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MICHAEL-THOMAS FOUMAI
COMPOSER
FLARE UP!
YEAR
2013
INSTRUMENTATION
String Quartet:
2 Violins, Viola, Cello
DURATION
5 minutes
FIRST PERFORMANCE
August 18, 2011
Mo Quartet, Aspen Music Festival
PROGRAM NOTE
A short work exuding a Furious, Fierce, Fiery & Flaming character and is inspired by the fire knife, traditional Samoan cultural implement that is used in ceremonial dances. It was originally composed of a machete wrapped in towels on both ends with a portion of the blade exposed in the middle. Tribal performers of fire knife dancing (or Siva Afi or even "Ailao Afi" as it is called in Samoa) dance while twirling the knife and doing other acrobatic stunts.
PERFORMANCE HISTORY
June 11, 2017: Crossing Borders Music, American Indian Center of Chicago
November 28, 2011: Mo Quartet, Cleveland Institute of Music
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