Shoghi Hayes

"Native Wedding Ceremony" (2015)

Written by Shoghi Hayes

 

 

This piece was commissioned by my mother and step-father, Natasha and Oscar DeGruy, for their wedding ceremony on August 8th, 2015. The idea behind this piece was to capture the spirit of oneness and unity of two different cultures - the coming together of African and Native American families. Using traditional instruments from both cultures with a jazz blues twist (since Oscar was born and raised in New Orleans and has claimed himelf to be a diehard jazz fan), this piece was a pleasure to write and to perform.