Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
The dedicated young string players from Arohanui Strings perform 'side-by-side' with the musicians of Orchestra Wellington conducted by Marc Taddei.
‘Cuba on Cuba’ was written especially for Arohanui Strings by New Zealand composer Claire Scholes.
It was inspired by Claire’s stepson, who was studying jazz bass at the New Zealand School of Music, a programme that includes Latin jazz. The attraction of those Afro-Cuban rhythms plus Harry’s talk of Cuba Street as a thriving party-zone made Cuba a recurring theme in the planning of this piece.
Arohanui Strings is a Sistema-inspired music education programme in Taita & Pomare in Lower Hutt. It was founded in 2010 by Director and Orchestra Wellington violinist Alison Eldredge and now works with more than 100 children from eight primary, intermediate, and secondary schools in the area. They teach violin, viola, cello, double bass, singing and music literacy two afternoons a week
Recorded 19 October 2019 in Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer/Sound engineer: Darryl Stack
