Jump to content

Valerie Naranjo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Valerie Naranjo
Born
Valerie Dee Naranjo

(1958-10-10) October 10, 1958 (age 66)[1]
Occupations
  • Percussionist
  • Composer
  • Professor
  • Musicologist
Years active1988–present

Valerie Naranjo (born October 10, 1958), is a percussionist, vocalist, musicologist, professor, and member of the Saturday Night Live Band. She specializes in the music and percussive instruments of West Africa, particularly the gyil[1], she also excels at the marimba and has been a touring musician, played with Broadway productions, and composed film scores and other music; created transcriptions of gyil, and produced gyil concerti with orchestra, wind ensemble, string quartet, and percussion ensemble[2].

Career

[edit]

In New York, Naranjo made many opportunities to establish herself as a working musician. She played her 7-foot marimba in the subway system (which resulted in at least two bookings in off-Broadway plays.)[3] She also freelanced and built connections in a wide and active group of musicians in the city that led to work such as touring Europe with The Philip Glass Ensemble between 1988 and 1993. Other performance experience from the first half of the 1990s included work with Ulali, Richard Barone, and David Byrne. She also traveled to and spent time living in South Africa and Zimbabwe where she immersed herself in learning new rhythms and about pacing during energetic percussion performances. (In the late 80s, she had also spent time in Ghana, solidifying her love for and expertise with the gyil.) [1]

After working on The Tempest with director Julie Taymor, Naranjo was asked to be a part of The Lion King in 1996. She selected instruments to be included in the show's orchestra, auditioned musicians, and helped to write the musical arrangements. Naranjo has performed with The Lion King for over 25 years.[4]

While working on The Lion King, an old friend and musical collaborator, Lenny Pickett, who she met playing music with Philip Glass, asked Naranjo to join the Saturday Night Live Band in 1995. Pickett looked to her to bring lively percussive and fresh sounds to the show during a time the show was struggling to maintain its audiences.[1] She works alongside Shawn Pelton, a drummer, in the band. Her instrument set-up consists of two mallet instruments as well as chime trees, woodblocks, cymbals, congas, bongos, djembe, kpanlogo drum, timbales, and a variety of shakers, among other instruments.[5]

Since 2011, Naranjo has taught in the New York University Steinhardt School's percussion department. She directs the African Gyil and Percussion Ensemble there.[1]

Naranjo has performed at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and The White House and was named World Music Percussionist of the Year in 2005 and 2008 by Drum! magazine reader poll.[6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Jones, Dr. Shane. "Valerie Naranjo". Percussive Arts Society. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Valerie Naranjo - Music Adjunct Faculty". NYU Steinhardt. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  3. ^ Geist, W.E. (27 May 1987). "About new york; how do you get to the subways? practice, practice". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Highest Grossing Music Theater Franchise". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  5. ^ Arns, Megan. "Valerie Naranjo: Breaking Boundaries" (PDF). Performing Arts Society. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Valerie Naranjo". Open Center. Retrieved 7 July 2024.