Gmeng Se Na E and Pirable
by Valerie Naranjo
Arranged by Andrew Bealle
Performed by Valerie Naranjo and the Kaboom Studio Orchestra
Conducted by Liza Grossman

This performance features two traditional-inspired works for gyil (a West African wooden xylophone) and orchestra, showcasing the rhythms, textures, and expressive power of Lobi-Ghanaian music through a contemporary lens.

Valerie Naranjo, one of the world’s leading interpreters of gyil music, composed both “Gmeng Se Na E” and “Pirable” as tributes to the deep cultural and spiritual roots of West African percussion traditions. Her playing honors the legacy of her teacher, Kakraba Lobi, a master musician from Ghana who was among the first to introduce gyil music to Western audiences.

“Gmeng Se Na E” loosely translates as "Let Us Move Together", and invites listeners into a shared rhythmic space. The piece pulses with interlocking melodic patterns, layered percussion, and call-and-response phrasing that reflects communal music-making practices central to West African traditions.

“Pirable” is meditative and introspective, rooted in ceremonial performance and ancestral memory. With its lilting lines and rich harmonic landscape, the work showcases the gyil’s resonant tone and microtonal tuning — a sound that is both ancient and immediate.

Both pieces have been newly arranged by Andrew Bealle for gyil and full orchestra. This unique setting bridges traditional music and Western symphonic structure, allowing the Kaboom Studio Orchestra to engage with African musical language in an authentic and respectful way.

The result is a cross-cultural dialogue, one that invites performers and audiences alike to hear, feel, and understand music as a universal language with deeply local roots.

This recording and performance were made possible through the partnership between Kaboom Collective and Valerie Naranjo, and partially funded by Ohio Arts Council. It filmed and recorded at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory in 2023.