Koka

Written for Kokopelli of Edmonton, Alberta, because I knew they would turn the piece into their own miniature Bollywood spectacular. This old Punjabi song also works without choreography, but it won't work without two good pianists at the four-hand piano, where precise rhythmic control is crucial. The song finds our hero and heroine in India's rainy season, trapped by a sudden downpour.

This gives our heroine the perfect opportunity to use all her powers of persuasion to get her man to buy her a "koka", or a "nose ring", to honour her youth and her beautiful complexion. For most western choirs it will take a while to get used to singing in Punjabi, but oh boy is it worth it! The piece is advanced, not because of crazy tuning, but because I have tried to keep the Punjabi vocal ornaments, traditionally sung by a soloist, in place in the choral texture.

The song is in straightforward 4/4 time, but rhythmic challenges abound nonetheless as the voices imitate the flexibility of an Indian flute and the four-hand piano imitates the shimmering, virtuoso licks of an entire Indian dance band. My arrangement is not only a tribute to Kokopelli, but to musicians Kiran Ahluwalia and Kiran Thakrar.