American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain was born in South Florida to Haitian immigrants, studied at Vanderbilt University and earned a doctorate in composition from the University of Michigan.
He is especially known for synthesizing traditional classical forms with other genres, including hip-hop, rock and jazz. Roumain has written five string quartets, each of them dedicated to a civil rights icon. The final one (2005) honors Rosa Parks, with an opening movement entitled “I Made Up My Mind Not to Move,” and the finale, “Isorhythmiclationistic.”
The middle movement, “Klap Ur Handz,” is interesting on multiple levels. The string players actually clap during the performance, providing not just rhythm but a sense of community. Roumain has said that this was inspired by hip-hop beats as well as by much earlier music.
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