Exploring Caribbean Connections--Dutch

Curated Playlist: Exploring the Music of Randal Corsen 

Central artist: Randal Corsen

Description: In this post, I will explore the world of music in the Dutch speaking Caribbean. This playlist will focus on Randal Corsen the great grandson of Joseph Sickman Corsen. Joseph Corsen was a composer and pianist . Randal Corsen followed his great grandfather's foot steps and became a composer, pianist and arranger from Curacao. Corsen has created a reputation for traveling and sharing traditional Antillean folklore and music especially with his traditional Antillean quartet Konjunto Antiyano.  Each piece in the playlist is performed by, inspired by or connected to the works of Randal Corsen.

Playlist 

Randal Corsen and his Quartet

The first musical selection in the playlist is a performance by Randal Corsen to celebrate the launch of his CD Armonia.  . In this performance he is also joined by Eric Calmes on bass, Pernell Saturnino on precussion and Enrique Firpi on drums. Which is a traditional Antillean quartet. In the start of the video you can hear the piano and a clacking like sound coming from the percussions. It reaches a point where I feel the piano takes center stage and then at one point you can really hear the base and drums. What I like about this piece is that every instrument gets the opportunity to be the center of attention.  The instruments also blend together to make a nice sound. Additionally, the clacking sound makes the piece sound more interesting.Moreover, I feel this piece showcases Corsens talent as a pianoist. 

Dushi Sintimentu-Randal Corsen Orchestra ft. Dibo D

The next video in the playlist is Dushi Sintimentu which is sung by Dibo D a successful singer/songwriter from Curacao whom Corsen works with frequently. Dushi Sintimentu which is papiamento for "soft endearing" showcases Corsen's musical arrangement skills. Listening to the music of the song you can hear the Jazz inspiration coming through in the sound of the trombones and flugelhorns. Additionally, if you listen closely you can also hear a Latin-inspired sound as well.  Moreover, this piece shows that Corsen can make musical arrangements that can be accompanied by words. 

Dushi Sintimentu-Randal Corsen ft. Dibo D

This is the next performance of Dushi Sintimentu. However, this one is being performed live. The reason that I included this performance of the song in the playlist is because I feel that this version better showcases Corsen's piano skills. Additionally, I feel it shows that Corsen is able to come up with music arrangements that sound good without beats created by software. Moreover, this version sounds more like a classical rhythm at the beginning which transitions into a tumba rhythm. I also noticed that the jazz undertones is not present in this performance.

Simpatia--Randal Corsen 

In this musical selection, Corsen can be heard performing Simpatia an Antillean Waltz composed by his great grandfather Joseph Sickman Corsen. Randal Corsen credits his great-grandfather as an inspiration for his music. Simpatia is one of the pieces that was written by his great-grandfather and never recorded until Randal discovered them. Simpatia is actually a part of an album called Corsen Plays Corsen. Which is an album dedicated to Randal playing pieces of music composed by his great-grandfather as a tribute. This video not only showcases Randal's talent playing the piano but also shows his inspiration for growing and nurturing his musical gifts.

Chin Behilia medley--Randal Corsen Big Band ft. Izaline Calister

It can not be denied that when it comes to music, Corsen is multi-faceted. In this musical selection, he can be seen conducting his band during a medley consisting of compositions by Oswin Behilia. Who was a Curacaon singer/songwriter. The arrangement of the medley is also done by Corsen. I think this is a good example of his talent as a musical arranger and conductor because he can seamlessly transition and blend the songs together.  

Chin Behilia Medley- Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw ft. Tamara Nivillac and Randal Corsen

The last musical selection in the playlist is the next Chin Behilia Medley performed by the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw.  In this video, you can hear and see Corsen accompanying the orchestra and singer by piano. I chose this video to end the playlist with because I think it shows a good representation of Corsen as an artist. Corsen is a talented musician especially a pianist, who enjoys collaborating with and getting inspiration from his fellow Curcaon musicians. In this way, he has helped to spread his culture and culture's music around the world. 

References

Gangelhoff, C., & Legrand, C. (2019). Tour De Force: A Musical Journey of the Caribbean.

Has, F. de. (2024, March 27). Joseph Sickman Corsen | blog. Working Group on Caribbean Literature. https://werkgroepcaraibischeletteren-nl.translate.goog/joseph-sickman-corsen-2/?_x_tr_sl=nl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Randal Corsen en Konjunto Antiyano. (n.d.). Writers Unlimited. Retrieved March 27, 2024, from http://www.writersunlimited.nl/en/participant/randal-corsen-en-konjunto-antiyano