DIVA

«DIVA» is a long-form composition for jazz orchestra that is a celebration of and an offering to the divine feminine. The piece was first commissioned by Innovations en concert, and received Montreal Arts Council’s 2019 Jazz Creation Prize. 

Originally conceived as a piece resisting the notion of jazz being a “macho” music, the composer, Liberté Anne, sought out methods and elements to express what she interprets as supremely feminine within so-called jazz. Group improvisation, harmony and timbre, and rhythmic structure are identified and utilized to express the notions of creation, inclusivity and relationship. Loosely imagined from the phrase matrizes Africanas (Letieres Leite), Liberté Anne was inspired to define the clave, in a metaphysical sense, as the most feminine musical expression. In the composer’s words:

“The clave is a matrix, a womb. All elements are born from the clave, and from it derive and cultivate individuality while maintaining interconnectivity. The clave can still embrace differing modes of expression, and is thus of supreme inclusive and relational intelligence. I would like to express my gratitude to my teachers for sharing the wisdom of African and Afro-descendant musics over the last 8 years: Chief Baba Neil Clarke in the US, and Irian Lopez in Cuba, and Zab Maboungou here in Canada.”

- We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the arts, and the Montreal council for the arts, in the creation and production of this project.