Jambo — for Viola and Marimba

Jambo was commissioned in 2003 by the Texas Lutheran University Department of Music. It is intended to be a friendly piece of music, as Jambo is the Swahili word for “Hello.” It is a call for more kindness in the world as we all journey through this life. The viola part requires two playing techniques: bowed and pizzicato. The marimba part also requires two playing techniques: open sound and dead strokes where the marimba player strikes the mallet into the bars.