Sinfonia Latina
Written by: Ignacio Navarrais
A seminal festival
In Greco Roman culture during the time of Thales Miletus the 6th-century sage, philosopher, architect, and mathematician; music was a feature of the Pythian games. The artistic and dance competitions predated the athletic portion of the festivals.
These competitions featured different musicians playing flutes and kithara, an ancient Greek string instrument at times accompanied by singing. These events are the origin music festivals. This history intrigued a young prodigy, Roberto McCausland “Dieppa”, grandson of elite industrialist, Venezuelan expatriate Don Carlos Dieppa founder of Dieppa Music.
Don Carlos was president of the arts center in Barranquilla, Colombia. In the early1940’s he began sponsoring the advancement of musical culture & fine arts in the city over the next thirty years. During the final decade of his life he mentored his grandchild providing him with a foundation of academia based in Greco-Roman culture, instilling a deep understanding of classical music, fine arts & literature. At the age of fifteen he was well read and possessed a natural ability blessed with the gift of music. He began to compose his first major work Sinfonia Latina, it was completed in 1976, conducting it at the municipal theater of Barranquilla today known as Amira de la Rosa. It was a magnificent success. The concert planned for a few hundred people became a music festival for thousands. An eclectic demonstration of music and fine arts for the Avante-Gard. The event fostered the continuation of musical advancement in Latin America and beyond, begun by Don Carlos Dieppa.
On May 7, 1976, at 8:pm a new genre of music was born “Noveau ” Caribe with a theme centered on a poem sung in Spanish by a choir against the backdrop of an orchestra and dancers. This was a different type of concert! In the process of fusing Spanish Mediterranean musical language, Afro Caribbean rhythms, jazz, and contemporary rock into a symphonic classical architecture.
Today preparations are well underway for live streaming of Sinfonia Latina from the DiMenna music center in New York City with Roberto McCausland “Dieppa” conducting the Orchestra of Saint Lukes NY.
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