Poor AgnoC by Aaron Villarreal

Poor AgnoC is my first attempt at composing a fully notated conga drum solo. I chose to write it for 5 congas as a gesture of gratitude to one of my dearest musical influences, Miguel “Angá” Díaz (a notable master of five congas). The piece is thematic in nature, and while hints of the Afro-Cuban rhythms may be observed by listeners, no particular effort was made to depict traditional folkloric rhythms. Instead, musical material is derived by means of thematic development. The musical score includes dynamics, phrase markings and slurs, articulations, changes in tempo, and other performance instructions. If successful, I hope Poor AgnoC can serve as a bridge between traditional conga drumming techniques and recital-style, solo percussion repertoire.