“The musical works of Suzzette Ortiz are magical and inspirational. An accomplished composer, arranger, educator and performer, her creative output is the consummate expression of culture, humanity, and passion for the musical art.”
Product Details
Recordings
Transcription
Spanish
Que no pare mi canto
Que no pare mi voz
Que la vida se pasa mejor
Cantando una canción
Si las penas te agobian
Y te abruma el dolor
Acuérdate que con una canción
La vida es mucho mejor
Y dice
English
Never ever stop singing
Never silence your voice
Life is better when you sing a song
When it comes from your soul
Whether you’re feeling happy
Whether you’re feeling blue
Remember singing a song from your soul
Helps your heart to feel whole
Let’s hear it
Composition
This composition is written in the sicá style, one of many rhythms of the bomba music; a Puerto Rican music genre rooted in its African slavery history. Bomba music has elements of the taíno aboriginal culture using instruments as the maraca (played by the lead singer) and a pair of wooden sticks called cuas. The cuas would strike a hollowed wooden cylinder (also found in the taíno culture), or the bottom end of one of the big drums (called barriles or bombas) placed sideways on the ground. The barriles are a representation of the inheritance of the African culture into Puerto Rican musical instruments. There could be only one lead drum called primo and it will imitate the rhythmic variations made by the dancer in the improvisation section of the dance. The other drums will be called buleadores or seguidores (followers) and they will keep the constant beat and rhythmical pattern of each style of bomba.
The dance will have influences of Spanish dances such as flamenco and sevillanas. In the dance, as it happens in flamenco, is the dancer who plays the main role in each one of the styles played. The songs (seises de bomba) musical form is always a call and response one with improvisations from the soloist (who always play the maraca) and the choir singing a refrain after each verse.
The composer chose the style of bomba sicá, as reflection and remembrance of her beautiful friend’s walk through her cancer journey, never stopping her singing while being empowered by music!
Composer
Suzzette Ortiz is an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger, choral conductor, and music educator. Her work as a music teacher has been well recognized, with countless awards and commendations for empowering inner-city students through choral music. Suzzette retired from full-time teaching after 32 years of service, 27 of those in the City of Camden, New Jersey. Her high school choirs visited places like Italy, Prague, Puerto Rico, Ghana, Poland, Virginia, Tennessee, New York, Louisiana, and Florida. Suzzette continues to serve as an advocate of music education in her community. She is currently the artistic director at Artistas y Músicos Latinoamericanos music school in Philadelphia and the choir director of the Jubilee Singers, an acapella vocal ensemble from St, John Baptist church in Camden, New Jersey. Suzzette holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance with a minor in composition from the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, and a master’s degree in music education from Temple University in Philadelphia.
Publisher
La Voz Music Publishing