Bau Solo no. 1

This is the first solo piece that I wrote for melodic berimbau. It came to me all at once in a fit of inspiration when I first realized that the cabaça on a Mozambiquean xitende wasn’t located at the bottom of the staff as is the manner of the Brazilian berimbau. That simple realization opened up a floodgate of inspiration and creativity and has become the single line of inquiry which has sustained Projeto Arcomusical for over a decade. This piece is where Arcomusical truly began. I dedicated it to my brother, Christopher, whose childhood nickname was similar to this work’s title. – Gregory Beyer