A new orchestral work celebrating America’s 250th anniversary will take center stage May 21 when the East County Youth Symphony (ECYS) presents the world premiere of “Land of the Free,” composed by 21-year-old San Diego musician Oluwaloba “Loba” Salami.
Salami, who is also a student at Lehigh University, majoring in music composition and biology, said, “I initially knew I wanted to write something for the country’s birthday, since this country has done so much for my family and me that I had to write something as a way of giving back.
“The main ideas behind the piece are the great things about this country. Its vast landscape. It’s a diverse culture.”
Structured as a 35-minute work in two movements, the composition reflects both admiration and playful reflection. The first movement, “Blessings of Liberty,” is rooted in optimism and forward-looking pride.
“It opens up with the main theme of the piece and then transitions to a section that’s more lighthearted and cuter, representing the future of American society: the children,” Salami said. “The first half of the first movement is dedicated to America’s children, encouraging society to heavily invest in their future.”
The movement also draws from Salami’s own experiences, including time spent hiking and observing the country’s natural beauty.
“From the beaches of California, where I live, to the forests of Pennsylvania, where I go to school,” he said, those landscapes helped shape a musical motif meant to capture the nation’s breadth.
The second movement, “Guns ’N’ Freedom!,” takes a different approach—leaning into humor and cultural reference.
“It represents the ‘stereotypical’ outlook of America in a humoristic way,” he continued. “Looking back at gunslinging and the wild west, it immediately dives into western groove, and uses musical quotes from Copland’s ‘Rodeo,’ mariachi tubas, and Dvorak’s ‘New World’ Symphony.”
Salami credits his musical voice to a blend of storytelling and influence from iconic American composers.
“The entire piece is inspired by American composers like Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland,” he said, noting a direct lineage through his studies. “My musical voice is the storyteller.”
“I fully believe that classical music should have no financial barrier,” he said. “This piece, in a way, is a thank you to ECYS and its donors for breaking that barrier.”
As the young musicians prepare to perform the work, Salami hopes the message resonates beyond the music.
The world premiere of “Land of the Free” is at 7 p.m. May 21 at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre in San Diego. For more information visit ecysymphony.com
