Commissioned by the Golden State British Brass Band (California), Fiesta de la Vida is a celebration of the life of the GSBBB's founding director, John Swain. The Latin American mood of the piece is also a salute to the population of California, a state which many feel still clearly displays its Mexican roots. Though no folk music is used in the overture, the aim of the commission was to pay tribute to the memory of John Swain using the joy of music, which the Latin style exemplifies so well.