Verna Gillis
Encyclopedia
Verna Gillis is a free-lance producer
who has gained recognition for her work promoting and producing music from various cultural backgrounds.
From 1972 to 1978, Gillis recorded traditional music in Afghanistan
, Iran
, Kashmir
, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Peru , Surinam, and Ghana. In 1979, she opened Soundscape
, a multi-cultural performance space in New York City
, which she directed for the next five years.
After the closing of Soundscape in 1984, Gillis worked career development with such musicians as Youssou N'dour
from Senegal
, Yomo Toro from Puerto Rico
; Salif Keita
form Mali
, and Carlinhos Brown
from Brazil
.
Presently, Gillis represents jazz
legend Roswell Rudd
and continues to work with Yomo Toro.
In 1996, she was hired as a consultant by the ICRC to accompany musicians on a trip to Angola, Liberia, Kenya and South African to witness first hand the results of ethnic cleansing. Gillis worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross
to produce a CD.
Twenty-five of Gillis' recordings have been released by Smithsonian Folkways
and Lyrichord.
As well, there have been 9 releases on DIW of LIVE FROM SOUNDSCAPE tapes made during the years that the performance space which was located at 500 West 52nd Street
was open.
In 2000, she was nominated for a Grammy in the Producer category for the Archie Shepp/Roswell Rudd Quartet LIVE IN NEW YORK and again in 2001 for Roswell Rudd's MALIcool.
Gillis holds a Ph.D.
in ethnomusicology
. She was an Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College
from 1974 to 1980 and at Carnegie Mellon University
from 1988 to 1990.
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
who has gained recognition for her work promoting and producing music from various cultural backgrounds.
From 1972 to 1978, Gillis recorded traditional music in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Peru , Surinam, and Ghana. In 1979, she opened Soundscape
Soundscape Presents
Soundscape Presents or simply Soundscape is a recording label in jazz and world music, a contributor to music festivals, and a promoter of creative arts education.-Foundation:...
, a multi-cultural performance space in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which she directed for the next five years.
After the closing of Soundscape in 1984, Gillis worked career development with such musicians as Youssou N'dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
from Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, Yomo Toro from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
; Salif Keita
Salif Keita
Salif Keïta is an internationally recognized afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. He is unique not only because of his reputation as the Golden Voice of Africa, but because he has albinism and is a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita...
form Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, and Carlinhos Brown
Carlinhos Brown
Carlinhos Brown is a Brazilian musician from Salvador, Bahia. He was born in Candeal Pequeno, a small neighbourhood in the Brotas area of Salvador de Bahia...
from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Presently, Gillis represents jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
legend Roswell Rudd
Roswell Rudd
Roswell Rudd is a Grammy Award-nominated American jazz trombonist and composer....
and continues to work with Yomo Toro.
In 1996, she was hired as a consultant by the ICRC to accompany musicians on a trip to Angola, Liberia, Kenya and South African to witness first hand the results of ethnic cleansing. Gillis worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
to produce a CD.
Twenty-five of Gillis' recordings have been released by Smithsonian Folkways
Folkways Records
Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987, and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways.-History:...
and Lyrichord.
As well, there have been 9 releases on DIW of LIVE FROM SOUNDSCAPE tapes made during the years that the performance space which was located at 500 West 52nd Street
52nd Street (Manhattan)
52nd Street is a long one-way street traveling west to east across Midtown Manhattan.-Jazz center:The blocks of 52nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Seventh Avenue were renowned in the mid-20th century for the abundance of jazz clubs and lively street life...
was open.
In 2000, she was nominated for a Grammy in the Producer category for the Archie Shepp/Roswell Rudd Quartet LIVE IN NEW YORK and again in 2001 for Roswell Rudd's MALIcool.
Gillis holds a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
. She was an Assistant Professor at Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
from 1974 to 1980 and at Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
from 1988 to 1990.
Discography
- 1973 Folk Music from Afghanistan: In Kabul (Lyrichord LLST 7259)
- 1973 Folk Music from Kashmir: On Lake Dal (Lyrichord LLST 7260)
- 1973 Folk Music from Iran: Luristan and Fars Provinces (Lyrichord LLST 7261)
- 1976 The Island of Quisqueya - Dominican Republic - Vol. I (Folkways FE 4281)
- 1976 The Island of Española - Dominican Republic - Vol. II (Folkways FE 4281)
- 1976 Cradle of the New World - Dominican Republic - Vol. III (Folkways FE 4283)
- 1976 Peru: Music from the Land of Macchu Picchu (Lyrichord LLST 7294)
- 1976 Vodun: Radad Rite for Erzulie - Haiti (Folkways FE 4491)
- 1977 Suriname - Javanese Music (Lyrichord LLST 7317)
- 1978 Songs from the North - Dominican Republic - Vol. LV (Folkways FE 4284)
- 1978 Rara in Haiti - Gaga in the Dominican Republic (Folkways 4531)
- 1978 Kora Music from the Gambia - Foday Music Suso (Folkways FW 8510)
- 1978 Anpao - An American Indian Odyssey (Folkways FC 7776)
- 1978 Ghana - Music of the Northern Tribes (Lyrichord LLST 7321)
- 1978 Music of the Dagomba from Ghana (Folkways FTS 32425)
- 1979 Comanche Flute Music Played by Doc Tate Nevaquaya (Folkways FE 4328)
- 1979 Music of the Ashanti of Ghana (Folkways FE 4240)
- 1979 David "Honeboy" Edwards - Mississippi Delta Blues Singer (Folkways FTS 32425)
- 1979 Rev. Audrey Bronson - Are You Ready for Christmas? (Folkways FS 32425)
- 1980 African, New York - Drum Masterpieces with Ladji Camara (Lyrichord LLST 7345)
- 1981 South Indian Strings - L. Subramaniam (Lyrichord LLST 7350)
- 1981 Merengues from the Dominican Republic (Lyrichord LLST 7351
- 1981 Traditional Women's Music from Ghana (Folkways FE 4257)
- 1981 From Slavery to Freedom - Music of the Saramaka Maroons of Suriname (Lyrichord - List 7354)
- 1982 Nicholas Guillen - Poet Laureate of Revolutionary Cuba (Folkways FI 9941)
- 1985 Music of Cuba (Folkways FE 4064)