Omar Thomas is a celebrated composer and jazz artist who’s at the moment primarily based in Austin, Texas. Rising up in a Guyanese household in Brooklyn, he has made important contributions to the fields of huge band, wind ensemble, and symphonic orchestration. His compositions often delve into themes of queerness and Black liberation. A notable piece, A Mom of a Revolution, serves as a heartfelt tribute to Marsha P. Johnson and different trailblazing trans ladies.
Thomas started his instructing profession early on and is now an Affiliate Professor of Composition at The College of Texas at Austin. He studied on the New England Conservatory and has maintained sturdy connections to that space. His newest album, Griot Songs, was recorded in Boston together with his 17-piece Omar Thomas Giant Ensemble, additional showcasing his multifaceted expertise.
Launched on February 7, the album is obtainable in bodily and digital codecs and stands as a testomony to Thomas’ dedication and resilience. This venture has been within the making for almost 20 years, with a few of its earliest compositions relationship again to 2008. The stylistic range of the album displays his intensive expertise as a composer, bandleader, and social activist. It makes a major influence within the realm of latest large band music, enriched by its compelling narratives, polystylism, and emotional depth.
Each piece on this 83-minute opus is intricately crafted, mixing authentic compositions with creative preparations, together with a lyrical tackle Lyle Mays’s “Episode d’Azur”. Thomas attracts inspiration from African and Afrodiasporic traditions; he highlights the position of the griot—an oral storyteller and historian whose roots hint again to the Mali Empire—and the obeah lady, a practitioner of the Afro-Caribbean religion Obeah, famously referenced in Nina Simone’s tune “Obeah Lady” by Bahamian artist Exuma.
We just lately spoke with Thomas about his album, Griot Songs, and the way his inventive and activist endeavors intertwine.
Are you able to describe your writing course of? How does it differ between authentic compositions and preparations?
My writing course of is usually a whirlwind of feelings—it is exhilarating, painful, joyful, humbling, empowering, and even scary at instances. Usually, I expertise all of those emotions throughout a single session. It will probably take some time to develop an concept with sufficient emotional depth that I can work with, however as soon as I really feel a sound world rising, all subsequent selections serve that idea.
When it comes to composing authentic works versus preparations, the distinction lies within the supplies I draw from. When crafting authentic compositions, I’m producing and manipulating supplies concurrently. In distinction, preparations typically make the most of present supplies, however my method will depend on how carefully I need to adhere to the unique piece. For the association of “Sail to the Moon” from Griot Songs, I remained devoted to the unique Radiohead model whereas increasing on it significantly to discover its soundworld. In the meantime, my association of Lyle Mays’s “Episode d’Azur” carefully mirrors the unique in construction however options completely different instrumentation.
In what methods do your roles as an educator, activist, and musician overlap?
To me, these roles are deeply intertwined. Every bit creates a possibility to coach and produce forth tales which will have gone unheard or unexpressed. Music serves as an unbelievable medium for this transmission, breaking down limitations and resonating with the listener’s soul.
Omar Thomas — Photograph by Mike Lebriasis
You’ve got highlighted the dearth of illustration for Black composers in classical and band music. What elements are serving to or hindering progress in 2025?
The progress we’re witnessing stems from an rising willingness inside the area to acknowledge the lacking tales on live performance phases, particularly as our world turns into smaller by digital connectivity. Many people and organizations with the ability to impact change have begun to pay attention and create alternatives for composers like myself to share our narratives. Conversely, resistance to altering illustration typically arises from entrenched consolation ranges, conventional hierarchies, and established notions about whose tales deserve a platform.
How do you join artistically with figures just like the griot?
The griot serves as a storyteller in West African and diasporic cultures, accountable for conveying historical past and cultural narratives by oral custom. Their charming supply is what makes them magical. I first recognized as a griot over ten years in the past when a detailed buddy and fellow musician known as me one. It’s a designation I’ve embraced wholeheartedly and carry as a duty.
With Griot Songs marking the end result of 17 years of labor, does its launch really feel like closure or the beginning of a brand new journey?
Releasing Griot Songs looks like a reclaiming of my id—a completion of 1 dream and the start of one other journey that weaves collectively all of the musical experiences I’ve gathered during the last 17 years. I view it as a return to the jazz medium, and I hope the group embraces me as I come dwelling. My intention is to repeatedly draw from my life occasions and experiences to affect my compositions, whether or not for a wind ensemble, large band, or some other ensemble.
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