Etienne Charles: “Earth Tones”

“Earth Tones” is presented in partnership with the Pathways to Resilience QEP, a five-year climate literacy initiative at App State.

Trinidadian trumpeter and composer Etienne Charles has dedicated his recent works to highlighting the voices of marginalized peoples in the Americas. He broadens his scope with his latest composition, Earth Tones, a multimedia jazz performance featuring original compositions that draw attention to people and regions that are, or soon will be, severely affected by climate change. The performance invites us into a sensory journey that includes sounds, stories, and musical idioms from at-risk coastal communities, with images and short films of disappearing mangrove swamps, coral reefs, oyster beds, seagrass, sand dunes, and mud volcanoes. Featuring musicians from the very communities most at risk, the performance balances blunt reality, eternal optimism, and surrealism, ultimately offering an exhortation to address climate change’s impact on our future.