Composer’s Spotlight: Karen Okpoti performs ‘Baroque Flamenco’

Composer’s Spotlight Series: Karen Okpoti performs ‘Baroque Flamenco’

In this interview, Karen Okpoti shares her experience playing ‘Baroque Flamenco.’ This piece is special to her because it is the first piece she performed live in front of an audience. She encourages others to learn the piece too as there are so many techniques and beautiful rhythmic variations within it. 

Karen Okpoti

Karen Okpoti (KAZ) is a harpist and animator based in London. She created a project called ‘KAZ’ on YouTube in order to combine these two mediums and make some beautiful harp music and improvisation sessions as well as some animated music videos for her harp music.

Continue reading below for the full interview with Karen Okpoti

Watch Karen (KAZ) perform Deborah Henson-Conant’s ‘Baroque Flamenco‘ as part of her harp session series for her YouTube channel.

A Mini-Interview with Karen

How would you describe your experience of playing the piece?

Fingers dancing on the harp

What do people say when you play this piece? Do you have favorite memories of people’s reactions to it?

I have been playing the harp for 4 years now and this was actually the first piece I performed live in front of an audience that wasn’t my harp teacher. Unfortunately, I did not get good footage of that performance but it went extremely well! After I performed this piece, I sent it to my family whatsapp group and my mother was so shocked at how much I had improved. I had been too nervous to share my previous harp recordings and this was one of the first times I felt confident enough to send it around as I was so proud of it.

What drew you to this piece – why did you choose to learn it?

I loved the strumming at the beginning, and that drew me in straight away! I didn’t know the harp could sound like a guitar. I loved how all the different sections could allow me to improve different technical aspects of my playing. Learning this piece really pushed my ability and confidence in my playing.

What does this piece add to your repertoire (and/or your life) that you didn’t have before?

This is one of the most dynamic and difficult pieces I have learnt so far as I was a high beginner/low intermediate when I first performed it. I was incredibly proud of myself for being able to just get through the performance itself. I sounded like a real harpist! Even though I already am, as a beginner it’s hard to comfortably say that out loud. However, after learning this piece, i thought ‘wow if i can learn this song I can learn anything with time’, because when i first heard it i thought it was way too difficult for me.

What would you tell someone else who’s thinking of learning this piece that you wish you’d known before you learned it?

I would say take it slow and easy and enjoy the process. The piece will eventually mold around your fingers and you will add your own personality to it. There are so many techniques and beautiful rhythmic variations within this piece. You will progress so much by learning this piece alone.

What do you think you can get from working directly with the composer of the piece that you can’t get from the sheet music?

DHC has such a vibrant and fun personality and I loved the sections where she shouted ‘OLAY’ i was nervous to perform those parts when I had my performance, but I love the confidence and personality she puts into her playing, So i think working with her would have brought out that confidence into me by proximity.

Additional message you want to add?

Thanks for making such great music DHC, I am currently learning ‘New Blues’, which I am also loving!

Please follow this artist on social media and let them know what has opened up for your own self-expression in seeing and hearing their performance, and please share in the comments below.

YouTube: @kazXOXx
Instagram: @karenokpoti

Stay tuned for more artists soon and check out my Composer’s Spotlight blog series, featuring other talented musicians who played my song!  If you’re playing my music, apply here to be in the ‘Composer’s Spotlight’ blog series.