Folk & Traditional on Music Theory Print

Aak

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

Aak is one of three types of Korean court music; the other two are dangak and hyangak. Aak is similar to dangak in that both have Chinese origins. All the instruments used in aak are derived from Chinese originals, and very few of these are used in other kinds of traditional Korean music. The music is now performed by members of the Kungnip Kugagwon National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts in Seoul, Korea.

Aguinaldo (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Venezuelan aguinaldo#

In Venezuela, aguinaldo is a genre of Christmas music and generally have six verses. It is played by “parranderos” or “aguinalderos” that announce their arrival in song and seek to gain entry to the community houses to relate the story of the birth of Christ, and to share in the joy of the message of Peace on Earth and to all People of Good Will. Aguinaldos are played with typical instruments such as the cuatro (a small, four-string guitar), furruco, and maracas. Other instruments often used are violin, guitar, tambourine, mandolin, bandol, caja (a percussive box instrument), and marímbula (an Afro-Venezuelan instrument). In exchange for the entertainment, “parranderos” are traditionally given food and drink: hallacas, panettone, rum and “Ponche Crema” (a form of alcoholic eggnog). Aguinaldos are also played at Christmas church celebrations. The composer Vicente Emilio Sojo compiled and harmonized more than 100 anonimous agunaldos and other folk songs, achieving a significant preservation of the country’s musical traditions.

Albanian iso-polyphony

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Geographic distribution#

The Albanian polyphonic traditional music is performed in two dialects of Albanian: Tosk and Lab. The Tosk musical dialect comprises the Albanian ethnographic regions of Toskëria, Myzeqeja, and Chamëria, while the Lab musical dialect comprises Labëria.

Origin#

Albanian Iso-Polyphony is considered to have its roots in the many-voiced vajtim, the southern Albanian traditional lamentation of the dead. Many scholars who have studied the Albanian iso-polyphony and in general the polyphonic music of the Balkans consider it an old tradition that dates back to the Thraco-Illyrian era. There is a lack of historical documentation of the Albanian polyphonic traditional music. However, since it is considered the product of oral transmission down many generations, scholars came to their conclusions by analyzing this musical tradition that continues to be performed in modern days. There are found many specific features of the Albanian polyphonic tradition that indicate its ancient origin: the pentatonic modal/tonal structure, which is widely thought by scholars to represent an early beginning to the musical culture of a people; the presence of recitative vocals, because when the melody of the vocals is not developed, the tradition is thought to be in a more primitive phase; the presence of calls and shouts, which indicates a primitive phase of development in the musical culture of a people; the a cappella singing style, which suggests an old age of a musical tradition since it lacks of instrumental accompaniment. Although the region was under the dominion of the Byzantine Empire for many centuries, the Balkan polyphonic traditional music had a different development than medieval Byzantine music. The Balkan tradition was non-institutionalized and has been continually collectively formed, while the Byzantine music was created by individual composers and was institutionalized. The Balkan tradition has been transmitted orally down the generations, and its performers were common people musically illiterate, while the Byzantine music was widely documented, and has been performed by professionals who were trained and educated. The two musical traditions lived side by side for centuries, therefore they would have had a mutual influence on each other. However, it is thought that the interaction between the Albanian polyphonic traditional music and the Byzantine music has been relatively small.

Alpine folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bibliography#

Marcello Sorce Keller, Tradizione orale e tradizione corale: ricerca musicologica in Trentino, Bologna, Forni Editore, 1991.
Marcello Sorce Keller, “Gebiete, Schichten und Klanglandschaften in den Alpen. Zum Gebrauch einiger historischer Begriffe aus der Musikethnologie”, in T. Nussbaumer (ed.), Volksmusik in den Alpen: Interkulturelle Horizonte und Crossovers, Zalzburg, Verlag Mueller-Speiser, 2006.
Marcello Sorce Keller, “Costantino Nigra und die Balladen-Forschung. Betrachtungen über die Beziehung zwischen Nord-Italien, Frankreich und der Suisse Romande”. Bulletin. Gesellschaft für die Volksmusik in der Schweiz, X(2011), 33-40.

External links#

Volksmusiknet, all about Swiss Volksmusik with 24/7 Nonstop Music-Radio and CD Novelties

American fiddle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Fiddle playing distinguished from violin playing#

Some folk fiddlers distinguish “fiddle” from “violin”, though this is far from universal - many classical violinists refer to their “fiddle”. Nevertheless, a few common differences may be observed;

Instrument#

Generally, the setup of the instruments is different: * Fiddle bridge top may be slightly flatter * String action height may be lower * Strings more often steel than synthetic or gut * Fiddle more commonly set up with pickup * Fiddle more commonly set up with four fine tuners; violinists more likely to use a single tailpiece E tuner

American primitive guitar

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Development#

John Fahey used the term “American primitive guitar” to describe the style of composition he developed in his releases from the 1950s onwards. Fahey employed traditional country blues fingerpicking techniques, which had previously been used primarily to accompany vocals, on solo guitar, in combination with nontraditional harmonic and melodic material. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, other musicians would become associated with the genre, including Leo Kottke. The style is similar to some forms of 20th-century classical music (particularly Minimalism), and the classical music of India. Besides Fahey, other notable representatives of this genre include Kottke, Robbie Basho, Bob Hadley, and Peter Lang, who released recordings on Fahey’s Takoma Records label. In the 1970s and 80s, some of the musicians of the genre have integrated new-age guitar techniques and have come to be broadly categorized into the New Acoustic genre. Potentially because the new age guitarist William Ackerman cited Fahey, Basho, and Kottke as influences, critics began to associate Fahey with new-age music. Fahey himself rejected any influence upon or responsibility for the genre, referring to it derisively as “hot tub music” and feeling that any association with New Age meant that he had failed as an artist. Peter Lang, a guitarist associated with the genre, described American primitive guitar, writing: “. . . The New Age people call it Folk; the Folk people call it New Age, but it is really neither. It’s transitional. The style is derived from the country blues and string band music of the ’20s and ’30s, however much of the music is contemporary. Fahey referred to it as ‘American Primitive’ after the ‘French Primitive’ painters, meaning untutored.”

Americana music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition#

The term “Americana music” was defined by the Americana Music Association (AMA) in 2020 as “…the rich threads of country, folk, blues, soul, bluegrass, gospel, and rock in our tapestry.” A previous 2016 AMA definition of the genre included rhythm and blues, with additional comments that Americana music results “in a distinctive roots-oriented sound that lives in a world apart from the pure forms of the genres upon which it may draw. While acoustic instruments are often present and vital, Americana also often uses a full electric band.”

Andalusi nubah

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Form, texts, and performance#

According to tradition, there were initially 24 nubat, one for each hour of the day. Each nuba must have a duration of 1 hour. Lyrics are sung by a soloist or in unison by a chorus, and are chosen from the muwashshah or zajal poetic forms, which are in classical and colloquial Arabic, respectively. An andalusi nubah uses one tab (similar to a maqam, or mode) per performance, and includes several instrumental pieces as well as predominantly vocal pieces accompanied by instrumentation. These differ as to mizan (pl. mawazin) or rhythmic pattern (wazn, pl. awzan). Formally the tempo increases while the awzan simply within each of five sections, called mawazin. The sections are introduced by short instrumental pieces and vary according to region, the name of a section indicating the wazn used: *in Algeria (12 nubah and 4 incomplete): *in Tunisia (13 nubah): *in Morocco (11 nubah): The instrumental ensemble used includes the ud, rabab, Maghreb rebab or rebec, nay, qanun, tambourine, and a goblet drum called darbuka. The instrumentalists also serve as chorus.

Anti-folk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In the United States#

Antifolk was introduced by artists who were unable to obtain gigs at established folk venues in Greenwich Village such as Folk City and The Speakeasy. In the mid-1980s, singer-songwriter Lach started The Fort, an after-hours club on NYC’s Rivington Street on the Lower East Side. The Fort’s opening coincided with the New York Folk Festival. Because of this, Lach dubbed his event the New York Antifolk Festival. Other early proponents of the movement included the Washington Squares, Cindy Lee Berryhill, Brenda Kahn, Paleface, Beck, Hamell on Trial, Michelle Shocked, Zane Campbell, John S. Hall, Roger Manning, Kirk Kelly, and Block. The original Fort was shut down in 1985 by the police, and because of this the club moved locations several times, including East Village bars Sophie’s and Chameleon, before settling in the back room of the SideWalk Cafe starting in 1993. Events have also taken place in the band shells in Tompkins Square Park and Central Park.

Arabesque (Turkish music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description and history#

A very small percentage of arabesque is exclusively instrumental. For the great majority of it, a singer lies at the center of the music. Male singers dominated the genre in its early years, but female singers probably predominated during its peak years of popularity. Simultaneously, with the influx of female singers, the sound grew more dancey and upbeat. Suat Sayın is generally considered the founder of the genre. Other well-known older singers are Orhan Gencebay, Ferdi Tayfur, Müslüm Gürses, and Hakkı Bulut. One of the most prolific and commercially successful is İbrahim Tatlıses, who broke all sales records in Turkey in 1978 and continues to turn out popular music to this day. He has maintained popularity in the arabesk scene in recent years through remixing his tracks into dance-friendly club tracks. The pure arabesque album “Acıların Kadını” (tr: woman of pains) by the singer Bergen was the bestselling album in Turkey in 1986 and may be fairly labelled one of the classic albums of the genre. Bergen had several other hit arabesque albums during the 1980s. Other singers include Ebru Gündeş, Seda Sayan, and Sibel Can. The singers Muazzez Ersoy and Bülent Ersoy designate themselves as modern exponents of Ottoman classical music. Zerrin Özer also made arabesque albums between 1982 and 1988, including her album “Mutluluklar Dilerim,” released in 1984. One of the important names of arabesque musicians who died in 2000 was Ahmet Kaya and another of the names died in 2012 was Azer Bülbül. Another of the important names of arabesque music died in 2017 was İbrahim Erkal. A common theme in arabesque songs is the highly embellished and agonizing depiction of love and yearning, along with unrequited love, grief, and pain. This theme had undertones of class differences in early 1960-70s, during which most of the genre’s followers , mostly working-class to lower middle-class , identified themselves. Turkish composer Fazıl Say has repeatedly condemned and criticized the arabesque genre, equating the practice of listening to arabesque “tantamount to treason”.

Arabic hip-hop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Before Arabic hip-hop emerged as a separate genre, Arab-Americans were regularly involved in hip-hop in the United States, such as Los Angeles-based producer Fredwreck and Miami-based DJ Khaled. American hip-hop music began to see popularity in the Arab World in the early-to-mid 1990s. Northern African Arabic-speakers in Europe, mostly residing in France, the epicenter of European hip-hop, were the first to begin making the music that constitutes the Arabic hip-hop genre. For example, the Saïan Supa Crew and IAM had Arabic members. This music, a product of the French banlieue’s beur and noir communities, was a blend of traditional American hip-hop, the French styles popular at the time, and Raï, a popular music style from Northern Africa. Groups began to emerge in Palestine in the mid-90s, including popular group DAM. DJ Lethal Skillz was promoting new local groups “such as Aks El Seir” at around the same time. In Egypt, American hip-hop was less popular, but a small buzz led to an emergent b-boy population. In 2004, the first hip-hop show took place there when the RZA, member of the Wu-Tang Clan, performed in the Siag Hotel in Cairo alongside Kinetic 9 of Killarmy, a Wu-Tang Clan affiliate, Cilvaringz (a Moroccan-Dutch, and the first Arab to get signed by an American rap group) and Saleh Edin, an American-Moroccan rapper. It is difficult to establish numbers for albums sold or listenership by demographic in the Arab world due to the lack of reliable statistics. Furthermore, viewership of satellite TV in the Arab world cannot be accurately quantified. However, we can discern popularity through marketing techniques utilized by satellite television providers. According to a 2007 report, “more than 85 percent of urban households in the Arab world have satellite television,” a forum that has expanded to include music channels such as MTV Arabia which " at the time plan ned to offer a hefty dose of mainly western hip-hop and much of the same youth-lifestyle programming MTV beams across the U.S."

Arabic maqam

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

The designation maqam appeared for the first time in the treatises written in the fourteenth century by al-Sheikh al-Safadi and Abdulqadir al-Maraghi, and has since been used as a technical term in Arabic music. The maqam is a modal structure that characterizes the art of music of countries in North Africa, the Near East and Central Asia. Three main musical cultures belong to the maqam modal family: Arabic, Persian, and Turkish.

Arabic pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Songwriting, recording and distribution formats#

The road to Arab stardom is very different from the one in the Western world. Traditionally, a certain producer creates the full song from music to lyrics, no matter the talents of the performer. Most music is recorded in studios as is Western Pop music. But also several live albums have been popular, such as with Asalah and Egyptian legend Umm Kulthum. Music has been released as single records, later replaced with cassettes in the album format, and by the late 1990s, and 2000s, additionally on CDs. Singles were not released separately, but just airplay is common. By the mid 2010s, they have been increasingly released on streaming services which allowed singles to be released again as soon as they become available. There are no official charts or certifications due to the informal nature of the business and bootlegging. In the mid 2000s, Ringtone charts were occasionally made, but due to bootlegging, they were supposedly highly inaccurate. There are several awards in different countries awarded in different ways according to their organizations. In fact, bootlegging is so common that most bootleggers have their own brands. They are so bold that they usually put contact info on the front of the CDs. Bootlegging is such a major problem that most artists cannot rely on royalties for income. Most of the actual musical income came from ringtone downloads, which was more prevalent than in the West. Other income comes from endorsement deals and live performances. Live performances are mainly brokered through the record label. This includes public concerts, such as at arenas or major media events. However, performances at weddings and private parties are common and well paid, no matter the artist’s level of fame. Music TV channels and music shows such as Arabs Got Talent are popular in the Middle East and North Africa, where some 40 Arab music channels exist. Rotana is the most popular company, running six TV channels, a record label, and a roster of more than 100 of the top Arab pop artists.

Athabaskan fiddle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

In a sense, there are two main beginnings of Alaskan old-time music: the original introduction of fiddle music in 1847, and Alaska’s version of the great folk music revival in the 1970s. Athabaskan fiddle music has been cultivated in relative isolation from mainstream American country music. According to several accounts, the first fiddler on the Yukon River was a Hudson’s Bay Company employee named Antoine Hoole, who was among a trading party who established Fort Yukon, Alaska in 1847. His French Canadian influence likely helped spread the Anglo-Celtic music and dance tradition to the local Indians (First Nations and Métis), a rich tradition that continues today as a unique style of old-time music known as Athabaskan fiddle music. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, fiddle music blended with aboriginal singing and dancing and melodic choral singing of hymns introduced by Anglican and Catholic missionaries. This music developed largely in isolation, with only occasional injections of new influences, and today is its own unique style. Athabaskan old-time fiddling music represents a fusion of traditional Athabascan instrumental and vocal music with the songs and violin tunes brought to the region in the late 1840s by Hudson Bay Company traders from their homelands in Scotland, Ireland, the Orkney Islands and French Canada. The popular Gwich’in tune, The Red River Jig, almost certainly came from the Red River area of southern Manitoba. The gold rush such as the Klondike (1896–1899) of Canada and Nome (1899–1909) and Fairbanks (1902–1905) of Alaska in the latter days of the 19th century and early 20th century saw another wave of musical influences as the prospectors’ waltzes, jigs, schottisches, foxtrots, two steps, and square dances (running sets) were incorporated into this unique musical style.

Ballad

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

Ballads derive from the medieval French chanson balladée or ballade, which were originally “dancing songs” (L: ballare, to dance), yet becoming “stylized forms of solo song” before being adopted in England. As a narrative song, their theme and function may originate from Scandinavian and Germanic traditions of storytelling that can be seen in poems such as Beowulf. Musically they were influenced by the Minnelieder of the Minnesang tradition. The earliest example of a recognizable ballad in form in England is “Judas” in a 13th-century manuscript.

Bambera

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition#

The bambera or bamba derives from the cante de columpio, meaning “song of the swing”, which is one of the traditional Andalusian song forms associated with flamenco. These songs were known as bambas or mecederos (from a Spanish word meaning ’to sway’), because they were sung to the rhythm of a swing. Jose de Bisso in his Chronicle of the Province of Seville (1868) describes it thus: The Vampas or Bambas is a double swing that is suspended from a heavy tree, the walnut tree, and crossed with a quite resistant plank; the pair that are rocked are placed in it while the group sings and pushes the swing. Each song sung by one of those in the group, is answered by one of those on the swing; but the unique thing about these occasions is that lovers get a chance to hear each other’s complaints, jealousies, disdain, tenderness, gallantries, resentments, snubs etc. expressed through an improvised song with lively imagination and perspective and the release of contained passion.

Banjo music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Banjo music originated informally as a form of African folk music over a hundred years ago probably in the sub-Saharan region. When the Americans forced African slaves to work on the plantations, banjo music followed them, and stayed primarily a form of African folk music, up to the 1800s. It was during this time that the banjo in all probability was first introduced to Ireland, when the Virginia Minstrels toured in England, Ireland and France in 1843, 1844 and 1845. With his minstrel shows, Joel Walker Sweeney is credited with extending the popularity of the banjo as well as its music to an enormous audience all over the United States and Europe. With the spread of popularity of the banjo, it influenced different kinds of music - it gave rise to mountain string bands, and even helped give a foundation for blues music. The occurrences of hootenannies gave a house to banjo music, where it made its place in American folk music and bluegrass. American television shows such as Hee Haw have made banjo music all the more popular, and more a part of American culture.

Barcarolle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

A barcarolle is characterized by a rhythm reminiscent of the gondolier’s stroke, almost invariably in metre at a moderate tempo. While the most-famous barcarolles are from the Romantic period, the genre was known well enough in the 18th century for Burney to mention, in The Present State of Music in France and Italy (1771), that it was a celebrated form cherished by “collectors of good taste”.

Notable examples#

The barcarolle was a popular form in opera, where the apparently artless sentimental style of the folklike song could be put to good use. In addition to the Offenbach example: Paisiello, Weber, and Rossini wrote arias that were barcarolles; Donizetti set the Venetian scene at the opening of Marino Faliero (1835) with a barcarolle for a gondolier and chorus; and Verdi included a barcarolle in Un ballo in maschera (i.e., Richard’s atmospheric “Di’ tu se fidele il flutto m’aspetta” in Act I). Arthur Sullivan set the entry of Sir Joseph Porter’s barge (also bearing his sisters, cousins and aunts) in H.M.S. Pinafore to a barcarolle, as well as the Trio “My well-loved lord and guardian dear” among Phyllis, Earl Tolloller and the Earl of Mountararat in Act I of Iolanthe. Schubert, while not using the name specifically, used a style reminiscent of the barcarolle in some of his most famous songs, including especially his haunting “Auf dem Wasser zu singen” (“To be sung on the water”), D.774. Stephen Sondheim uses a barcarolle for the two princes’ song “Agony” from his 1986 musical Into the Woods. Bob Dylan’s song “I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You” from his 2020 album Rough and Rowdy Ways uses Offenbach’s “Barcarolle” as a riff.

Baul

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The origin of the word Baul is debated. A common view is that it may be derived either from the Sanskrit word vātula, which means “mad, crazy”, or from vyākula, which means “impatiently eager, upset”. A recent scholarly research suggests that the Bauls may be descendants of a specific branch of Sufism referred to as ba’al. Another theory is that it comes from the Persian word Aul.

History#

The origin of Bauls is not known exactly, but the word “Baul” has appeared in Bengali texts as old as the 15th century. The word is found in the Chaitanya Bhagavata of Vrindavana Dasa Thakura as well as in the Chaitanya Charitamrita of Krishnadasa Kaviraja. Some scholars maintain that it is not clear when the word took its sectarian significance, as opposed to being a synonym for the word madcap, agitated. Bauls are a part of the culture of rural Bengal. Many attempts have been made to ascertain the origin of Bauls but there is wide disagreement among scholars. But they agree that no founders have been acknowledged either by Bauls themselves or others. Bauls are divided into several named groups, each following a named Hindu or Muslim guru. Besides, there are other communities who later identified or affiliated themselves with Bauls, like Darbesi, Nera and two sub-sects of Kartabhajas — Aul and Sai. The Bauls themselves attribute their lack of historical records to their reluctance to leave traces behind. Dr. Jeanne Openshaw writes that the music of the Bauls appears to have been passed down entirely in oral form until the end of the 19th century, when it was first transcribed by outside observers. There are two classes of Bauls: ascetic Bauls who reject family life and Bauls who live with their families. The bauls from India dress colourfully in orange and red and have a somewhat different way of getting together. In Bangladesh, Bauls mostly dress in white which symbolises purity. There is a big yearly gathering called Jaydeb Mela, taking place in Januari in Kenduli, near Bolpur, which attract bauls and followers in large numbers.

Bećarac

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

Bećarac uses a strict form of couplet in trochaic decasyllable, always sung to the same music, played by a tamburitza orchestra, less common accordion or samica, and the best ones are spread and reused for later parties. Bećarci are often difficult to translate and to be understood by outsiders due to the use of puns, reference to local events and cultural allusions. For example, “Mala moja, visoki jablane / Je l’ ti mjesec vidio tabane?” literally translates to “My little one, tall apple tree / Has the moon seen your soles?”.

Bhawaiya

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

There are various explanations of the meaning of Bhawaiya. Low-lying land with shrubs and other vegetables are called bhawa. According to some researchers, Bhawaiya is derived from the word Bawaiya, which is subsequently derived from the word bao (breeze). The derivative of the word Bhawaiya is Bhav > Bhao + Iya = Bhawaiya; the meaning of this word is emotionally charged. According to Abbasuddin Ahmed, this music is like the random and pleasant wind blowing from North Bengal called Bhawaiya. According to a survey taken of performers of Bhawaiya (conducted by the Folk Cultural and Tribal Cultural Centre, Government of West Bengal), the name is derived from the word Bhao, which was transformed into Bhav. These songs carry a deep emotion of biraha or separation and loneliness.

Biraha

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Biraha is believed to have originated among peasant and pastoral groups in North India during the Mughal period. Until the 1880s, it was mostly confined to villages and was sung while grazing cattle, for leisure at night, and at social ceremonies such as weddings and engagements. In the early 20th century, Bihari Lal Yadav played a pivotal role in transforming Biraha into an urban musical genre, particularly in Varanasi, where it was performed at temple festivals and annual religious celebrations.

Bluegrass fiddle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The beginnings of bluegrass music#

In the 1940s Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys revolutionized American string band music by incorporating virtuosic instrumental solos and a “high lonesome" vocal style. Bluegrass fiddling was first exposed to national view during the folk revival of the 1960s with the first televised documentary Bluegrass Roots: On The Road With Bluegrass Musicians shot in the Mountain of North Carolina by Bascom Lunsford while auditioning musicians for the Asheville Mountain Music Festival. It was the festival to feature this type of music. In recent years events have brought renewed interest in bluegrass fiddling: major mainstream performers have recorded bluegrass albums, and the Coen Brothers’ released the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? in (2000), with an old-time and bluegrass soundtrack, and the Down from the Mountain music tour.

Bluegrass music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instrumentation#

The violin (also known as the fiddle), five-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass (string bass) are often joined by the resonator guitar (also referred to as a Dobro) and (occasionally) harmonica or Jew’s harp. This instrumentation originated in rural dance bands and is the basis on which the earliest bluegrass bands were formed. The fiddle, made by Italians and first used in sixteenth century Europe, was one of the first instruments to be brought into America. It became popular due to its small size and versatility. They began receiving attention from white Americans when minstrel shows incorporated the banjo as part of their acts. The “clawhammer”, or two finger style playing, was popular before the Civil War. Now, however, banjo players use mainly the three-finger picking style made popular by banjoists such as Earl Scruggs. Meanwhile, a polyphonic pair of instruments playing in conversation, double banjos or twin banjos, is a bluegrass tradition upheld by artists like Tony Trischka. Guitars are used primarily for rhythmic purposes. Other instruments may provide a solo on top of the guitar during breaks, guitarists may also provide these solos on occasion. The instrument originates from eighteenth century Spain, but there were no American-made models until the C.F. Martin Company started to manufacture them in the 1830s. The guitar is now most commonly played with a style referred to as flatpicking, unlike the style of early bluegrass guitarists such as Lester Flatt, who used a thumb pick and finger pick. Bassists almost always play pizzicato, occasionally adopting the “slap-style” to accentuate the beat. A bluegrass bass line is generally a rhythmic alternation between the root and fifth of each chord, with occasional walking bass excursions. Instrumentation has been a continuing topic of debate. Traditional bluegrass performers believe the “correct” instrumentation is that used by Bill Monroe’s band, the Blue Grass Boys (guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and bass). Departures from the traditional instrumentation have included dobro, accordion, harmonica, piano, autoharp, drums, electric guitar, and electric versions of other common bluegrass instruments, resulting in what has been referred to as “new grass.” Despite this debate, even Monroe himself was known to experiment with instrumentation; he once even used a string orchestra, choir, and pre-recorded bird-song track.

Bothy ballad

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Subjects#

The farmlands around Aberdeen produced satirical songs, critical of working conditions. The best known is “The Barnyards of Delgaty”, (a pun on “The Barren Yirds o Delgaty” meaning “The Barren Soils of Delgaty”). Real names of farmers, supervisors and farms are given, and mocked. Other satirical attacks are “Rhynie”, “The Guise O Tough” and “Harrowing Time”. By contrast “The Bogheid Crew” is a celebration of the fine work done by the labourers, naming each one in turn. Some songs celebrate the countryside, including “Where The Gadie Rins”, “Bonny Udny” and “Arlin’s Fine Braes”. Some songs match a high-born with a servant. The most famous is “The Knight and the Shepherd’s Daughter” (Child Ballad 110), recorded by Steeleye Span as “Royal Forrester”. “The Laird o Dainty Doonby” is another. In 1951 Davie Stewart sang this song for American collector Alan Lomax. It is a version of a song published by David Herd in 1776, in “Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs”. Soldiers from Highland military regiments sometimes ended up working in bothies. Some ballads concern encounters between soldiers and innocent maids. “The Trooper and the Maid” (Child Ballad 299) is one. Most famous of all is “The Bonnie Lass o’ Fyvie” (Pretty Peggy-O), covered by Simon and Garfunkel and many others. “The Forfar Sodger” relates to the Peninsular War (1808–1814) and was recorded as late as 1951.

Bubu music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bulerías

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Cante (singing)#

When sung, the bulería has three or four octosyllabic lines. It is sometimes subdivided into bulerías al golpe and bulerías ligadas. The former is slower while the latter is frantic. There are many styles of Buleria depending on the region of Spain from which it originated. For example: Buleria de Lebrija, Buleria de Jerez (possibly the most commonly used style), Buleria de Cadiz, Buleria de Utrera etc.

Cachi Cachi music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

Cachi cachi music is what the people in Hawaii, who heard the Puerto Ricans playing their own music, called it. It needed a name and the people of Hawaii, specifically the Japanese plantation workers called it cachi cachi according to oral tradition- video recordings by Onetake2012 and research done by Ted Solis, an ethnomusicologist. The Puerto Ricans, who only spoke Spanish and no English, worked alongside immigrants from the Philippines, China, but in one location their “camp” was next to the Japanese camp. and when the Japanese heard their music, they said it sounded “scratchy”. The relationships between the Japanese and Puerto Ricans working on the plantations, didn’t used to be good. They lived near one another and the Puerto Ricans felt disrespected when the Japanese walked around naked or almost naked for their baths. Sometimes fights would break out.

Cajun fiddle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Cajun music#

Cajun music, an emblematic music of Louisiana, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based, Cajun-influenced zydeco form, both of Acadiana origin. These French Louisiana sounds have influenced American popular music for many decades, especially country music, and have influenced pop culture through mass media, such as television commercials. It is an aural tradition dating past the Acadian conquest of southwest Louisiana after their displacement from Nova Scotia, whence they brought a rich musical tradition. Blues fiddle has been directly influential in the development of Cajun fiddling, as with all music in the New Orleans music scene, and even proto-bluegrass influences from early American balladry.

Campus folk song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Cante flamenco

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Types of cante#

There are many variants of cantes or palos (song forms), each expressing a unique emotion (which shares noticeable resemblance to Indian classical music). The flamenco songs of today may be classified into one of three categories: cante grande, cante intermedio or cante chico.

Cante Grande#

Also known as cante jondo and sometimes referred to as cante gitano. Meaning “profound” and “deep,” this intensely sad form of cante deals with themes of death, anguish, despair, or religious sentiments and may be sung a palo seco (without guitar accompaniment). Major forms are the tonás, martinetes, seguiriya, soleá, and carcelera. It is said that cante jondo (deep song) is the heart and soul of flamenco: Sample Seguiria describing anguish in Caló, Spanish and English:

Cantu a tenore

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The word is not to be confused with the word “tenor” as a simple description of vocal register; it refers to the actual style of folk singing and is distinguished from other similar styles called by different names in different places on the island, such as in Gallura and in Logudoro . In the Barbagia region on the island of Sardinia, there are two different styles of polyphonic singing: , usually a form of sacred music, sung with regular voices, and , usually a form of profane music, marked by the use of overtone singing.

Canzone napoletana

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Many of the Neapolitan songs are world-famous because they were taken abroad by emigrants from Naples and southern Italy, roughly between 1880 and 1920. The music also was popularized abroad by performers such as Enrico Caruso, who took to singing the popular music of his native city as encores at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in the early 1900s. Caruso also recorded many of these songs, which subsequently became part of the standard repertoire for operatic tenors, and which were performed and recorded by such notable singers as Beniamino Gigli, Francesco Albanese, Franco Corelli, Mario Del Monaco, Giuseppe Di Stefano, and Tito Schipa. The Three Tenors also performed popular songs from Naples. Plácido Domingo recorded a full CD Italia ti amo of traditional and some more modern Neapolitan and Italian songs. Luciano Pavarotti recorded three albums of Neapolitan and Italian songs: The Best: Disc 2, (2005), Pavarotti Songbook, (1991), and Romantica, (2002). Mario Lanza recorded an acclaimed selection of 12 Neapolitan songs on his 1959 album, Mario! Lanza at His Best. Opera/pop crossover tenor, Sergio Franchi recorded his very popular Billboard Top 25 RCA debut album, Romantic Italian Songs in 1962, and continued to record Neapolitan songs on most of his albums throughout his career. Andrea Bocelli recorded an album in 2009 dedicated to the style, entitled Incanto. The most important native Neapolitan performers of Neapolitan songs in the last few decades include Roberto Murolo, Bruno Venturini, Mario Trevi, Mario Abbate, Mario Merola, Giulietta Sacco, Franco Ricci, Sergio Bruni, Renato Carosone, and Mario Maglione. Murolo is known not only as a singer and guitarist, but also as a composer, scholar and collector of the music; his collection of twelve LPs, released in the 1960s, is an annotated compendium of Neapolitan song dating back to the twelfth century. Representatives of different veins, but nevertheless leading the continuing tradition of song in Neapolitan, are the jazz-rock singer-songwriter Pino Daniele and the folkloric group Nuova Compagnia di Canto Popolare; Almamegretta and 99 posse are representative of a blend of Neapolitan songs and dub/trip hop, with the former appearing in a song with the Bristol duo Massive Attack. All Neapolitan songs are written and performed in the Neapolitan language. Although the music is sung by many non-Neapolitan singers, it is difficult to sing correctly without knowledge of the Neapolitan dialect, which is crucial in obtaining the correct inflection. The matter of dialect has not prevented a few non-Neapolitans from writing dialect versions of Neapolitan songs. The most famous examples of this are A vucchella by Gabriele D’Annunzio and Tu sì ’na cosa grande by Domenico Modugno. Since the second half of the 2010s, a new sub-set of Neapolitan music has begun to emerge which mixed various traditional elements with aspects of hip hop, electronic, techno and urban music. Among the major representatives of this “new school” we find Liberato, Geolier and Clementino.

Cape Breton fiddling

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Playing style#

Cape Breton- Scottish playing is accented, characterized by driven up-bowing. The tunes of other music origins (Irish, Canadian, French-Canadian, etc.) sound different when performed by Cape Breton- Scottish players. The downbeat pulse is driven by the fiddler’s heel into the floor. The pattern tends to be heel-and-toe on reels, the heel on strathspeys. Cape Breton fiddle music is influenced by the intonations of the Scots-Gaelic language, especially Puirt a Beul (mouth music) and strathspeys. The ornaments are adapted from those used on the Great Highland bagpipe. The ornamentation (cuts aka. trebles, drones and doubling) brings out the feeling of Cape Breton fiddle. A century ago the violin and pump organ were the common instruments; the latter has been supplanted by piano to provide a rhythmic accompaniment. Guitar is also used for accompaniment but it’s less prominent than piano.

Cariso

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Chantwells#

The “chantwell” is another incarnation of the African “griot” tradition. On the Caribbean plantations African griots became chantwells, preserving the tribe’s history and traditions orally. They would sing to contemporary and mythical heroes and to the Gods. They would also preserve the complex oral traditions of West Africa with songs of derision, praise, satire, and lament. At first the chantwells were mostly women because the males were targeted for destruction on the plantation. On Emancipation the tradition continued and the chantwells would sing call-and-response chants called lavways lionizing and cheering on champion stickfighters. This form of music gradually evolved into the modern calypso. Calypso music was developed in Trinidad in the 17th century from the West African Kaiso and canboulay music brought by African slaves imported to that Caribbean island to work on sugar plantations. These enslaved Africans were stripped of all connections to their homeland and family and not allowed to talk to each other. They used calypso to mock the slave masters and to communicate with each other. As calypso developed, the role of the griot (originally a similar travelling musician in West Africa) became known as a chantwell and, eventually, calypsonian. As the country became urbanized chantwells became more and more a male function but the portfolio remains the same. The chantwell is the Call, the tribe and the audience is the Response.

Celtic fusion

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Celtic electronica#

The genre of Celtic electronica blends traditional Celtic influences with modern electronic music. Artists such as Martyn Bennett, Lorne Cousin, Mouth Music, Mark Saul, and Valtos (band) whose backgrounds are in traditional Celtic music tend to favor traditional instruments, melodies, and rhythms, but augment them with drum machines and electronic sounds. Others, like Dagda, Brigid Boden and Niteworks approach the fusion from a background in electronic music that eschews traditional instruments and incorporates traditional melodies played on synths into a New Age-influenced trance sound. Peatbog Faeries have experimented with Celtic electronica, mainly on Faerie Stories.

Celtic music in Canada

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Newfoundland#

There are very strong connections between Newfoundland folk music and Irish music, however elements of English folk music and French-Canadian and Acadian music can be heard within the style. A very traditional strain of Irish music exists in Newfoundland, especially in the primarily Irish-Catholic communities along the southern shore. The instrumentation in Newfoundland music includes the button accordion, guitar, violin, tin whistle and more recently the bodhrán. Many Newfoundland traditional bands also include bass guitar and drum kit. Other folk instruments such as the mandolin and bouzouki are common especially among Newfoundland bands with an Irish leaning. Because Newfoundland is an island in the North Atlantic, many of the songs focus on the fishery and seafaring. Many songs chronicle the history of this unique people. Instrumental tune styles include jigs, reels, two steps, and polkas.

Celtic punk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Celtic punk’s origins date back to 1960s and 1970s folk rock musicians who played Irish folk music and Celtic rock in the UK, as well as in more traditional Celtic folk bands such as the Dubliners and the Clancy Brothers. The Scottish band the Skids were possibly the first UK punk band to add a strong folk music element, as they did on their 1981 album Joy. Around the same time in London, Shane MacGowan and Spider Stacy began experimenting with a sound that became the Pogues, which most consider to be the prototypical Celtic punk band. Other early Celtic punk bands included Nyah Fearties, Australia’s Roaring Jack and Norway’s Greenland Whalefishers. The 1990s gave rise to a Celtic punk movement in North America, centered around the likes of the Dropkick Murphys of Quincy, Massachusetts, and Chicago’s The Tossers – both from cities with particularly large population of Irish Americans – as well as LA’s Flogging Molly (founded by Irish emigrant Dave King) and The Real McKenzies of Vancouver, B.C.. North American Celtic punk bands have been influenced by American forms of music, and commonly sing in English.

Celtic rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition#

The style of music is the hybrid of traditional Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh and Breton musical forms with rock music. This has been achieved by the playing of traditional music, particularly ballads, jigs and reels with rock instrumentation; by the addition of traditional Celtic instruments, including the Celtic harp, tin whistle, uilleann pipes (or Irish bagpipes), fiddle, bodhrán, accordion, concertina, melodeon, and bagpipes (highland) to conventional rock formats; by the use of lyrics in Celtic languages and by the use of traditional rhythms and cadences in otherwise conventional rock music. Just as the validity of the term Celtic in general and as a musical label is disputed, the term Celtic rock cannot be taken to mean there was a unified Celtic musical culture between the Celtic nations. However, the term has remained useful as a means of describing the spread, adaptation and further development of the musical form in different but related contexts.

Chalga

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The name Chalga is derived from the Turkish word Çalgı, meaning “musical instrument”.

History#

Although it originated in parallel with ex-Yugoslav turbofolk in the 1960s and 70s, contemporary Chalga music first emerged in 1989 after the collapse of the communist regime of Bulgaria, which persecuted musicians who played western or western influenced-styles. The political freedom that came with the fall of the Iron Curtain thus enabled Chalga to emerge and enjoy commercial success as a genre. Many conservative-minded figures in Bulgaria have criticized Chalga for its lyrical themes, often revolving around sexual liberation, youth culture, and glorification of wealth and capitalism, which critics considered morally corrupt. However, in the modern day, most Bulgarians have embraced Chlaga due to its liberal attitudes and alternative subculture, viewing it as an important piece of modern Bulgarian culture. Throughout the Balkans, folk traditions have seen a process of modernization. Chalga has similarities with Greek Laiko and Turkish Arabesque music, a style with similar pop elements, incorporating Turkish music elements and lyrics, mixed with Arab influences due to religious and cultural similarities to between Turkey and the Arab world.

Chanson franco-orientale

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The genre emerged in early 20th centuries, as French artists began to integrate musical elements inspired by the different cultures of the French colonial empire. Early examples, categorized under the label chanson arabe, include Haia by Paul Lack, and La Bédouine et le Tuba by Charlus (1909). In the 1930s, several artists associated with chanson réaliste, such as Marie Dubas and Nitta Jo, contributed significantly to the genre’s development. Chanson franco-orientale reached a peak of popularity in the late 1950s before gradually declining in visibility in subsequent decades.

Chutney music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The term chutney is derived from the Hindi word chatni, referring to South Asian condiments made of spices. The contemporary fusion of genres that led to chutney music was created around the 1940s by Indo-Caribbean people of the West Indies, whose ancestors originally were brought to the region from the Hindi Belt as indentured labourers by the British, intended to replace slaves working on sugar plantations after slavery was abolished in the region. There were no recordings of chutney until 1968, when Ramdew Chaitoe, of Suriname, recorded an early rendition of the music. The album was called King of Suriname and all of the songs were religious in nature. However, Chaitoe soon became a household name with East Indians, not just in his native Suriname but throughout the Caribbean. Although the songs were religious in nature, all had a distinctly danceable sound. For the first time, Indo-Caribbeans had music that spoke to them personally, and was not specifically Indian, African, or European or American in style/roots. This was a breakthrough for East Indian Caribbean music, but the fame was shortlived. Chutney music exploded, again, after 1968, with the singer Dropati releasing her album Let’s Sing & Dance, made-up of traditional wedding songs. The record became a huge hit within the Indo-Caribbean community, gaining exposure for chutney music as a legitimate form of music, and uniting Indians, regardless of their birthplace. 1969 was a turning point for chutney music, when record producer Moean Mohammed recorded Sundar Popo with Harry Mahabir’s BWIA Orchestra. Sundar Popo modernised the music by including western guitars and early electronics into his music. Although Popo became known as the “King of Chutney”, the art of singing songs in “chutney” style was introduced by a singer named Lakhan Kariya, from the town of Felicity, Chaguanas who preceded Sundar Popo. Other artists, such as Indo-Trini artist Sam Boodram, followed in his footsteps, adding newer and modern instrumentation into songs. Chutney music, until then, remained a localised genre in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname.

Chutney soca

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Chutney soca is a prime example of how Indo-Trinidadians have established roots in Trinidad and have created an original, syncretic artform. This fusion was originally pioneered by Lord Shorty in the 1960s and 1970s and its later branding resulted from the intervention of Indo-Trinidadians into soca music in the 1980s, the addition of chutney soca to the island’s musical life signified a consolidation of the East Indian influence on Trinidadian culture and politics, particularly during the 1990s. It was during the 1980s and 1990s that Trinidadian musicians, performing in the popular style of calypso and its offshoot, soca, began to incorporate Indian themes into their lyrics. A significant example of this is the song “Sundar Popo”, by Black Stalin. This song, whose whimsical lyrics concern a veteran Indian singer, won Black Stalin the coveted Calypso Monarch Prize in February 1995. Although it was neither in chutney style nor in Hindustani, “Sundar Popo” was labelled chutney soca because of its theme. Similar efforts followed in the wake of 30 May 1995, which marked the anniversary of the first arrival of “indenturees” in Trinidad and was designated by the island’s government as Indian Arrival Day. Chutney soca’s rise in popularity through the mid to late 1990s was expedited by its changing role in Trinidad’s Carnival celebration. The 1995–96 Carnival season saw the establishment of the Chutney Soca Monarch Competition and the performance of a number of chutney socas during the calypso soca competition by creole musicians, including Marcia Miranda, Tony Ricardo, Chris Garcia, Brother Marvin, and Luta. Embraced as it was by non-Indian performers, who abandoned formal Indianisms, sang solely in English and emphasized the soca beat, chutney soca became a national fad.

Cornkister

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

*Bothy Ballads; Centre for the Scots Leid

Creole music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Early development#

In 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory, including New Orleans, from France. In 1809 and 1810, more than 10,000 refugees from the West Indies arrived in New Orleans, most originally from French-speaking Haiti. Of these, about 3,000 were freed slaves. Creole folk songs originated on the plantations of the French and Spanish colonists of Louisiana. The music characteristics embody African-derived syncopated rhythms, the habanera accent of Spain, and the quadrille of France. Central to Creole musical activities was Place Congo (in English: Congo Square). The much quoted 1886 article by George Washington Cable offers this description: The booming of African drums and blast of huge wooden horns called to the gathering … The drums were very long, hollowed, often from a single piece of wood, open at one end and having a sheep or goat skin stretched across the other … The smaller drum was often made from a joint or two of very large bamboo … and this is said to be the origin of its name; for it was called the Bamboula. Cable then describes a variety of instruments used at Congo Square, including gourds, triangles, jaw harps, jawbones, and “the grand instrument at last”, the four-stringed banjo. The bamboula, or “bamboo-drum”, accompanied the bamboula dance and bamboula songs. Chase writes, “For Cable, the bamboula represented ‘a frightful triumph of body over the mind,’ and ‘Only the music deserved to survive, and does survive … ‘”

Daechwita

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instrumentation#

Instruments used include nabal (brass horn), nagak (seashell horn), and taepyeongso (shawm), with jing (gong), jabara (cymbals), Ulla (xylophone), and yonggo (; drum painted with dragon designs and played with hard mallets). This style of Korean military music is often used in the reenactment of the Guard Changing Ceremony at Seoul’s Gyeongbokgung Palace, as well as in Deoksugung Palace. Special daechwitas today is under the service of the Ministry of National Defense Traditional Band and the Traditional Guard Unit, 3rd Infantry Division, Republic of Korea Army, and are the only ones that also has the Ulla (small tuned gongs), Pungmul-buk and Galgo in its instrumentation. This is the same case for traditional Korean bands outside the homeland, which also have a pungmul marching percussion battery (with kkwaenggwari, janggu and pungmul-buk drums) at the rear with distinguishing uniforms between the two ensembles. Few modern bands based in schools sport bass drums together with the kwaennggwari, galgo and janggu, as well as the daegeum flute, as part of their instrumentation. Uniforms in the band are in royal gold or red and white, as these were connected in the Imperial period to the Imperial family and the armed forces of the Korean Empire. Most bandsmen in ensembles today wear the royal gold full dress. The Bandmaster of the ensemble, called a deungchae, carries a long baton to direct the ensemble during performances. Today, the Ministry of National Defense Traditional Band and Traditional Honor Guards participate in official welcome ceremonies for foreign heads of state and in other state or special events, with the band playing daechwita and the honor guards carrying out ceremonial duties.

Dangdut

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Development#

The term dangdut is an onomatopoeia for the sound of the tabla (also known as gendang) drum, which is written dang and ndut. Modern Minangkabau music is also the forerunner of dangdut, along with Malay music. The transformation of Malay music by M. Mashabi (1932–1967) and Munif Bahasuan (1935–2021) with the Orkes Kelana Ria in the 1960s with several songs such as Ya Mustafa, Ya Mahmud and Patah Kasih which, according to ethnomusicologist Andrew N. Weintraub, are considered “proto-dangdut” and pioneered the form of dangdut as it is known today. Orkes Melayu singer Ellya Khadam switched to dangdut in the 1970s, and by 1972, she was the number-one artist in Indonesia. Her success, along with that of Rhoma Irama, meant that by 1975, 75 per cent of all recorded music in Indonesia was of the dangdut genre, with pop bands such as Koes Plus adopting the style.

Danish traditional music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Through the Middle Ages and into the 19th century there are reports of “chain dances”, processions and ceremonial dances accompanied by pipes, drums and singing. In the 17th and 18th centuries, throughout Denmark the practice of music was under the monopoly of the appointed city musicians (stadsmusikant), who with their journeymen and apprentices were the only musicians allowed to play for a salary within an assigned territory. Since the city musician was trained in the cities, this meant that courtly repertoires made their way into the countryside, and that most areas did not maintain local musical traditions during this time. Only a few areas, such as Bornholm and Amager, never had the stadsmusikant monopoly, and a few others such as Fanø maintained a local tradition by an arrangement whereby local musicians leased the right to perform on the island from the city musician of Ribe. Since city musicians frowned on the use of instruments deemed impure such as drums, bagpipes and hurdy-gurdies, this period also saw the rise of the fiddle as the main instrument for dance music. From around 1500, medieval chain dances were displaced by pair dances. The oldest known pair dance in Denmark is the pols, an adapted variant of a Polish dance that was popular in Sweden as early as the 16th century. It is assumed that the pols was prevalent in the Danish countryside by the second half of the 17th century, and in the 18th century it was the most common popular dance along with the minuet. These Polish dances were usually performed in two parts: a slow march and a faster 3/4 second part. Often in the oldest hand-written tune books only the first part was written, as the fiddler improvised the second half based on the first. From the end of the 18th century English-style contra and square dances became popular. In the 19th century the waltz became the most popular dance in the cities, after having been known in the countryside for a while. Other dance types of the early 19th century are hopsa, rheinlænder, galop, sveitrit and schottish all of which were integrated into the popular English style dances, and later developed their own local dance forms. Around 1850 the polka and mazurka entered the popular repertoire. At the end of the 19th century the earlier dance tradition began to lose its place to modern dances from England, Southern Europe and America. From the local tradition of the island of Fanø the tune types sønderhoning and fannik have made their way into the standard repertoire of Danish traditional music, and are remnants of the early tradition of Polish derived dances. To counter the loss of traditional dances, the Association for the Promotion of Folkdancing was founded in 1901, focusing on the preservation of popular dances from the period 1750-1850. Many local chapters of such preservation societies appeared during the first decades of the 20th century, and in 1929 there were as many as 16,000 members. These dance associations had a homogenizing effect on the popular dances, creating a standard repertoire of Danish folk dances. They often danced in folk dress. In response to this homogenizing effect of the folkdancing guilds, informal dance organizations working to keep local dance traditions alive in informal settings were also developed, under the name of “Old Dance”. Certain rural areas of Denmark such as Fanø, Læsø, Ærø and parts of Western Jutland maintained living traditions of dancing from the late 18th century well into the 20th century.

Dene music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Deuda (genre)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and history#

The word deuda means one and a half. The dance is called so because during performance the legs are moved in slanted manners. The song sung during the dance is also known as nyaauli after a bird. The dance is known as Dhacha in Jajarkot district. The dance form is said to be originated in the historical Khasa Kingdom in Sinja valley of Jumla district. The dance was then spread around the neighbouring regions of the valley.

Dhumpa sangita

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Creation#

The creation of the dhumpa is credited to Kabisurjya Baladeba Ratha, an Odia poet of the late 18th and early 19th century from the Ganjam district of Odisha. He designed the dhumpa as an instrument to accompany the recital of his lyrics and satires which are still called dhumpa geeta in rural areas of the Ganjam district.

Dhumpa#

The dhumpa consists of a cylindrical hollow bamboo, of six to seven feet in length, wrapped in colorful zari and fitted on a long wooden ply. It can be played by up to four persons simultaneously. It is traditionally played with sticks to produce a rhythmic beat, a technique that continues to be used by modern tribal musicians.

Early music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Terminology#

Interpretations of historical scope of “early music” vary. The original Academy of Ancient Music formed in 1726 defined “Ancient” music as works written by composers who lived before the end of the 16th century. Johannes Brahms and his contemporaries would have understood Early music to range from the High Renaissance and Baroque, while some scholars consider that Early music should include the music of ancient Greece or Rome before 500 AD (a period that is generally covered by the term Ancient music). Music critic Michael Kennedy excludes Baroque, defining Early music as “musical compositions from the earliest times up to and including music of the Renaissance period”. Musicologist Thomas Forrest Kelly considers that the essence of Early music is the revival of “forgotten” musical repertoire and that the term is intertwined with the rediscovery of old performance practice. According to the UK’s National Centre for Early Music, the term “early music” refers to both a repertory (European music written between 1250 and 1750 embracing Medieval, Renaissance and the Baroque) – and a historically informed approach to the performance of that music. Today, the understanding of “Early music” has come to include “any music for which a historically appropriate style of performance must be reconstructed on the basis of surviving scores, treatises, instruments and other contemporary evidence.”

El vito

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

English country music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ethnic electronica

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

In the Western Balkans, a Southern European subgenre of contemporary pop music known as “turbo-folk” (sometimes referred to as “popular folk”) initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in Greece (Skyladiko), Bulgaria (Chalga), Romania (Manele) and Albania (Tallava). It’s a fusion genre of popular music blending Serbian folk music with other genres such as pop, rock, electronic, and/or hip-hop. Other notable examples of 1980s ethnic electronica include Angolan kuduro, Mexican tecnocumbia and the Indian album Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat. In the late 2010s, the Ukrainian ethnotronica scene had a rise, when such artists as Go_A, Onuka, Yuko, Mavka became popular outside their country.

Ethno jazz

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Globalization#

Globalization allowed for the rise of ethno jazz. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century created new global trade networks that facilitated the spread of cross-cultural phenomena. Philip Bohlman, ethnomusicologist at the University of Chicago, described jazz as the “music of the African Diaspora,” describing the movement of ideas between the Caribbean, the United States, and Western Europe. Jazz in America grew out of racial tensions, and was seen by African Americans as a form of resistance. These ideas of resistance were spread and redefined through globalization. Globalization brought jazz to larger audiences through recordings and touring performances. Examples include a New Orleans band, the “Original Creole Orchestra”, which toured Canada for the first time during the fall of 1914, performing at the Pantages Playhouse Theatre in Winnipeg, the first jazz performance outside the United States and the beginning of jazz as an international movement. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band toured Europe in 1919 and was popular enough to continue touring England for a year. Their music spread around the globe. Countries like China began jazz festivals with enough public support to become annual traditions. Traveling to and learning from other cultures was another factor that influenced the development of ethno jazz. For example, a variety of musicians like pianist Randy Weston, trumpeter Lester Bowie, drummer Max Roach, and multi-instrumentalists Yusef Lateef and Ornette Coleman had a fascination with other cultures’ music. They went to Africa and studied different countries’ melodies, rhythms, and harmonies, and adapted them into their jazz playing and compositions. Intercultural musical exchange was well received internationally, inspiring many musicians to take on cross-cultural influences. Many of these musicians brought foreign artists as well as their musical styles back to their home countries, which resulted in a number of big jazz names hiring immigrants to perform in their ethno jazz projects.

Exotica

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Les Baxter’s album Ritual of the Savage (Le Sacre du Sauvage) was released in 1951 and would become a cornerstone of exotica. This album featured lush orchestral arrangements along with tribal rhythms and offered such classics as “Quiet Village”, “Jungle River Boat”, “Love Dance”, and “Stone God.” Ritual is the seminal exotica record, influencing all that came after it. As the 1950s progressed, Baxter carved out a niche in this area, producing a number of titles in this style including Tamboo! (1956), Caribbean Moonlight (1956), Ports of Pleasure (1957), The Sacred Idol (1960) and Jewels of the Sea (1961). Baxter claimed Ravel and Stravinsky as influences on his work. In 1957, Martin Denny covered Les Baxter’s “Quiet Village”, with exotic bird calls and a vibraphone instead of strings, which established the sound of the Polynesian styled music. The song reached #2 on Billboard’s charts in 1959 with Denny’s Exotica album reaching #1. Soon the new technology of stereo further opened up the musical palettes of Denny and other prominent exotica artists such as Arthur Lyman and Juan García Esquivel. The distinctive sound of exotica relies on a variety of instruments: conga, bongos, vibes, Indonesian and Burmese gongs, boo bams (bamboo sticks), Tahitian log, Chinese bell tree, and Japanese kotos. Additionally intrinsic to the sound of exotica are bird calls, big-cat roars, and even primate shrieks, which invoke the dangers of the jungle. Though there are some standards which contain lyrics (including those by Yma Sumac), singing is rare. Abstract, siren-like ululations, chants, vocalized animal calls, and guttural growls are common. The music of American composer Raymond Scott is sometimes recognized as a precursor to exotica, as several of his songs were written with the intent of transporting the listener to exotic locations via novelty instruments and sound effects. As a result of the popularity of exotica during the late 1950s, a large number of records were released that featured covers of recently released exotica songs (mainly by Les Baxter) and Hawaiian and easy-listening standards. These recordings include “Exotica” by Ted Auletta, “Exotic Percussion” by Stanley Black and his Orchestra, “Orienta” by Gerald Fried, “Taboo” and “Taboo 2” by Arthur Lyman and “The Sounds of Exotic Island” by The Surfmen. Some composers pushed the bounds of the genre by producing albums of original content, often with unusual instrumentation. These recordings include Voodoo by Robert Drasnin, Africana by Chaino, Pagan Festival by Dominic Frontiere And His Orchestra, and White Goddess by Frank Hunter. By 1959, the majority of American record labels had released at least one exotica-themed album, usually utilizing composers and musicians that produced jazz, classical or easy listening recordings. After several years of rising excitement leading up to Hawaii becoming a state in 1959, the Hawaiiana fad waned in the United States and so did exotica’s commercial appeal. CD re-issues ignited a revival in the early 1990s.

Fandango

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

The earliest fandango melody is found in the anonymous “Libro de diferentes cifras de guitarra” from 1705, and the earliest description of the dance itself is found in a 1712 letter by Martín Martí, a Spanish priest. The fandango’s first sighting in a theatrical work was in Francisco de Leefadeal’s entremés “El novio de la aldeana” staged in Seville, ca. 1720. By the late 18th century it had become fashionable among the aristocracy and was often included in tonadillas, zarzuelas, ballets and operas, not only in Spain, but also elsewhere in Europe. Widely varying claims have been made about the origin of fandango: its relation to the jabera, the soleá, and the petenera; to the Andalusian malagueña, granadina, murciana and rondeña; to the canario and gitano; to the jota aragonesa.

Field holler

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

It was described by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1853 as a “long, loud, musical shout, rising and falling and breaking into falsetto”, a description that would also have fitted examples recorded a century later. Some hollers are wordless, like the field call by Annie Grace Horn Dodson. Some have elaborated syllables and melismas, such as the long example recorded at the Parchman Farm penitentiary in Mississippi in 1947, by “Bama”, of a Levee Camp Holler. Verbal, improvised lines were used as cries for water and food and cries about what was happening in their daily lives, as expressions of religious devotion, a source of motivation in repetitive work, and a way of presenting oneself over across the fields. They described the labor being done (e.g., corn shucking songs, mule-skinning songs) recounted personal experiences or the singer’s thoughts, subtly insulted white work attendants, or used folk themes. An unidentified singer of a Camp Holler was urged on with shouts and comments by his friends, suggesting that the holler could also have a social role. Call and response arose as sometimes a lone caller would be heard and answered with another laborer’s holler from a distant field. Some street cries might be considered an urban form of holler, though they serve a different function (like advertising a seller’s product); an example is the call of ‘The Blackberry Woman’, Dora Bliggen, in New Orleans.

Fijiri

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Youtube clip of The Ghalali traditional music and dance group performing a Fijiri song in a village near Muharraq, Bahrain, October 7 2009
Audio samples of Salem Allan and Ahmad Butabbanya on Zeryab.com

Flamenco

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

Historically, the term flamenco was used to identify the Romani people (gitanos) of Spain. The English traveller George Borrow who travelled through Spain during the 1830s stated that the gitanos were also called Flemish (in Spanish, ‘flamenco’) due to German and Flemish being erroneously considered synonymous. According to flamencologist Cristina Cruces-Roldán, a year prior to Borrow’s account, there already existed a gitano party in Madrid that was clearly identified as flamenco. This equivalency between gitano and flamenco is also noted by Manuel Fernández y González, Demófilo, and the scholar Irving Brown who stated in 1938 that “flamenco is simply another term for gitano, with special connotations.” Other less successful hypotheses include those of Felipe Pedrell and Carlos Alemendros who state that while the term flamenco is Spanish for Flemish, it is actually synonymous with cantador (professional singer) in reference to the group of Flemish singers brought by Spanish King Carlos I in 1516. Another hypothesis that is not widely accepted is the Arabist theory of Blas Infante, which in his book Orígenes de lo flamenco (Origins of flamenco) presents flamenco as a phonetic deformation of Arabic fellah-mengu (runaway laborer) or was derived from the Arabic terms Felah-Mengus, which together mean “wandering peasant”. For example, in the 1860s-70s this versatility was exemplified through its use to refer to a musical style and a certain aesthetic, manners, and way of life that were perceived to be gitano. At that time, flamenco was not a strict genre but a way of performing music in a gitano-Andalusian style.

Folk baroque

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition#

Particularly notable in the folk baroque style was the adoption of DADGAD tuning, which gave a form of suspended-fourth D chord, usefully neither major or minor, which could be employed as the basis for modal-based folk songs. It is uncertain who first developed this tuning, as both Davy Graham and Martin Carthy attributed it to each other, but it has been speculated that Graham may have acquired it from the oud while visiting north Africa.

Folk jazz

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Folk music of Punjab

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Rhythm#

The rhythm of Punjabi folk music is very simple. unlike the rhythms of Bhangra music which are generally complex

Melody#

Some songs like Heer and Mirza are sung using the traditional compositions.

Folk songs#

Punjab has folk songs on birth, marriage, funeral, death, love, separation, beauty, social and economical status, village lifestyle, food, nature, bravery, folklores and folktales, folk romances, folk and historical heroes, festivals and many more. The songs of professional castes of Punjab are also included in the folk songs. They can be divided into the following categories:

Folk punk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Folk punk is related to and/or influenced by various styles such as Celtic punk, gypsy punk, anti-folk, and alternative country. Folk punk is also linked with DIY punk scenes, and bands often perform in house venues in addition to more traditional spaces. Folk-punk musicians may perform their own compositions in the style of punk rock, but using additional folk instruments, such as mandolins, accordions, banjos, and/or violins. Folk punk possesses a rich history of progressive and leftist political views, involving topics like race, class, feminism, anti-fascism, animal rights, queerness, and anarchism.

Folk rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition and etymology#

“Folk rock” refers to the blending of elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the U.S. and UK in the mid-1960s. Dylan also contributed to the creation of the genre, with his recordings utilizing rock instrumentation on the albums Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde. The term folk rock was coined by the journalist Eliot Tiegel, who used it in Billboard magazine on June12, 1965. In his article, “Folkswinging Wave On – Courtesy of Rock Groups”, Tiegel used the term principally to describe the music of the Byrds, who issued their debut album in the U.S. later that month. In the same article, he wrote that Billy J. Kramer, Jackie DeShannon and Sonny & Cher had all started incorporating “folk-oriented material on singles”, and he listed Rising Sons, Joe and Eddie and the Lovin’ Spoonful as new folk-rock acts.

Folk songs of Lithuania

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The word “dainos” may come from meaning “song” or or , meaning “folk song, often with sad music or contents.”

Song festivals#

Lithuania is home to many folk music festivals. The “Dainų šventė” (literally Song Celebration) a state-supported festival, is perhaps the most famous. First held in 1924, it has taken place every five years since then, and helps to keep the folk and choral music tradition alive. Other major folk festivals include the Skamba skamba kankliai and the , both held annually. Of historical importance is the , which was held in the 1980s and was the first major festival of its kind. The Baltica International Folklore Festival is held in one of the Baltic states every year. The tradition of mass Song Festivals was inscribed in the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003.

Folk-pop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Musical elements#

Folk-pop incorporates the sounds of the acoustic guitar and banjo of traditional folk music and combines it with the more electronic and synth beats of today’s pop genre. The folk genre is recognized for its simple melodies, story-telling nature, and cultural themes and messages, while pop music is recognized by a repetitive but catchy chorus and fast-paced tempos.

History#

Recording production values created an unblemished style that appealed to a mass audience, and thus led to commercial success as measured by high record sales, particularly as illustrated by hit records reaching the Top 40 on AM radio in the United States. Folk-pop developed during the 1960s folk music and folk rock boom. Key example of folk-pop artists include the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary with contracts with major record labels (Capitol Records and Warner Bros. Records, respectively).

Folkhop

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Folktronica

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The 1991 album Every Man and Woman is a Star by Ultramarine was described in a 2014 PopMatters article as a progenitor of the genre; it featured a pastoral sound and incorporated traditional instruments such as violin and harmonica with techno and house elements. The term folktronica was coined in the late 1990s, presumably first by the British press in reference to the musician Kieran Hebden (Four Tet). In the early 2000s, indie electronic acts such as Múm, Four Tet, Isan, Bibio and the Books began releasing formative music in the genre. According to The Sunday Times Culture’s Encyclopedia of Modern Music, essential albums of the genre are Four Tet’s Pause (2001) and Rounds (2003), Tunng’s Mother’s Daughter and Other Songs (2005), and Caribou’s The Milk of Human Kindness (2005), some of which had a cross-genre influence on artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead and J Dilla. In addition to its roots in underground indie and electronic music, some commentators have noted that elements of folktronica entered the mainstream through pop artists who experimented with blending acoustic textures and electronic production. Madonna incorporated aspects of folktronica into her early-2000s work, particularly on her 2003 album American Life, after starting to explore a similar genre-crossing by blending country and dance-pop on Music (2000). She has been credited with helping to introduce the hybrid sound to a broader audience beyond the indie scene.

French-Canadian music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Gaelic folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Relation with Brythonic music#

The six Celtic nationalities are divided into two musical groups, Gaelic and Brythonic, which according to Alan Stivell differentiate “mostly by the extended range (sometimes more than two octaves) of Irish and Scottish melodies and the closed range of Breton and Welsh melodies (often reduced to a half-octave), and by the frequent use of the pure pentatonic scale in Gaelic music”.

Gaelic music in the Americas#

The emigration of Scottish Gaels to Cape Breton has also resulted in a unique strain of Gaelic music evolving there. A number of fiddle tunes of Irish and Scottish Gaelic origin have entered the American bluegrass and country repertoires.

Gaelic music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Famous Gaelic songs#

Amhrán na bhFiann (“The Soldier’s Song”)
Óró Sé do Bheatha ‘Bhaile (“Oh, Welcome Home”)
Ailein Duinn (“Dark-haired Alan”)
Chì mi na mòrbheanna (“I See the Great Mountains,” also known in English as “The Mist-Covered Mountains of Home”)
Fear a’ Bhàta (“The Boatman”)

External links#

Amhráin as Gaeilge at Omniglot.com
Gaelic songs on Education Scotland website ga:Ceol traidisiúnta na hÉireann gd:Ceòl

Gagaku

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term originated in Japan in the year 701 when the Gagaku-ryō, a government bureau which oversaw music education and performance in the Japanese Imperial Court, was established. The word comes from the Chinese word yayue, originally meaning Confucian ritual music. is the Japanese reading for yayue, but by the time the word was introduced in Japan, its meaning had changed to be Chinese popular music and foreign music. Because was built on elements from foreign music, the Japanese application of the term to this repertoire aligned with how the word was being used in China at the time.

Gaita zuliana

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ganga (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

Ganga is an expressive form of singing. Although both men and women regularly perform ganga, it is extremely unusual for them to perform together, although it was not unusual for Catholic and Muslim men to perform together. Ganga is culture is mainly situated in small towns and villages. Ganga is a dissonant form of singing, using two clashing notes to project sound over long distances. For example, if one person is singing a C note, a second person sings either a half-step above or below (B or C). Ganga is traditionally sung by sheepherders across stretches of valleys, for long-distance communication with each other.

Garba (dance)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The word garba comes from the Sanskrit word () for “womb” and so implies gestation or pregnancy — life. Folk dances in Gujarat are frequently performed to mark the first menstrual cycle or are performed to mark a marriage.

Dance, music and symbolism#

Traditional_Folk_dance_garba_dress.jpg Garba dressing: traditional dressing male is kediyu while the traditional female dress is chaniya choli. Gagra choli.jpg Young girl dressed in Ghagra choli. Modern garba is also heavily influenced by Dandiya Raas, a dance traditionally performed by men. The merger of these two dances has formed the high-energy dance that is seen today. Traditional garba music accompanying the dance involves the dhol and dholak (Indian drums), cymbals and shehnai (an Indian flute). The dance is a counterclockwise circle dance, alternatively participants can form concentric circles moving in opposite directions. The dance gathers speed as it progresses. Its main aspect consists of encircling an image or symbolic representation (like a clay pot), representing the shakti of goddess Durga. Garba dances honour the nine forms of Durga during the Navaratri (“Nine Nights”) festival and celebrates fertility and womanhood.

Género chico

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Historical context#

Zarzuela was developed during the reign of Philip IV (1605–1665, reigned from 1621), who during the 1640s began to commission musico-theatrical entertainments on mythological themes mixed with popular peasant song and dance, from the writer Calderón de la Barca working with composers such as Juan de Hidalgo. These were performed at the Royal hunting lodge, the Palacio de la Zarzuela. During the next two hundred years, zarzuela, as these mixed entertainments swiftly became known, became the native-language alternative to the Italian operatic form nurtured by successive monarchs. In the 19th century, the country’s tense political circumstances affected zarzuela. Isabella II fell from power during the liberal revolution of 1868, and the country found itself submerged in a crisis at all levels: economic, political, and ideological (with various strands of socialism coming to prominence). Instability increased with the 1870 assassination of Juan Prim, President of the regency council and Marshal of Spain. For economic and other reasons, there was a sharp drop in theatre box-office sales, as most people could not afford the average fourteen reales for non-necessities. Such high prices, plus the national uncertainty, brought most Madrid theatres into crisis, and many - including the Teatro de la Zarzuela itself - came close to ruin.

Għana (folk music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Informal Għana#

Throughout its history, informal għana situations frequently occurred among both men and women. The informal sessions shed light on the importance of the music in day-to-day life of the Maltese. The very origins of għana can be traced back to early peasant farmers. A book published in 1838 by Anglican missionary and orientalist George Percy Badger titled Description of Malta and Gozo includes examples of Maltese folk songs, accompanied by his comments, such as to highlight the talent of the Maltese for rhyming. He even describes seeing singers engaged in dialogic singing, who reply to each another in song: I have often stood and listened to individuals seated upon two opposite trees, or engaged in some kind of labour, singing answers to each other in rhyme, without any previous meditation. This the natives call taqbeel. The subjects vary according to circumstances, sometimes partaking of the nature of epic poetry, and sometimes of satire upon the faults of character of each. Professor Philip Ciantar, in his article From the Bar to the Stage puts together the writings of a number of foreign and Maltese scholars who make the claim early għana instances represents both the “simple … life of the Maltese working class”, and the “intact natural environment of the island”. Ciantar argues that the roots of għana are buried deep within traditional Maltese way of life, so much so that the two become synonymous with each other.

Gōshū ondo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Form#

Gōshū ondo is a lot like Kawachi ondo in that the structure of the tune is quite fluid. There are no set lyrics, the themes used in the song vary from region to region, and the song’s structure is variable. There is only a set theme which performers can improvise on, and a returning chorus which is sung back by singers, or the audience. The returning chorus is sung in pitched notes, but the singers consider this a kakegoe. Said to have evolved from a religious song game, the song incorporates a lot of call-and-response, where listeners who know the song are encouraged to participate shouting back kakegoe. The tune of Gōshū ondo can be used to tell stories, or talk about current events. There is even a version of Gōshū ondo that names all the prefectures and capitals in Japan. The staple instruments are always a taiko drum and a stringed instrument, be it an electric guitar or a shamisen, though the song can be sung with just the drum alone.

Greek traditional music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Notable folk songs#

Some notable folk songs include: * “Itia” * “Milo mou kokkino” * “Kontoula lemonia” * “Mou parigile to aidoni” * “Enas aetos” * “Kira Vangelio” * “Gerakina” * “Saranta palikaria” and Nisiotika (the songs from the islands) * “Ikariotikos” * “Samiotisa” * “Thalassaki” * “Armenaki” * “Amorgos Sousta” * “Ela Na Pame S’ena Meros * “Dari Dari * “Dirlada” * “Lygaria” * “Psaropoula”, such as “Tilirkiotissa” and “Psintri Vasilitsia mou” (Cyprus).

Guangdong music (genre)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instrumentation#

The gaohu is the most common lead instrument used in performing Cantonese music. It was invented by Lü Wencheng (吕文成, 1898–1981) in the 1920s. Prior to this, the erxian was the most common lead bowed string instrument in the Cantonese ensemble. Ensembles led by the erxian and also featuring the tiqin are called yinggong (硬弓, literally “hard bow”) ensembles, while those led by the gaohu are called ruangong (软弓, literally “soft bow”) because the erxian and tiqin have thick bamboo bows, while the gaohu has a thinner, flexible bow. Guangdong music gradually evolved into a string ensemble format by the 1960s, led by the gaohu with ruan, qinqin, yangqin, sanxian, yehu, tiqin and various woodwind (including houguan) and percussion instruments. Alto saxophone, xylophone, violin, piano, electric guitar, and drum set may also be used, in combination with traditional instruments.

Gypsy style

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Music played in this style can easily be recognized among many other styles. Characteristic elements of the style include: * Instrumentation * The repertoire * The idiom Among these items the last one — the idiom — is decisive: it is mainly the way of playing that determines whether a tune is played in Roma people’s style or not. It is — just like in jazz – not the combination of instruments that determines the style, but its characteristic performance.

Haimen folk song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Essential information#

Cultural heritage name: Haimen folk songs
Subordinate area: Jiangsu · Nantong · Haimen
Haimen folk heritage Numbers: II-3
Heritage category: Folk music
Filing date: 2006
Claimants/declaration units: Nantong Haimen
Heritage levels: Province

Development history#

Haimen folk song has been recorded in Haimen county annals in Ming Dynasty (AD 958). At that time, people in the labor life produced haimen early folk song which was known then as the folk songs. In 1957, Haimen folk song Rice Remember () was regarded as the national folk song to perform in Beijing, which received Zhou Enlai () and Zhu De’s () kind interview. In 1958, the county government established Haimen folk song troupe in order to protect the inheritance haimen folk songs and large optimize local culture. Each year, the troupe performed more than 100 games in Beijing, Shanghai and surrounding counties. In 1987, Haimen Folk Song Anthology (海门山歌选) was published by China federation press. Besides, it has emerged a great number of outstanding works of folk songs. Little Aig Sister Saw YaoChuan Lang (小阿姐看中摇船郎) was one of the representative works. The edited folk song sang well into the Beijing and the MTV music television was broadcast in Europe TV. In 1984, the production condition of the folk song was established. In August 1985, haimen county held the first folk song party. More than 50 folk singers sang more than 40 songs. Guangming Daily and Xinhua Daily reported this. In July 1986, Song WeiXiang sang Haimen folk song Little Aig Sister Saw YaoChuan Lang (小阿姐看中摇船郎), followed Nantong folk art to perform in Beijing. In 1987, Haimen Folk Song Anthology (海门山歌选), included more than 250 folk songs, was published by the China folk literature and art publishing house. In 1993, the troupe went to Beijing for the second time and succeeded in performing The Green Dragon horn(). In 2207, the folk song entered into the list of Jiangsu province intangible cultural heritage protection. On August 19, 2007 to 21, China. Haimen folk festival was held, which marked the folk culture developed to a new stage of development. On June 14, 2008, haimen folk song officially listed in national “intangible cultural heritage”.

Hayashi (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hipdut

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The combination of hip-hop and dangdut developed before the popular use of the term hipdut. The style is connected to earlier experiments in dangdut that incorporated rap, disco, electronic beats, and regional performance styles. The term gained wider attention in late 2024 and early 2025 through “Garam & Madu (Sakit Dadaku)”, released on 20 December 2024 by Tenxi, Jemsii, and Naykilla. The song blends dangdut, hip hop, and koplo, and became popular among younger listeners on social media platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Other songs were part of the same trend, including “Aku Dah Lupa” by Mikky and Zia. In 2025, “Garam & Madu” received further media attention after winning the Best Production Work category at the Anugerah Musik Indonesia awards. The award coverage again linked the song to the growing public use of the term hip-dut.

Imsil pilbong nongak

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Pilbong Nongak was made by Park Hak-sam from Lee Hwa-chun who was a famous performer of kkwaenggwari at that time. and Yang Soon-yong have developed further. (of Philbong-gut until his death, his son Yang Jin-sung followed.)

Features#

The characteristics of Imsil Pilbong nongak, unlike other nongak, are: * Regular intervals from ilchae (one strike) to * Performers perform movements as they play to increase their excitement, revealing their artistic qualities. * The second half of a nongak performance shows a series of shamanistic and artistic performances with different people who do not play.

Indigenous metal music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Themes and lyrics#

The term “indigenous metal” is sometimes conflated with “tribal metal,” which is more broadly influenced by pan-indigenous stories and follows Viking metal bands’ approach to capturing their culture. Indigenous metal is often explicitly defined as exploring themes of “experienced dispossession, liberation, and death” in addition to preserving linguistic and cultural heritage. Native American metal bands in the Southwest United States sometimes refer to their musical style as “Rez metal,” as it concerns political issues that make it popular among youth on reservations. Many bands focus on linguistic preservation by singing either partially or exclusively in their indigenous languages. Notably, New Zealand band Alien Weaponry have performed several songs in the Māori language on international stages. Bands Aborigene and Araña, who write about Maya civilization and Pipil stories, are among the most popular metal acts from El Salvador.

Industrial folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

Industrial folk song emerged in Britain, the first nation to industrialise, in the 18th century, as workers and their families moved from a predominately rural and agricultural society to an increasingly urban and industrial one. These workers tended to take the forms of music with which they were familiar, including ballads and agricultural work songs, and adapt them to their new experiences and circumstances. Unlike agricultural work songs, it was often unnecessary to use music to synchronise actions between workers, as the pace would be increasingly determined by water, steam, chemical and eventually electric power, and frequently impossible because of the noise of early industry. As a result, industrial folk songs tended to be descriptive of work, circumstances, or political in nature, making them amongst the earliest protest songs and were sung between work shifts or in leisure hours, rather than during work. This pattern can be seen in the first industry to fully develop, textile production, which was particularly important in Lancashire, with songs like ‘Poverty knock’ which described the relentless movement and noise of the loom.

Iraqi maqam

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Famous maqam singers#

There are many Iraqi maqam singers including: * Ahmed al-Zaidan * Rashid al-Qundarchi * Muhammad al-Qubanchi * Hussein al-A’dhami * Najm al-Shaykhli * Hassan Khaiwka * Hashim al-Rejab * Yousuf Omar * Farida Mohammad Ali * Abd al-Rahman Khader * Hamed al-Sa‘di * Nazem Al-Ghazali * Filfel Gourgy * Affifa Iskandar * Mulla Hasan al-Babujachi * Rahmat Allah Shiltagh * Khalil Rabbaz * Rahmain Niftar * Rubin Rajwan * Mulla Uthman al-Mawsili * Jamil al-Baghdadi * Salman Moshe * Yusuf Huresh * Abbas Kambir * Farida al-A‘dhami *Maeda Nazhat

Irish fiddle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Contemporary performers#

Modern performers include: Liz Carroll (All-Ireland Junior and Senior Fiddle Champion); John Carty; Brian Conway; Matt Cranitch; Desi Donnelly; Martin Fay; Frankie Gavin; Cathal Hayden; Kevin Burke; Martin Hayes; Eileen Ivers (9-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion); Seán Keane (fiddler); Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh; Maurice Lennon; Andy McGann; Sean McGuire; Dónal O’Connor; Brendan Mulvihill; Gerry O’Connor; Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh; Tommy Peoples; Bridget Regan; Marie Reilly; Paul Shaughnessy; Sean Smyth; John Sheahan; Fergal Scahill. Sligo fiddlers like James Morrison and Michael Coleman did much to popularise Irish music in the United States in the 1920s. More recently Michael Gorman was also a huge influence. Donegal fiddler John Doherty came from a large family of fiddlers. He travelled all over Ireland, developing an encyclopedic knowledge of fiddle tunes. He was one of the last of the travelling fiddlers. He had a large body of knowledge of Scottish (especially marches and highlands) music as well.

Irish traditional music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Women#

In Irish traditional music, women were historically underrepresented in public performances as instrumentalists. Fiddler Julia Clifford stated that women instrumentalists were rarely seen performing publicly between the establishment of the Irish Free State during 1922 and the late 20th century. She also recalled being the only regular female musician performing in London pub sessions during the 1950s and early 1960s. Some performers, including Clifford, performed in competitions discreetly in order to pursue musical activity. This limited visibility has been linked to the political and social structures in Ireland. In 1932, the Marriage Bar was established requiring women to leave their civil service jobs upon marriage, while the 1937 Irish Constitution emphasized women’s role to stay at home with their family. Cultural standards, influenced in part by the veneration of the Virgin Mary in the early 20th century Irish society, reinforced expectations that women prioritize domestic responsibilities over public artistic careers. Scholars such as Slomanski described women who continued playing music during this period as “tradition bearers”. Despite these challenges, a number of women were active in the tradition before the 1950s, including Elizabeth Crotty, Aggie Whyte, Eleanor Kane Neary, Sarah Makem and Julia Clifford. Patterns of emigration also formed women’s participation. Between the period of 1926 to 1936, more women than men left Ireland, contributing to the spread of Irish Traditional Music abroad. An estimated number of 46,000 women left Ireland while only 30,000 men left. Clifford later received recognition as a leading figure in the Sliabh Luachra music tradition. Her collaboration with Denis Murphy resulted in the 1969 album The Star above the Garter, which has been described as a significant recording of regional Irish music representing Country Kerry. Tunes associated with the pair, such as “Julia Clifford’s Polka” became a part of the repertoire. Her playing style has also been noted for its ornamentation, including subtle pitch variation sometimes referred to as the “C-Supernatural”. From the late 20th century forward, the visibility of women in Irish traditional music increased. In 1984, musicians including Ursula Kennedy, Mary Clare Breathnach, and Seosaimhín Ní Bheaglaoich organized a concert in Dublin featuring exclusively women performers, emphasizing the gender imbalance in public performance spaces. The success of the event led to the formation of the group Macalla, which released the album Mná na hÉireann in 1984. Between 1985 and 1990, nine bands with women musicians were released. Between 1990 and 2000, the numbers increased to forty-six. In 2024, Macalla reunited for a 40th anniversary concert on International Women’s Day in Dublin. The careers of performers such as Julia Clifford and ensembles such as Macalla illustrate the challenges women in Irish Traditional Music have experienced and their continuous contributions.

Jazz

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and definition#

The origin of the word jazz has resulted in considerable research, and its history is well documented. It is believed to be related to jasm, a slang term dating back to 1860 meaning . The earliest written record of the word is in a 1912 article in the Los Angeles Times in which a minor league baseball pitcher described a pitch which he called a ‘jazz ball’ “because it wobbles and you simply can’t do anything with it”. Its first documented use in a musical context in New Orleans was in a November 14, 1916, Times-Picayune article about “jas bands”. In an interview with National Public Radio, musician Eubie Blake offered his recollections of the slang connotations of the term, saying: “When Broadway picked it up, they called it ‘J-A-Z-Z’. It wasn’t called that. It was spelled ‘J-A-S-S’. That was dirty, and if you knew what it was, you wouldn’t say it in front of ladies.” The American Dialect Society named it the Word of the 20th Century. Jazz is difficult to define because it encompasses a wide range of music spanning a period of over 100 years, from ragtime to rock-infused fusion. Attempts have been made to define jazz from the perspective of other musical traditions, such as European music history or African music. But critic Joachim-Ernst Berendt argues that its terms of reference and its definition should be broader, defining jazz as a “form of art music which originated in the United States through the confrontation of the Negro with European music” and arguing that it differs from European music in that jazz has a “special relationship to time defined as ‘swing. Jazz involves “a spontaneity and vitality of musical production in which improvisation plays a role” and contains a “sonority and manner of phrasing which mirror the individuality of the performing jazz musician”. Duke Ellington, one of jazz’s most famous figures, said, “It’s all music.”

Jhumar song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Notable singer#

Dulal Manki, Jhumair singer from Assam
Mahavir Nayak, Theth Nagpuri singer

Jiangnan sizhu

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Name#

The name Jiangnan sizhu () is made up of two parts. Jiangnan is the traditional name for the area south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze river in southern Jiangsu, Shanghai, and northern Zhejiang. Sizhu, literally “silk and bamboo”, refers to string and wind musical instruments, silk being the traditional material from which strings have historically been made in China, and bamboo being the material from which the Chinese flutes such as the dizi and xiao are made. The term sizhu by extension also came to refer to instrumental music in general, especially that played indoors. Other sizhu traditions also exist, particularly along China’s southeastern coastal regions of Fujian and Guangdong.

Jig

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

The term jig was probably derived from the French giguer, meaning ’to jump’ or the Italian giga. The use of ‘jig’ in Irish dance derives from the Irish jigeánnai, itself borrowed from the Old English giga meaning ‘old dance’. It was known as a dance in 16th-century England, often in time, and the term was used for a post-play entertainment featuring dance in early modern England, but which ‘probably employed a great variety of dances, solo (suitable for jigs), paired, round, country or courtly’; in Playford’s Dancing Master (1651) ’the dance game in “Kemps Jegg” is a typical scenario from a dramatic jig and it is likely that the combination of dance metre for steps and non-metrical passages for pantomime indicates how a solo or ensemble jig might have been danced by stage players.’ Later the dance began to be associated with music particularly in time, and with slip jigs time.

Jiuta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Introduction of the and origin of#

It can be regarded that introduction of the and the birth of occurred at the almost same time; therefore, has the longest history amongst varieties of music. The (Chinese lute) arrived in Japan at Sakai, Osaka via Ryukyu near the end of the Sengoku period. Blind musicians known as at Tōdōza improved the instrument and created what would be the . They used the plectrum of the Japanese to play the , thus creating the beginning of as music. Ishimura-Kengyo is particularly regarded as originator of music. After that, musicians, mainly at Tōdōza, performed, composed and handed down . The existing oldest piece is considered as a work of the early years of Edo period.

Joropo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Tuyero#

Central joropo () is also known as (“Tuyan”), (“Tuyan joropo”) or (“Tuyan beat”). Characteristic of the central states of Venezuela, like Aragua and Miranda, eastern Carabobo and northern Guárico, central joropo, or tuyero (as practiced in the Valles del Tuy along the Tuy River) is sung accompanied by harp (, sometimes replaced by guitar) and maracas. Unlike the nylon strings of the llanera harp, the central joropo harp also uses metal strings, which gave its unique sound. The central joropo singer also plays the maracas and dances, requiring just two performers: the harpist, and the singer-maraquero. Joropo harpists prefer the name “arpisto” rather than , the usual Spanish word for “harpist”. The central joropo him the same considerations are applied around the passage and hit burrowing joropo, except speed, which is slightly lower. Another important distinction is that the central joropo revuelta consists of a chain of musical sections of fixed forms, in the same tone as a Baroque suite, without interruption, but with surprising twists. The movements of the revuelta are called passage; input or call Yaguazo, Yaguazo, and Marisela Guabina input. Sometimes they can call Marisela added to them, and even a small coda. The revuelta is thus equivalent to the batch or shift dance, and its length is probably the reason for its gradual decline in use, being replaced by the execution of the parts in isolation. The arrangement of these sections is of sequential nature, unlike golpes of Llanero joropo, having a cyclic condition. The most characteristic part of tuyero joropo, the Tuyera Revuelta consists of four sections: the exhibition (passage), development (yaguazo and guabina), the instrumental coda named Marisela, and an end known as “monkey call.” They are central joropo own beats flowers and quitapesares. The most famous passages tuyeros are The Hermit Mario Diaz, Dawn tuyero of Cipriano Moreno and Pablo Hidalgo, and El gato enmochilado (Cat in a bag) by Fulgencio Aquino. Caraqueños and central musicians adopted central joropo as inspiration for their works, as in the case of Marisela (Sebastián Díaz Peña), the Alma Llanera (Pedro Elias Gutierrez), the waltz Quitapesares (Carlos Bonet) and even Creole Sonatina of Juan Bautista Plaza. Central joropo lyrics are of a sly, sardonic nature, in contrast to the forceful and violent own burrowing joropo, whose contrapunteos (counterpoints) end up not infrequently in sets and fights. The most characteristic of tuyero folklore piece, “The Tuyero Revolt” (“Revuelta tuyera”), consists of four sections: the exhibition (passage), development (yaguaso and guabina), the instrumental coda (“Marisela”) and an end known as “the call monkey”. The most famous tuyero passages are “El ermitaño” of Mario Diaz, “Amanecer tuyero” of Cipriano Moreno and Pablo Hidalgo, and “El gato enmochilado” of Fulgencio Aquino.

Jota (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The medieval word “xiota” (pronounced or ), derives from Mozarabic šáwta “jump”, ultimately from Latin saltāre “to jump”. Due to phonetic changes, it has become jota (pronounced ) in modern Spanish (reborrowed to Valencian as , or ) and (pron. ) or (pron. ) in Aragonese; ; ; .

Aragonese jota#

The Aragonese jota is the best-known expression of Aragonese folklore. It dates as far back as the 18th century, and reached the pinnacle of its splendor in the 19th century. Due to the complexities of the dance steps and manner of singing, the jota has evolved. Since the end of the 19th century, heavily choreographed versions have often been made for zarzuelas, movies, contests, festivals, and other entertainments. The most pure forms of the jota can still be found in Calanda, Alcañiz, Andorra, Albalate, and Zaragoza. Nowadays there exist many modern varieties of the jota which are performed by various folkloric groups. Among the most popular can be found: Jota de San Lorenzo (Huesca), Jota Vieja, Aragón Tierra Bravía, Gigantes y Cabezudos, La Dolores (these two are taken from the zarzuela and opera respectively of the same names), and the danza de la Olivera.

Jugni

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

In spiritual poetry, Jugni means the spirit of life, or essence of life. Jugni is a style of singing that was first created by a famous Punjabi folk singer (late) Alam Lohar, who belonged to Achh, a small village of Gujrat in Punjab of British India, prior to the creation of Pakistan, Alam Lohar and after this singer, other singers have adopted this style. Alam Lohar is also credited with popularizing this poetry from early Sufi spiritual writings and then subsequently later on it was transformed by other singers as a female girl just like prefixes like Preeto. Alam Lohar started this genre of singing ‘Jugni’ during his early performances around pre-partition (1947), he sang Jugni throughout his early years of singing which was in the 1930s when he was a child star (started singing at a very young age) and many of his songs were not recorded at that time due to limited recording facilities within British India (pre-partition). His LP record titled ‘Jugni’ was recorded later on in his career and became a gold disc LP in 1965. Alam Lohar has also recorded multiple variations of Jugni and some of this is still available to hear on many LP records and visible on black and white TV recordings even available on YouTube to view. Other singers throughout the world have been greatly influenced by the Jugni recordings that Alam Lohar performed including his son Arif Lohar. Much of early Jugni writing is spiritual in nature and relates to one’s understanding of the world and one’s relationship with God. Many poet philosophers have used the Jugni device, which is in the public domain, to make social, political or philosophical, often mildly subversive, commentary. Jugni invokes the name of God (often using the word “Saeen”, the vernacular word for Lord). A kernel of truth is an essential and integral part of every Jugni composition and there is a theory that Alam Lohar introduced and was influenced in relaying this term from reading old Sufi writings. Noting, Jugni is also an old Muslim worship tool, majorly named as TASBIH, a series of 21, 33, 51 or 101 pearls, which is used by SUFI SAINTS for practicing the holy words. Mainly it is made by white pearls and white thread and is known to be holy. Afterward, JUGNI has become an ornament for Punjabi Women. The narrative style relies on Jugni landing up unexpectedly in diverse places and, wide-eyed, learning something new. Jugni makes her comments in three or four well written verses which may or may not rhyme but can always be sung in a rudimentary Punjabi folk style. The object could be a city, a state, a marketplace, a school, a religious place or a saloon, Jugni’s non-malicious commentary catches the essence of the place and produces in the listener a chuckle and sometimes a lump in the throat. The Indian artist to make a mark was Asa Singh Mastana. Also, Kuldeep Manak, born Latif Mohammad, has made notable Jugni contributions. Apart from that every other pop or folk singer from Harbhajan Mann, Arif Lohar, Gurdas Maan, Gurmeet Bawa to Rabbi Shergill has had his Jugni moment. Bollywood movie Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye has at least three songs that use the word Jugni. The song was sung by Des Raj Lachkani (basically a dadi singer), Lachkani is a village near Patiala, India. In Pakistan, Jugni was popularized by the late folk music singer Alam Lohar. He received a gold disc LP for his Jugni in 1965. After that Saleem Javed and Arif Lohar, Alam Lohar’s son, among others, have kept the tradition alive. Arif has brought in a more contemporary touch by incorporating modern vibes and rock influence in his versions of Jugni with Mukhtar Sahota (notably in his album “21st century Jugni” ). In popular Pakistani culture Alamgir’s Jugni is often the most-commonly recognized, which, in the mid-80’s, encouraged young college students, most notably Saad Zahur, an architecture student at Lahore’s NCA, who popularized the song with their own renditions. Arif Lohar has currently sang it for Coke Studio in Pakistan along with Meesha Shafi, a popular Pakistani youth, a version that will help this iconic song to further live on and on. This version of Jugni has crossed 110 million views and is the most popular Punjabi video on YouTube.

Kagura

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Types of#

There are two major types of : and . consists of slow circular movement, stressing quiet and elegance, while consists of quick leaping and jumping, stressing activation and energy. The two types can be understood as two phases of : is a preparation process for trance and is the unconscious trance stage. During , the female shaman, surrounded by a group of priests, holds a (a ceremonial wand used to cleanse or purify) as well as sound-producing instruments and engages with circling movement to summon deities. Once the female shaman enters a possessed state, she switches into the spontaneous leaping movements of .

Kaiso

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Terminology#

In the Igbo language ka anyị sonye means “Let’s join”. The word is often used synonymously with calypso today, but often with the connotation that the former is more authentic, showing approval consistent with its original meaning. This word can also be found in an Igbo name. Kaisoluchukwu (Solu, Kaiso). Kaisoluchukwu means “Let’s respect/follow God” in the Igbo language.

Ibibio and Igbo influence on the etymology#

The Ibibio people/Igbo people and the origins of limbo and calypso. The enslaved Ibibios, Igbo and supposedly other slaves would gather, plant two poles on opposite ends, and place a bar across. They would take turns (individually) dancing and negotiating their bodies to go underneath the bar and exit on the opposite end without upsetting it, no matter how low the bar was. The accompanying chant used to egg on and lead the dancer to a successful exit went something like this: “kaiso, kaiso, kaiso” —– meaning “go forward, go ahead, more”. The dance was later named limbo. Ka means go. Iso means forward. Kaiso therefore, means go forward in the Ibibio language of Southeastern Nigeria. The Ibibios and Igbo people who were kidnapped from the Niger Delta and Calabar, shipped across the vast Atlantic Ocean, and subsequently enslaved in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago brought their music, language, and traditions with them. In slavery, their customs and traditions got interwoven into the larger slave culture of the area, but the word kaiso (go forward, go ahead, or more) survived. It later became the name of Trinidad and Tobago’s most popular music. Kaiso evolved into calypso and that, too, evolved into soca music. The very fact that the word kaiso was common and accepted enough to be used for naming a dance or song suggests that the Ibibio and Igbo slave population of that area was strong and socially influential.

Kângë majekrahi

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

This type of singing is already documented in the region about 2000 years ago, being first heard by the Romans when they entered Shkodra in Illyria. The type of war cries were also common in the time of Skanderbeg. Swedish traditional herding-cries known as locklåtar or ‘valley music’ are probably close related to the Albanian mountain cries, although they have not the wild force of the kengë malsorqe, which go back right at the beginnings of melody. This type of mountain singing was acceptable among sworn virgins in Albania.

Kavishari

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Kavishari was started in the Malwa region of Punjab by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, as a sung form of “Chhand-Baddh” kavita (poetry). There was a need of a particular singing style or genre that could energize the Sikh soldiers. So the Kavishari was mostly sung about bravery, known as Veer Ras, one of the nine Ras’ (‘flavour’/‘subgenre’) of the genre. The term kavishar is made of two words: kavi means ‘singer’, and shayar means ‘writer’ or ‘poet’. As such, “kavishar” means ‘person who writes and sings (poetry)’.

Kawachi ondo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Form#

“Kawachi Ondo” is a fluid form of traditional folk music. It has a common melody and a returning chorus, but the lyric is fluid. This folk tune is used to tell epic tales, usually about historic people, lore, and/or geography, even yakuza. It can be used to talk about current events, and expert singers are able to improvise lyrics on the spot, as well as sing words directly from a newspaper. There is varying instrumentation for Kawachi Ondo, though the staples are always a taiko drum and the shamisen. Sometimes modern instruments are used in the Kawachi Ondo ensemble, such as electric guitars and electric basses.

Kilalaky (music genre)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Kilalaky has its roots in the cultural traditions of the Sakalava people in Menabe. The genre has evolved over time while maintaining a prominent role in local ceremonies and celebrations, such as the fitampoha festivities near the Tsiribihina River. Kilalaky was very popular in Madagascar from the mid-2000s to the late 2010s. During the mid-2000s, the genre was modernized with the inclusion of modern instruments such as keyboard, bass guitar, and drum kit, used alongside traditional instruments like the kabosy.

Kirtan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and nomenclature#

The term kirtana (Devanagari: कीर्तन) generally means “telling, narrating, describing, enumerating, reporting”. The Sanskrit root of kirtan is kirt (). The term is found in the Samhitas, the Brahmanas, and other Vedic literature, as well as the Vedanga and Sutras literature. Kirt, according to Monier-Williams, contextually means “to mention, make mention of, tell, name, call, recite, repeat, relate, declare, communicate, commemorate, celebrate, praise, glorify”. The term kirtan is found as anukirtan (or anukrti, anukarana, literally “retelling”) in the context of a Yajna (Vedic ritual offering), which meant a dual recitation of Vedic hymns in a dialogue style that was part of a ritual dramatic performance. The Sanskrit verses in the Shatapatha Brahmana (chapter 13.2, c. 800–700 BCE), for example, are written in the form of a riddle play between two actors. According to Louis Renou, in this text, “the Vedic sacrifice (yajna) is presented as a kind of drama, with its actors, its dialogues, its portion to be set to music, its interludes, and its climaxes.” Generally speaking, kirtan, sometimes called sankirtana (literally, “collective performance”), is a kind of collective chanting or musical conversation. As a genre of religious performance art, it developed in the Indian bhakti movements as a devotional religious practice (i.e. bhakti yoga). But it is a heterogeneous practice that varies regionally, according to Christian Novetzke, and includes varying mixtures of musical instruments, dance, oration, theatre, audience participation, and moral narration. In Maharashtra for example, Novetzke says, a kirtan is a call-and-response style performance, ranging from devotional dancing and singing by a lead singer and audience to an “intricate scholarly treatise, a social commentary or a philosophical/linguistic exposition” that includes narration, allegory, humor, erudition and entertainment—all an aesthetic part of ranga (beauty, color) of the kirtan. Vaishnava temples in Assam and northeastern Indian have large worship halls called kirtan ghar—a name derived from their being used for congregational singing and performance arts. Kirtan is also sometimes called harinam (Sanskrit: harināma) in some Vaishnava traditions, which means " chanting the names of God (Hari)." In regional languages, kirtan is scripted as ; Nepali and ; ; ; / ; Sindhi: / ; ; .

Klapa

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

A klapa group consists of a first tenor, a second tenor, a baritone, and a bass. It is possible to double all the voices apart from the first tenor. It is usually composed of up to a dozen male singers. In recent times, female vocal groups have been quite popular, but in general male and female groups do not mix. Although klapa is a cappella music, on occasion it is possible to add a gentle guitar and a mandolin (instrument similar in appearance and sound to tamburitzas). Klapa can also be accompanied with synthesizer keyboards, usually simulating percussion instruments.

Komagaku

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Komagaku emerged during the early Heian period as part of reforms to the Japanese court music system. These reforms reorganized earlier imported musical styles, incorporating musical elements from the Korean peninsula and neighboring regions into a formalized court repertoire. Komagaku was distinguished from other gagaku categories by its geographic origins and instrumentation, and it became closely associated with specific ceremonial and dance traditions at the imperial court.

Musical characteristics#

Komagaku is characterized by its exclusive use of wind and percussion instruments. Typical instruments include the komabue (a transverse bamboo flute), taiko, kakko, and shōko. The absence of string instruments gives Komagaku a distinctive timbre compared to togaku, another major gagaku style. Rhythmically, Komagaku pieces often feature lively tempos and strong percussive patterns, reflecting their historical use in dance accompaniment.

Kontradans

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The “contredanse,” the French-renamed country dance as indicated in a 1710 dance book called Recuil de Contredance, began in the English courts and was imported to Haiti via France (Brittany) through colonial rule and had been incorporated with African influences in Saint-Domingue. Contredanse flourished as it took on this creolized form establishing strong traditions in Haiti that would later influence variant forms throughout the Caribbean.

Origins#

The usage of the drums, poetic song, antiphonal song form, and imitations of the colonial elite dance were the elements that had already begun to transform the contredanse.

Koplo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

The drum is the most important element of koplo. According to Cak Met, a popular koplo drummer, the regular dangdut is played in 3/4 bar while koplo is played in a faster 4/4 bar, thus requiring a more complex drumming technique. The standard drum pattern of dangdut is called chalte which consists of five types of sound, including three that are played by the large drum that is placed on the left side of the drummer and two that are produced by the small drum on the right. According to Andrew N. Weintraub of the University of Pittsburgh, the koplo drum pattern multiplies all of these sound elements and contains twice the sound of the large drum than the chalte of the standard dangdut. Weintraub traces the origin of these complex drum patterns to Sundanese drum players in West Java who played the traditional jaipongan music. The jaipongan drum pattern was reinterpreted by dangdut musicians in Surabaya and Banyuwangi, thus the making of koplo drum patterns went through a cross-cultural process between different ethnic groups. Because of the vital position of the drums in the koplo live performances, drum players often become icons. Among the well-known koplo drummers are Cak Met (also known as Ki Ageng), Waryo from OM Armega, and Cak Juri from OM Montana. Each region in East Java has its own style of koplo drums. Unique koplo drums can be seen in Sidoarjo, Gresik, Nganjuk, Madiun, Ponorogo, and Sragen. Dangdut, which employs these regional drums, is also called jaranan dangdut or jandhut. While drum patterns and rhythm are no different from the regular koplo, jandhut style uses additional drums called sabet and bem. Well known jandhut drummer includes Mas Malik from OM Lagista, hailed from Nganjuk.

Korean court music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Korean court music and its origins have been traced as early as the Unified Silla period (668–935); however, the three categories commonly began their spread across Korea during the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), mainly due to Chinese influence.

Aak#

The genre of aak refers to Korean court ritual music originating from China. This created the growth in popularity for aak within Korea; however, the genre saw an eventual decline afterwards. The Yi dynasty during 1392–1910 then allowed for a completely finalised version of the aak system to rise across Korea, as the year 1430 saw the revival of the genre through a more modern reconstruction of traditional aak melodies. Instruments used within the genre are all of Chinese origin and are mostly used for the purpose of playing aak music, as opposed to being used for other genres of traditional court music. There are only two current surviving melodies of aak, both of which are played very slowly, and last around four minutes. Each piece contains 32 notes, and each note is played for at least four seconds, with the instruments rising in pitch at the end of every note.

Kōshiki

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

The exact beginnings of kōshiki are unclear. The earliest known work in the genre is “Nijügo zanmai shiki”, written by Genshin in 986. This work became a model for future works in the style. By the 12th and 13th centuries, kōshiki became popular among many Japanese Buddhists.

Form#

Kōshiki is a liturgical ritual performance, which talks about an object of devotion. The object’s history, virtues, and importance are described, and the ritual connects object with those present for the performance. The general structure of kōshiki begins with an intention statement, followed by prose sections. The prose sections discuss the intention statement, and are sometimes in Chinese. Each section finishes by transferring merit. A work of kōshiki ends with a chant or verse about the theme.

Kouta (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The Japanese term has been used for a number of inconsistent musical styles throughout Japanese history, though the term is used in the modern day exclusively to refer to the style of short, informal songs first developed in the late Edo period (1603–1867) and popularised in the early Meiji period (1868–1912). During the Heian period, the term was broadly applied to court songs performed by women such as () and . This term was used in contrast to the () performed by male court musicians. In later centuries, compilations of short, lyrical songs known as were published; the first of these, entitled , was published in 1518. The first modern piece is said to have been composed in 1855 by puppet theatre singer Kiyomoto Oyō (1840–1901), and was titled (). Performing a piece in the style at a faster tempo, Oyō would go on to compose a number of early , typically through borrowing lyrics from (), () and – a style of music characterised as “classy” and “graceful”, itself having resulted from governmental reforms aimed at suppressing the excessive erotic expression of late 17th century . The conflation of genres in became a key feature of the style, with a number of early having separate versions in both and . In the early Meiji period, were often creatively composed by a number of performers, who, having inserted pieces into their performances, later extracted these sections to be performed alone, composing new pieces in this style with the use of imagery taken from the pleasure quarters. , needing few performers and taking under three minutes to perform, eventually grew into a popular musical tradition of its own right in the Meiji period, forming an independent genre.

Kulning

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Acoustic characteristics#

The song has a high-pitched vocal technique, i.e. a loud call using head tones, so that it can be heard or be used to communicate over long distances. It has a fascinating and haunting tone, often conveying a feeling of sadness, in large part because the kulokks often include typical half-tones and quarter-tones (also known as “blue tones”) found in the music of the region. Linguist and phonetician Robert Eklund, speech therapist Anita McAllister and kulning singer and speech therapist Fanny Pehrson studied the difference between kulning voice production and head voice (sometimes also somewhat erroneously referred to as falsetto voice) production in both indoors (normal and anechoic rooms) and in an ecologically valid outdoor setting near Dalarna, Sweden. The song analyzed was the same in all cases, and was performed by the same kulning singer (Pehrson). Comparing kulning to head voice, they found that partials were visible in far higher registers in kulning than in head voice (easily observed up to 16 kHz) and that they were also less affected by an increased distance from the source than head voice, with more or less unaffected partial patterns when comparing a distance of 11 meters from the source, compared to 1 meter from the source. In the outdoor setting, they also found that head voice production exhibited a 25.2 dB decrease at 11 meters from the source, compared to 1 meter from the source, while the corresponding amplitude decrease in kulning was only 9.4 dB, which is a clear indication that kulning is well-suited to carry over long distances in an outdoor setting. Or, as the authors summarize the findings: It was shown that kulning fell off less with distance from an intensity point of view, and also that partials in kulning—but not in head voice—remained more or less unperturbed 11 meters from the singer, as compared to 1 meter from the singer. Both results help explain why kulning as a singing mode was developed for calling cattle that might be at considerable distance from the singer.

Kurdish folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History and background#

Kurdish folk music has a long history that is closely connected with the cultural and political experiences of the Kurdish people. Traditionally transmitted through oral tradition, these songs often carry themes ranging from historical narratives to epic poetry and legends. The introduction of phonograph technology in the late 1920s marked an important phase in the documentation of Kurdish music. Recording studios in Baghdad began to capture the performances of Kurdish artists, contributing to the preservation and wider dissemination of their musical heritage. Historically, Dengbêjs, traditional Kurdish bards, have played a central role in conveying oral history and ancestral tales through song and spoken word. Their performances are key to the narrative tradition within Kurdish music, often recounting events, genealogies, and heroic sagas. The development of Kurdish folk music has been deeply affected by socio-political conditions. At various points in history, expressions of Kurdish identity, including music, have faced bans, censorship, and cultural suppression, particularly in countries where Kurds form a minority population. The political experiences of the Kurdish people have profoundly shaped the content and purpose of their folk music. Songs frequently explore themes of resistance, self-determination, and the struggle for cultural and political rights. This politicized dimension became especially pronounced during the 1990s in Turkey, where Kurdish folk music emerged as a form of cultural expression and solidarity amid state-imposed restrictions.

Kwakwakaʼwakw music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Kwakwaka’wakw dancing societies#

There are four main groups of Kwakwaka’wakw dancing societies since ancient times: Hamatsa (“Cannibal”), Winalagilis (“Making War All Over the Earth”), The ceremony is intended to recreate the original encounter with the ancient spirit. Each society delegates a song master to invent and memorize songs for all members of the respective society. Unlike other social positions, the song master is not an inherited position, but is chosen for his talent in creating and remembering songs. The song master is even paid for his services, creating and memorizing from one to four songs for every novice initiate. Children of song masters are placed inside a drum, and the father sings and beats the drum in sequences of four to try and pass down his talent.

Ladishah

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Ladishah genre originally emerged as a popular lyrics narrating with a combination of situational ballad, humorous and melody tone in Jammu and Kashmir princely state around eighteenth or nineteenth century. It has its roots in the culture of Kashmir written and narrated by the same entertainer. Literary associated with Kashmiri literature, it was initially used to criticise the rulers engaged in human rights abuse. Some local people believe that ladishah songs were used to be sung during the harvest season particularly exercised by nomads to get food in return. Over the times with modern music revolution, the genre became less popular or almost unknown to the people, and subsequently it declined due to Kashmir conflict, a war that triggered unrest since the military conflict started in the region.

Laïko

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Rebetiko and elafro tragoudi#

Until the 1930s the Greek discography was dominated by two musical genres: the Greek folk music demotica and the elaphro tragoudi. The latter was represented by ensembles of singers/musicians or solo artists like Attik and Nikos Gounaris. It was the Greek version of the international popular music of the era. In the 1930s the first rebetiko recordings had a massive impact on Greek music. Markos Vamvakaris stated that they “were the first to record laïka songs”. In the years to follow this type of music, the first form of what is now called laïko tragoudi, became the mainstream Greek music.

Lilting

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Features#

Lilting often accompanies dancing. Features such as rhythm and tone dominate in lilting and in the case of Irish lilting in particular, is intended to evoke the characteristic ’lilt’ of traditional Irish music and specific instruments such as the Celtic harp. The lyrics thus are often meaningless or nonsensical.

History#

The origins of lilting are unclear. It might have resulted in part from the unavailability of instruments, whether because they were seen as too expensive or were banned. However, similar use of non-lexical syllables also feature in various traditional musical styles worldwide, including tralling or trallning in Sweden and Norway. According to modern folk musician Rowan Piggott, there is an unverified legend about lilting that claims it originates from the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland from 1649–1653 where bans on musical instruments required old songs to be passed down orally via singing or lilting. At the turn of the 20th century lilting found increased popularity in local dance events known as “house dances” and “crossroads dances”. Beginning the mid-1900s, lilting was increasingly performed as a recital or stand alone performance instead of accompaniment for dancing. Recital lilting is currently one of the multiple events performed at the annual traditional Irish musical festival, , held by the non-profit organization (CCE).

Liwa (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

References#

https://web.archive.org/web/20080203142429/http://www.arab.net/uae/ue_music.htm
http://www.alshindagah.com/may/dances.htm
Africans in the Persian Gulf
Video of Liwa in Kuwait
(en) Poul Rovsing Olsen, “La Musique Africaine dans le Golfe Persique”, Journal of the International Folk Music Council, Vol. 19, (1967), pp. 28–36
(fr) Maho Sebiane, « Le statut socio-économique de la pratique musicale aux Émirats arabes unis : la tradition du leiwah à Dubai », Chroniques yéménites, 14, Numéro 14, 2007 .
(fr) Maho Sebiane, “Entre l’Afrique et l’Arabie : les esprits de possession sawahili et leurs frontières”, Journal des africanistes, 84-2 2014, 48-79.
(en) Maho Sebiane, Beyond the leiwah of Eastern Arabia Structure of a possession rite in the longue durée, Música em Contexto, Brasília Nº. 1 (2017): 13-44
(fr) Maho Sebiane “Nuisances et chaos des Vents. Expressions de l’agressivité dans un rite de possession en Arabie orientale”, Cahiers d’ethnomusicologie 33, 2020: 113-131
Liwa and Tanbura from Africa to Bahrain, Part 2, Al Waqt newspaper, 21 Feb 2009

Long song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

The Mongolian long song folk music tradition has ties to other national traditions and customs, including Mongolian history, culture, aesthetics, ethics and philosophy. The main feature of the long song is the shuranhai (prolonged, tenuto notes with deeply modulated vibrato on the vowels). The Mongol aizam long songs are ancient grand songs that possess extensively broad vocal diapason and diverse vocal movement techniques, elaborate singing elements and vocal improvisations such as dan (single) and davkhar (double) shurankhai (tenuto notes with deeply modulated vibrato on the vowels), nugalaa (sharp notes modulated in lower pitch), various vocal ‘soothing’ long-drawns, upward and downward usrelt (tone leaps or sudden transmission to higher or lower tones), tsokhilgo (vocal modulated pulsation), tsatslaga (sprinkling), khayalga (bestrewing or free improvised tone), shigshree (sifting or repeated vocal vibration) and other unique singing techniques. These features give the long song profound philosophical, meditational character, often depicting the spacious mountain valleys and a sense of tranquility, believed to represent the Mongolian soul. Three major styles are identified in long songs: besreg urtyn duu (“minor long song”), suman urtyn duu (“ordinary long song”) and aizam urtyn duu (“major’ or majestic long songs”). Again, the styles reflect the way of the performance of the shuranhai and other techniques rather than the lengths of the songs. The word ‘Aizam’ comes from the non-lexical vocable of ‘Aya, zee khu’ at the beginning of the grand long song, which features a broad melody with a context of philosophical theme, ceremony and quality of ode, honor, respect or solemnity. The aizam grand long songs are sung in a sequence at the beginning of a ceremony or feast, in accordance with the special ceremonial rules, and constitute the summit of the long songs which test the skills and capability of the singer and morin khuur (horse-headed fiddle) player.

Maithili music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Religion and Culture#

It is the folksong of Bhilini, one of the many Maithili Music classics, that influenced Gautam, the Buddha, to draw the essence of his all-time great philosophy -Madhyama marg. As a result, Mithila has been established as a great cultural center and Vidya-kshetra. Its cultural, mainly scholastician, history dates back to millenniums. Its pristine glory is recorded in the Vedas and the Satpath Brahmana. Maithili Music is said to be the song of the gods. Many of the songs are used as way to pray to the gods. Songs relating to agriculture and Devotional songs are the two main type songs which can see as prayers to the God above. The songs describe the outstanding traits of the gods and goddesses and sometimes the traits of their worshipers. These songs called gosaunik git or gosaun . The Maithili region lies in part of North India and Nepal which is wet and lush green as it is covered with bamboo structures, paddy fields and ponds . It is said to look like the resting place of goddess Kali and Durga which are prominent in the worship rites of the masses. There many songs which are based on the surrounding are as if describing the beauty and the grandeur of the goddesses resting place Furthermore, In South Asia where marriages for women are a religious event Maithili song are played to a great extent. Women most often classify wedding songs according to the name of the rituals, however generally the auspicious day of marriage begins with the Suhag song and concludes with the samdaun. However, singing many songs during weddings might be a bit problematic now due to the fact that nowadays people waste less time and pay less money for their weddings. Furthermore, there are some Maithili music that describe the hardships faced by woman in the Maithili region. Maithili women, located in south-eastern Nepal, are pitted against one another in their pursuit of security and resources in the context of patrilineal formations. There are many folksongs that talk about the injustice of woman at the hands of men and their many of the folksongs that talk about women thinking of counter measures and alternate ways to survive in the world dominated by men. This is also the time when themes of feminism started to appear in folksongs . Maithili Music has been based around the daily lives of normal men. As a result, the lyrics include a lot of references of objects, gods, seasons and surrounding area of Maithili. These references can help to understand the beauty of the region and can also tell us a lot about the society of the past. These references, further, have also been used as metaphors to comment on the society of the past and its norms. Maithili folksongs include a lot of songs about gods as previously mentioned, but they also have a lot of songs relating to seasons and agriculture. Songs whose themes are based around the rainy or the monsoon season are associated with farmers praying to the gods for favourable climate to cultivate. There are also many songs related to farmers asking for a good harvest. There are many themes relating to good harvest because agriculture was one of the main occupations in the past as well in the present. In Maithili music even the reference of nature helps in bringing out the meaning of the music’s lyrics. In the Maithili region of Nepal the use of pond signifies and refers to a woman’s perspective and knowledge of worldly matters .

Malhun

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

The mǝlḥun first emerged as a pure literary creation, as a poetic genre today known in Morocco under the name of “qasida” (meaning “poem”) (Arabic: القصيدة) or “zajal” (Arabic: الزجل). It developed in the Tafilalet oases of southern Morocco in the fifteenth century before it spread to other parts of the Maghreb. The Mal’aba of Al-Kafif az-Zarhuni (ملعبة الكفيف الزرهوني) is considered to be the oldest known form of the Malhun, dating back to the Marinid dynasty era (14th century). The Mal’aba describes the union’s attempt of the Maghreb by the sultan Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Othman. Written in Moroccan Arabic, it represents the origins of the modern Malhun. Ibn Khaldun mentions it at the end of his Muqaddimah as one of the main lyrical epics of the art called “Mala’ib” (ملاعب).

Marfa (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin#

Marfa is a Yemeni Arabic word used for the kettledrum. Due to the Hadhrami people’s influence on the culture of the Ethiopian Siddis, the word marfa became a symbol of the music played using the kettledrum. Kettledrums are replaced with Handi kettledrums

Forms#

Marfa music is created from three different musical rhythmic beats also called teen maar taal. The music is performed only by men, whereas dances and jiggling are common among both men and women. Popular marfa rhythms include: * sewari * bamb sheklah * ya abu bakar-ya abu salah * salaam almukallah * jumbali zimbali * benazeer benazeer * ahlan wasahlan

Maskandi

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

The music originated in “female gourd-resonated monochord songs that were transferred and given an acoustic life on guitar”. The roots of what is today called maskandi have been traced back to non-guitar based forms of music in the 1920s, with the shift to guitar beginning in Rhodesia in the 1930s with a group of musicians inspired by the music in Western films. It was then developed by migrant workers in South Africa.

Mawwal

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

Mawwal is an Arabic word that means “affiliated with”, “associated with,” or “connected to”. The verb is waala (). It is measure 3 of the root verb “Walia” (), which means to follow, be affiliated with, support, or sponsor. Originally the verbal noun has a Yaa in the definite form but it loses it when the word is indefinite.

History#

There are many preferences regarding the origin of the mawwal, one of these is the one al-Suyuti attributes it in the book Sharh al-Muwashah to the era of Harun al-Rashid. When he insisted on his concubines to eulogize his minister, Jaafar al-Barmaki, after his brutality against him, then a concubine named al-Mawlia, from which “mawwal” is derived, was the one who eulogized him. Another preference is Safi al-Din al-Hilli in his book al-Mawwal al-Baghdadi in which he attribute it to the people of Wasit in Iraq. Also, Safi al-Din al-Hilli says that the mawal is from the simple sea sounding on the base of the wide sea, and the mawal continued in this way until the eighth century AH, when the mawwal appeared using the Iraqi dialect of the vernacular and the subsequent branching of the mawal in the eleventh century into three other types, namely The quatrain and The lame and Numani.

Međimurska popevka

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

Međimurska popevka is a form of folksinging widespread throughout the northern part of Croatia bordering Slovenia and Hungary. It has historically been performed by solo female vocalists, although in modern times it is performed both individual and in groups, and both men and women. The songs can be performed in vocal, vocal instrumental, or instrumental as well as monophonic/multipart renditions, as musical genre, or incorporated into dance. Popevka commonly takes place in social and community gatherings, such as weddings, religious gatherings, annual holidays, and in modern times, folk festivals.

Mento

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin#

Mento is a distinct acoustic style of traditional or folk music, which orginated in Jamaica during the 19th century. Enslaved musicians were occasionally required to play music singing European folk songs, which had a significant influence on the development of mento. Some of Jamaica’s oldest cultural traditions and dance forms including jonkunnu, quadrille, burru and Maypole, which emerged during slavery and post-emancipation, feature mento music. By the late 1800s and early 1900s, mento had become a clearly recognizable Jamaican folk style and had consolidated as a genre, Noted ethnomusicologist, Dr. Daniel T. Neely, described mento as: According to former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, who had researched Jamaica’s folk music extensively:

Merengue music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The origins of the music are traced to the land of El Cibao, where merengue cibaeño and merengue típico are the terms most musicians use to refer to classical merengue. The word Cibao was a native name for the island, although the Spanish used it in their conquest to refer to a specific part of the island, the highest mountainous range. The term merengue cibaeño is therefore partially native and so merengue might also be a derivation of a native word related to song, music, dance, or festival. Merengue was first mentioned in the mid-19th century with the earliest documented evidence being newspaper articles. Some of the articles inform about a “lascivious” dance, and also highlight merengue displacing the Tumba. The genre had originated within the rural, northern valley region around the city of Santiago called the Cibao. It later spread throughout the country and became popular among the urban population. The oldest form of merengue was typically played on string instruments. When the accordion came to the island in the 1880s, introduced by German traders, it quickly became the primary instrument, and to this day is still the instrument of choice in merengue típico. Later, the piano and brass instruments were introduced to the genre.

Merengue típico

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Early origins#

Merengue first appears in the Caribbean in the 1850s. The earliest documented evidence of merengue in the Dominican Republic are newspaper articles complaining about this “lascivious” dance displacement of the earlier tumba. Early merengue was played on stringed instruments, but the accordion came to the island in the 1880s, introduced by German traders, and quickly became the primary instrument in merengue. Up until the 1930s, the music was considered immoral. Its more descriptive and colorful name, perico ripia’o (literally “ripped parrot” in Spanish) is said to have been the name of a bordello in Santiago where the music was played. Moralists tried to ban the music and the provocative dance that accompanied it, but with little success. Dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo brought accordionists with him on the campaign trail, and once he took power, he ensured that merengue was embraced as a national music by all classes of Dominicans.

Métis fiddle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Cultural Significance#

The Métis are an Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island who trace their descent to mixed European and First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union; within generations, however, the culture coalesced into what is today a distinct Indigenous group with formal recognition equal to that of the Inuit and First Nations. Mothers were often Cree, Ojibwa, Denesuline or Saulteaux . At one time, distinctions were made between French Métis (born of francophone voyageur fathers) and Anglo Métis (or “Countryborn”), descended from Scottish fathers. Today, these two cultures form a single Métis culture. The fiddle has become a key feature of Metis identity through the cultural prominence of jigging and social fiddling. Originating from the Red River Region, The metis have a notion of Miziksharing, or understanding music as sharing, which informs the social aspects of this community. In this way, Metis fiddle performance allows for the connection of two kinds of sociability that might initially appear to be quite distinct, “musical closeness and interactions between strangers.” Fiddle music is often performed at cultural folk festivals outside of their more intimate community role, where the music draws people together through a “collective identification with Metis heritage.” These public performances outside of the sphere of the community are not without controversy, though. With the introduction of Metis-style fiddle competitions, in which competitors are to demonstrate “authenticity” perform without accompaniment and clog while seated, many argue that the Metis tradition is being constrained and held back from innovating. In addition, the Metis-style competitions are offered significantly less prize money; at the Manitoba Open, competitors sought $100 compared to the $400 offered for the top prize in other old-time styles. These competitions are furthermore problematic for allowing individuals to interact with the Metis culture in one specific way, thus avoiding interacting with the indigenous community of Metis people native to Canada.

Middle Eastern and North African music traditions

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Middle East and North Africa#

File:Abderrahmane Abdelli.jpg Algerian musician Abderrahmane Abdelli performing in Belgium name = Dabke دبكة image = Palestinian girls dancing traditional Dabke.jpg caption = Palestinian girls dancing traditional dabke image size = 300px medium = Circle dance and line dancing types = Variations ancestor = culture = Levantine era = File:La fête de la musique au centre culturel dEgypte (Paris) (7416610718).jpg Egyptian music instrument Mizmar File:Sintir player in Rabat, Morocco.JPG A Moroccan instrument sintir or gimbri File:2 dhols.jpg Iranian instrument dohol

Min'yō

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Styles#

Many min’yō are connected to forms of work or to specific trades and were originally sung between work or for specific jobs. Other min’yō function simply as entertainment, as dance accompaniment, or as a components of religious rituals. Min’yō are also distinct depending on the area of Japan, with each area boasting its own favorite songs and styles. The songs found in the far northern island of Hokkaidō and sung by the Ainu people are usually excluded from the category of min’yō. In the far south, (especially Okinawa) distinct genres of min’yō, differing in scale structure, language and textual forms, have developed as well.

Mizrahi music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

Mizrahi Jews who immigrated from the Arab countries have, over the last 50 years, created a unique musical style that combines elements of Arabic, Turkish, and Greek music. This is not to be confused with the New Hebrew Style, as the Mizrahi style is more spontaneous. After World War II, many Jewish families made Aliyah to the new state of Israel, founded in 1948. The Muzika Mizrahit movement started in the 1950s with homegrown performers in neighborhoods with a high concentration of Jews from Arab countries who would play at weddings and other events. They performed songs in Hebrew, but in an Arabic style, on traditional Arabic instruments—the oud, kanun, and the darbuka. In the 1960s, they added acoustic and electric guitar to their sound and so their sound became more eclectic. Vocalists usually decorated their singing with trills, and delivery was often nasal or guttural in sound. Intonation was typically Western, however; singers did not use the quartertone scales typical of Arabic music. Into the 1980s synthesizers and electronic instruments made their debut in Mizrahi music. The first Mizrahi artist of this era was the Moroccan-born Jo Amar, who through the 1950s and 1960s made several albums and songs contributing to the genre, mostly influenced by Moroccan music. Another notable if foreign artist that helped contribute to the young genre was Aris San, who helped popularise Greek music in Israel in the 1960s and 1970s with his distinct rock style on traditional Greek songs. Lyrics were originally texts taken from classic Hebrew literature, including poems by medieval Hebrew poets. Later they added texts by Israeli poets, and began writing original lyrics as well. An example is the song “Hanale Hitbalbela” (Hannale was confused), sung by Yizhar Cohen. The lyrics are by the modern Israeli poet and lyricist Natan Alterman, to a traditional tune. Singers also translated childhood favorites from Arabic to Hebrew and added electronics and a faster tempo.

Morin khuur

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Name#

In Mongolian, the instrument is usually called morin khuur or “horse fiddle”. The full Classical Mongolian name for the morin khuur is morin toloğay’ta quğur, (which in modern Khalkh cyrillic is Морин толгойтой хуур) meaning fiddle with a horse’s head. Usually it is abbreviated as “Морин хуур”, Latin transcription “Morin huur”. In western Mongolia it is known as ikil (—not to be confused with the similar Tuvan igil)—while in eastern Mongolia it is known as shoor ().

Mormon folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History of Mormon folk music#

In 1847 Brigham Young led the first company of Mormon pioneers into what became Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Great Basin area became steadily populated by Latter-day Saints. The traditional folk ballad played an important role in the lives of Mormon pioneers and early settlers. Songs detail the life of saints from the organization of the church in New York in 1830, through life in Kirtland and Nauvoo, to the trip across the plains and life in the Salt Lake Valley. Additionally, cultural and religious themes unique to the LDS Church in some songs made Mormon folk music distinct from larger folk music in the United States, and many songs herald church leaders and promote obedience to the church’s teachings. Songs typically had simple tunes, easy-to-recall lyrics, and broad enough appeal to be sung by contemporary Mormons. Mormon folk music mainly consisted of adaptations of popular songs, as well as of traditional folk songs from the United States and Europe. Given that many early Mormon converts came from different countries and spoke different languages, music became a way of sharing and preserving one’s cultural heritage, as well as a means of communication with others. Historical Latter-day Saint attitudes and beliefs can generally be inferred from the types and lyrics of songs they sang. During the first generation of pioneers, instruments were limited to violins, banjos, and guitars, and so many songs would have been sung with accompaniment from these instruments or were sung a capella. The first piano was brought to Utah in 1851, and piano arrangements of many popular folk songs were written.

Muiñeira

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics of the muiñeira#

It is a dance of playful character, with a social component expressing gallantry. It is somewhat more permissive of improvisation than other folk dances; improvised in fiestas and exhibitions. Some interpreters have added increased complexity to its traditional choreography. It is played at a fast tempo. Dancers often form a circle or parallel threes. Often jumps are incorporated, synchronized with percussion accompaniment: a snare-drum known as the tamboril (a wooden natural-skinned drum with gut snares), and the bombo, a bass drum. Examples of the genre recommended by native Galician commentators include ’ ’ Muiñeira de Chantada’ ’ and to ’ ’ Muiñeira de Lugo’ ‘.

Muliza

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

It was born in the 18th century during the Viceroyalty of Peru. The Spanish crown made use of the mines in Pasco, making mining one of the pillars of the colonial economy, determining economical, social and political change. It seems that their origin can be found in the mining business and the transport of minerals from Cerro de Pasco to the Argentinian ports. This function was carried out by muleteers, who transported the minerals by mule. The name of the dance was derived from this line of work. Says Rolando Casquero Alcántara: Similarly, Dionicio Rodolfo Bernal affirms that Currently, muliza is linked to Carnival.

Murder ballad

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition#

The term ballad, applied to traditional or folk music, means a narrative song. Within ballads, the “event song” is dedicated to narrating a particular event, and the murder ballad is a type of event song in which the event is a murder. This definition can be applied also to songs composed self-consciously within, or with reference to, the traditional generic conventions. Atkinson, referring to traditional English ballads, comments that “there is no shortage of murders in the corpus of ballads … and few of them are concealed with any success.” Some murder ballads tell the story from the point of view of the murderer, or attempt to portray the murderer in a somewhat sympathetic light, such as “Tom Dooley”. A recording of that song sold nearly four million copies for The Kingston Trio in 1958. Other murder ballads tell the tale of the crime from the point of view of the victim, such as “Lord Randall”, in which the narrator becomes ill and discovers that he has been poisoned. Others tell the story with greater distance, such as “Lamkin”, which records the details of the crime and the punishment without any attempt to arouse sympathy for the criminal. Supernatural revenge wrought by the victim upon the murderer sometimes figures in murder ballads such as “The Twa Sisters” (also known as “Binnorie” or “Minnorie” Child Ballad #10). Daniel A. Cohen comments that the murder ballads should be distinguished from a related genre, “dying verses”, intended for reading rather than singing, a New England tradition from the 18th century. Their relation to courtship murders came in the 19th century.

Music of Egypt

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The ancient Egyptians credited the goddess Bat and the god Ihy with the invention of music. The cult of Bat was eventually syncretised into that of Hathor because both were depicted as cows. Hathor’s music was believed to have been used by Osiris as part of his effort to civilise the world. The lion-goddess Bastet was also considered a goddess of music in ancient Egypt.

Neolithic period#

In prehistoric Egypt, and chanting were commonly used in magic and rituals. Rhythms during this time were unvaried and music served to create rhythm. Small shells were used as whistles.

Music of Ireland

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Early Irish music#

By the High and Late Medieval Era, the Irish annals were listing native musicians, such as the following: * 921BC: Cú Congalta, priest of Lann-Leire, the Tethra (i. e. the singer or orator) for voice, personal form and knowledge, died. * 1011: Connmhach Ua Tomhrair, priest and chief singer of Cluain-mic-Nois, died. * 1168: Amhlaeibh Mac Innaighneorach, chief ollamh of Ireland in harp-playing, died. * 1226: Aed mac Donn Ó Sochlachain, erenagh of Cong, a man eminent for chanting and for the right tuning of harps and for having made an instrument for himself which none had made before, distinguished also in every art such as poetry, engraving and writing and in every skilled occupation, sadly died. * 1269: Aed Ó Finn, master of music and minstrelsy, died. * 1329: Maol Ruanaidh Cam Ó Cearbhaill, tiompanist, murdered during the Braganstown Massacre in County Louth. * 1330: Mael Sechlainn Mac Carmaic, a general entertainer, died. * 1343: Donnchad Clereach Ó Maol Braonáin, a choral canon of Elphin, was killed by an arrow. * 1357: Donn Shléibhe Mac Cerbaill, an accomplished musician … died. * 1360: Gilla na Naem Ó Conmaigh, music ollamh of Thomond … died. * 1361. Magraith Ó Fionnachta, Chief Musician and Tiompanist to the Síol Muireadaigh, died. * 1364: Bran Ó Brain, a skilful tympanist … died. * 1369: John Mac Egan, and Gilbert Ó Bardan, two accomplished young harpers of Conmaicne, died. * 1469: Ruaidrí mac Donnchad Ó Dálaigh, the most musical-handed harpist in all Ireland. * 1490: Diarmait MacCairbre, harper, was executed. * 1553: Tadhg, son of Ruaidhri Ó Comhdhain, i.e. the ollamh of Éire and Alba in music, died. * 1561: Naisse mac Cithruadh, drowned on Lough Gill. * 1589. Daighre Ó Duibhgeannáin, a most affable, musical man, died.

Music of Jordan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Traditional Jordanian musical instruments#

Jordanian music has a diversity and a range of components that make it a popular art. Over the centuries music has evolved and so did its instruments. Jordanian music comes with a variety of instruments. * Flute/reed pipe known as Shababa * Mizmar * Mijwiz * Arghul known as Yarghul * Oud * Tablah * Rebab * Bagpipes known as Gerbeh * Riq * Daf * Simsimiyya, found in the port city of Aqaba and the southern desert

Music of Kalmykia

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instruments#

Kalmyk woodworkers specialized in the making of musical instruments; the prizing and value of these instruments helped preserve Kalmyk musical culture. Traditional instruments included the dombra, the morin khuur, the pear-shaped tovshuur, the psaltery (known as a jatha), and a form of bagpipies called the büshkür. The Saratov accordion was introduced to Kalmyk music in the nineteenth century and has become well-integrated. Other instruments, included conchs, drums, bells, and rattles were used as musical instruments in religious rituals, but these were mostly imported from Mongolia or Tibet. The dombra is the most commonly played instrument; the Kalmyk dombra has seven frets and two strings, which were traditionally made from the small intestine of sheep. The Kalmyk yatkha, similar to the Mongolia zither, resembled the Ukrainian bandura in both sound and construction - it was typically found among the richest families and the Kalmyk nobility. In the period after deportation, during which most of the traditional instruments were no longer used, only the dombra and the Saratov accordion were played often. However, during the perestroika period, the creative intelligentsia of the Kalmyk deliberately sought out these traditional instruments and began to incorporate them into modern Kalmyk music. Today, all of the above instruments can be heard in Kalmykia.

Music of Lebanon

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Traditional music in Lebanon#

Traditional Lebanese music shares influences with nearby countries including Syria and Egypt. Beirut music also features similarities with Bedouin tradition as well as folk music from Lebanon’s more rural regions. The capital’s secular music was heavily shaped by the Ottomans and music guilds offering some form of protection to artists despite Lebanese society’s view of them coming from a lower status. Lebanese folk music features Aramaean, Byzantine and later Islamic styles of music found across the Levant, with significant religious influences. Key features include poetic and rhythmic tunes that have a typically unison melody sung solo or with a group. Zajal poetry is considered one of the most well-known forms of traditional music in Lebanon as well as other styles like ma’anna, a part of the melismatic and syllabic music type, and qarrâdi known for its charming village feel. These music styles are often paired with dabke and feature a range of popular instruments in Lebanon. Nahda Music (1885-1940), translating to “Arab Renaissance” is attempted to be revived through Tajdīd min al-Dakhil translating to “Renewal from Within” which is an effort in preserving traditional music that has gained support in Lebanon after 2009. Supported by the Music Institute at Antonine University and the Arabic Music Archiving and Research (AMAR) Foundation, the group was centered on recovering Nahda performances, styles and instruments. Specifically, they have collected music records, reels and wax cylinders from across the Middle East including Lebanon in an effort to preserve traditional music.

Music of Mauritania

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instruments#

Traditional instruments include an hourglass-shaped four-stringed lute called the tidinit and the woman’s kora-like ardin. Percussion instruments include the tbal (a kettle drum) and daghumma (a rattle).

Types of Mauritanian music#

There are three “ways” to play music in the Mauritanian tradition: *Al-bayda - the white way, associated with delicate and refined music, and the Bidan (North African Moors) *Al-kahla - the black way, associated with roots and masculine music, and the Haratin (Sub-Saharan Moors) *l’-gnaydiya - the mixed or “spotted” way Music progresses through five modes (a system with origins in Arabic music): karr, fagu (both black), lakhal, labyad (both white, and corresponding to a period of one’s life or an emotion) and lebtyat (white, a spiritual mode relating to the afterlife). There are further submodes, making for a complicated system, one to which nearly all male musicians conform. Female musicians are rare and are not bound by the same set of rules.

Music of Morocco

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Aita#

Aita ( “call, cry or lament”) is a popular Bedouin musical style that originates from the countryside of Morocco, especially the Atlantic plains—areas such as Doukkala-Abda, Chaouia-Ouardigha, and Rehamna.

Amazigh folk music#

There are many varieties of Berber folk music and dance, such as Rif, Atlas, Chawia, and Canaria.

Ahwash#

Ahwash (, ) is a collective musical form associated with Amazigh communities in southern Morocco, particularly around Ouarzazate, the Dra’a Valley, and Sous. Ahwash involves dance, singing, poetry, and percussion.

Music of Northumbria

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Local musical forms and styles#

Northumbria shares with southern Scotland the long history of border ballads, such as ‘The Ballad of Chevy Chase’. It is also known for local dances, namely rapper dancing and Durham and Northumberland style clog dancing. The dance music of Northumbria differs markedly in style from that of the rest of England. It has more in common with Irish dance music, and especially Scottish dance music, yet is to some extent unique. Many dances from the region have the characteristic rant step. Although many tunes are shared with other regions of England or other nations, there is often a distinct difference between a Northumbrian version of a tune and versions from elsewhere. For instance a simple Irish tune, ‘The Chorus Jig’, with three strains, appears in the Northumbrian tradition as ‘Holey Ha’penny’, an ornate five-strain variation set. A Scottish strathspey, ‘Struan Robertson’s Rant’ appears, stripped of the Scotch snap, as a smallpipe tune, ‘Cuckold come out of the Amrey’, a long variation set. These two examples illustrate the impossibility of ascribing a regional origin to an old tune; each can be played on a primitive instrument, and may have been played for as long before first publication, as they have been since. Assumptions of regional origins can bedevil the study of music undertaken by enthusiastic musicians (who may sadly follow partisan allegiances) however regional versions and styles (like Northumbrian) are quite a different matter, having reliable established sources. Tunes in hornpipe rhythm are much appreciated in the region, both for playing and for dancing, particularly clog dancing. One rhythm characteristic of the region is the rant, used for figure dances such as The Morpeth Rant with a characteristic step; musically it is similar to a reel, though somewhat slower, and with more of a lilt. During 1770–2 William Vickers made a manuscript collection of local dance tunes, of which some 580 survive, including both pipe and fiddle tunes, many of which are from Scotland, southern England, Ireland and even France, revealing the very extensive and varied repertoire of local musicians at that time.

Music of Palestine

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pre-1948#

In the areas now controlled by both Israel and Palestine, multiple ethnic groups and religions have long held on to a diversity of cultures. Mandatory Palestine population with Arabs (including urban and rural Muslim classes, Arab Christians, Druze and Muslim Bedouin) constituted the largest group, followed by Jews (including Sephardim, Mizrahim and Ashkenazim), Samaritans, Circassians, Armenians, Dom and others. Wasif Jawhariyyeh was one oud player, famous for his post-1904 diary.

Music of Saudi Arabia

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ardah#

Ardah, a type of folkloric dance, is the most popular dance in Saudi Arabia, and also the national dance. It is performed with two rows of men opposite of one another, each of whom may or may not be wielding a sword or cane, and is accompanied by drums and spoken poetry. Najdi ardah is the most common variant of ardah in Saudi Arabia. It is also the most practiced and highly televised male folkloric dance in the entire country. The Saudi government changed its name to ‘Saudi ardah’ in the 21st century. However, there are numerous variations of ardah distinct from Najdi ardah throughout the country, notably in the regions of Najran, Asir and Jizan.

Music of Spain

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

Throughout its history, the Iberian Peninsula has received musical influences from around the Mediterranean Sea and across Europe. In the two centuries before the Christian era, Roman rule introduced the music and ideas of Ancient Greece. Early Christians, who had their own differing versions of church music, arrived during the height of the Roman Empire. The Visigoths, a Romanized Germanic people, took control of the peninsula following the fall of the Roman Empire, and later the Moors and Jews arrived in the Middle Ages. These more than two thousand years of internal and external influences produced a large number of unique musical traditions that continue to shape Spanish music today.

Music of Syria

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics of Syrian music#

Syria borders the Mediterranean sea and is located in the Levant. This area has been culturally influenced by many conquests and geopolitical activity. The multiple influences and sweeping conquests have created many of the cultures to share particular practices or traditions. Music of the Middle East has a predominantly monophonic nature. This is more clearly understood as the music not having multiple melodies or harmonies playing. There can be a rich texture created if multiple instruments playing the same melody with slight variations or rhythmic ornamentations. Ethnomusicologist Bruno Nettl describes this as more common style of music texture known as another style of texture which he calls parallel polyphony which consists of a singer improvising a melody and an instrument following behind with the that same melody. Many of the tones played are played as an interpretation of the music from the player, rather than the music notation or song. This gives the player the freedom to bend or mold the notes causing an improvisational effect on the structure of the music. This results in a personal interpretation of the players feelings towards the song. This causes an effect that connects the performer with the audience which can create a feeling of ecstasy in the listener. Compared to western music, this may be similar to a solo produced by a player during a song or a rendition of a song that keeps the same form but is changed slightly creating an effect that is predictable enough to the listener while revealing new variations of the song. This style of song in Syrian music creates a feeling of excitement for how the musician will play the upcoming sections.

Music of the African diaspora

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

Many genres of music originate from communities that have visible roots in Africa. In North America, it was a way that the early slaves could express themselves and communicate when they were being forcibly relocated and when there were restrictions on what cultural activities they could pursue. The sorrows of song were the only freedom slaves had working on cotton fields, and overall through labor tactics. This burden of slavery became a gateway for other genres of music such as the blues. For example, Black music does not just encompass sounds of the U.S. black experience but also a global black experience that stretches from Africa to Americas. The term for many coming from places of “Black” origin can be perceived in a derogatory manner by cultures who see the term as a blurring of lines which ignores the true roots of certain peoples and their specific traditions. To refer to musical genres with strong African-American influence, such as hip hop music, is very limited in scope and is not adopted by academic institutions as a true category of music. The individual aspects and collectively of black music is surrounded by the culture in itself as well as experience. Black music is centered around a story and origin. Many artists sing about the things they have experienced firsthand. Music was a tool black people used to communicate and express themselves during hard times such as slavery. Their songs were used to give guidance to one another and tell stories. The varieties of sounds and expressions used in the music helped stress their emotions. Black music began to reflect urban environments through amplified sounds, social concerns, and cultural pride expressed through music. It combined blues, jazz, boogie-woogie and gospel, taking the form of fast paced dance music with highly energized guitar work appealing to young audiences across racial divides.

Music of Tunisia

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Malouf#

Malouf is played by small orchestras, consisting of violins, drums, sitars and flutes. Modern malouf has some elements of Berber music in the rhythms, but is seen as a successor to the cultural heights reached by Muslim Andalusia. Malouf has been called “an emblem of (Tunisian) national identity” https://web.archive.org/web/20050325204236/http://www.worldmusiccentral.org/article.php?story=20030421192920196 . Nevertheless, malouf can not compete commercially with popular music, much of it Egyptian, and it has only survived because of the efforts of the Tunisian government and a number of private individuals. Malouf is still performed in public, especially at weddings and circumcision ceremonies, though recordings are relatively rare. The term malouf translates as familiar or customary. Baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger is an important figure of modern Tunisian music. He collected the rules and history of malouf, which filled six volumes, and set up The Rachidia, an important conservatory which is still in use.

Música popular (Colombia)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The genre started to develop between the 1930s and 1940s in the Paisa Region (comprising the modern-day departments of Antioquia, Caldas, Quindío and Risaralda), based on Mexican folk music genres such as corrido, huapango and ranchera, as well as on bolero, tango, pasillo and others, which were very popular among campesinos around that time. The genre started to gain popularity between the late 1940s and the 1950s, when artists such as Óscar Agudelo or Luis Ángel Ramírez started to take off. During that time, the genre was regarded as proper to Colombia’s lower class. During the late 20th century, the most well known genre’s artists such as Darío Gómez, El Charrito Negro, Luis Alberto Posada, etc. were being listened all throughout the country’s bars. However, the genre started to stall in the early 2000s, given the low number of well-known artists and the aging of the existing ones. The genre saw a comeback between the late 2000s and the early 2010s, when new artists such as Pipe Bueno, Jhon Álex Castaño or Yeison Jiménez started to appear. It is not exactly known why this increase in popularity occurred. When interviewed by El Colombiano, senior manager of record label Codiscos Álvaro Picón said that Pipe Bueno played a huge roll in the process of the genre’s repopularization. He also said that the popularity momentum created by Bueno was then kept by the introduction other new artists who brought the genre to listeners outside of its traditional bar niche. The softening of the lyrics of the genre’s songs was also cited as a factor by Picón. He lastly said that additionally, a decline in the popularity of romantic vallenato coinciding with the revival of música popular boosted even more the rise in popularity of the last one.

Muzică populară

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Meaning of the term#

The Romanian term “muzică populară” has been used with different meanings. In the 1930s, for example, in the writings of Constantin Brăiloiu, it refers to Romanian folk music as the music of Romanian peasants. Later the term acquired a new meaning: since the 1950s it has been used in opposition to “proper” folk music to exclusively describe the more commercially produced music reminiscent of folk music.

Nā mele paleoleo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Early protest era (MC Frumpy and DJ ELITE)#

Nā mele paleoleo first emerged in the late 1980s with Honolulu-based hip hop artists Charlotte “MC Frumpy” Kaluna and her hānai-brother Joseph “DJ ELITE” Netherland. Frumpy and ELITE were later joined by Frumpy’s protege Jason “BUZ 1” Tavares, described in a PBS Hawaiʻi profile as an underground freestyle lyricist active with groups such as Hi-State Family, VM, and Moʻilla Pillaz. Tavares’s high-energy lyricism and performances complemented the protest orientation of Frumpy and ELITE. Their work drew on the confrontational edge of conscious hip hop acts such as Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions (particularly KRS-One), Queen Latifah, and early Ice Cube solo releases. They were also shaped by early 1990s punk and alternative groups including Bikini Kill and Rage Against the Machine. Through this fusion, MC Frumpy, DJ ELITE, and proteges such as BUZ 1 helped establish a hip hop scene rooted in activism and protest culture. Their performances were confrontational and agitational. The genre functioned as a tool of resistance in public demonstrations rather than a recorded, commercial style at this stage.

Naamyam

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Cantonese Narrative Song Naamyam: Hong Kong Cultural Treasure

Nagauta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

It is uncertain when the was first integrated into kabuki, but it was sometime during the 17th century; Malm argues that it was probably before 1650. Many of the “classic” repertoire was composed in the 19th century, which is the time of the best-known composers as well. Many pieces are based on Noh theater, partly due to the number of kabuki plays derived from Noh theater pieces, and many were revived during the 19th century. There is evidence of the influence of Japanese folk music on too. During the 19th century, (concert ) developed as a style of composed for non-kabuki, non-dance performances in which a performer’s skill was emphasized. Two classic compositions of are (1818) and (1845). In the 20th century, a number of composers have integrated Western elements into styles, including playing the at a faster tempo, in violin cadenza style, or by using larger ensembles to increase the volume. is the basis of the Nagauta Symphony, a symphony in one movement composed in 1934 by composer Kosaku Yamada.

Nanjing baiju

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Baiju has a history of over 600 years, although its earliest performers and tunes are untraceable now. Baiju originated between the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, like other folk arts in China which were ignored by the ruling class and literary men. The earliest known of baiju is mentioned in a book by Li Dou (; a Qing dynasty drama writer), A Record of Yangzhou Gaily-Painted Pleasure-Boats (). The book mentions a labelled tune of Yangzhou (), named the “Nanjing Tune” (), which was becoming more and more popular. This “Nanjing Tune” was one tune label in baiju then, and it is still a basic tune label in baiju today. Baiju was transmitted only by the laboring people. It started from workers in brocade workshops. As a derivative of cloud-pattern brocade, the entertainment during breaks in work at the cloud-pattern brocade loom rooms marked the beginning of the baiju art. The brocade workers lived a painful life. It is a complex and monotonous job to weave cloud-pattern brocades, and a journeyman must spend years to finish one. Due to Nanjing’s climate, cold in winter and hot in summer, the workers labored in harsh conditions for low pay. To divert themselves from the monotony of their jobs, workers started singing popular ditties, which developed into baiju. At that time, these workers sang about history, folktales and social news, to the tunes of Ming and Qing dynasty folk songs. They sang tunes which were sung in the loom rooms before asking for monetary reward, and the same tunes they sang there were called “hongju”. Therefore, researchers consider these two labelled tunes as the same art form.

Neofolk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Neofolk blends elements of traditional and contemporary folk music with post-industrial and avant-garde influences, distinguishing it from mainstream folk traditions. It is commonly defined by the use of acoustic instruments. Artists incorporate influences from genres such as dark wave and dark ambient. Vocals may range from melodic singing to spoken word, with arrangements emphasizing atmosphere and mood over conventional song structures. Most neofolk artists stem from Nordic countries, Germany and Italy. The style often incorporates lyrical themes drawn from paganism, nature, and European history and mythology.

Neotango

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The music#

The term neotango has been used in the past as a synonym for tango nuevo, for example when Astor Piazzolla broke some rules of the musical tango pattern. Nowadays it mainly refers to electrotango, a fusion of tango and electronic music which emerged in Argentina in the early 2000s (Gotan Project, Tanghetto, Bajofondo, Electrocutango, Tango Jointz, Tango Fusion, Narcotango and Otros Aires) . Neotango is also used to classify milongas where a wide spectrum of music is played: not only electrotango and tango nuevo, but also classical music, blues, trip-hop, ballads, dubstep, deep house, klezmer, soundtracks, chillout, world music, etc.

New Weird America

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term was coined by David Keenan in the issue 234 (August 2003) of The Wire, following the Brattleboro Free Folk Festival organized by Matt Valentine and Ron J. Schneiderman. It is a play on Greil Marcus’s phrase “Old Weird America” as described in his book Invisible Republic, which deals with the lineage connecting the pre-World War II folk performers on Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music to Bob Dylan and his milieu.

Noh

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

The kanji for means “skill”, “craft”, or “talent”, particularly in the field of performing arts in this context. The word Noh may be used alone or with gaku (; entertainment, music) to form the word nōgaku. Noh is a classical tradition that is highly valued by many today. When used alone, Noh refers to the historical genre of theatre that originated from sarugaku in the mid 14th century and continues to be performed today. Various performing art elements in sangaku as well as elements of dengaku (rural celebrations performed in connection with rice planting), sarugaku (popular entertainment including acrobatics, juggling, and pantomime), shirabyōshi (traditional dances performed by female dancers in the Imperial Court in the 12th century), gagaku (music and dance performed in the Imperial Court beginning in the 7th century), and kagura (ancient Shinto dances in folk tales) evolved into Noh and kyōgen. Studies on the genealogy of the Noh actors in 14th century indicate they were members of families specializing in the performing arts. According to legend, the Konparu School, which is considered to be the oldest tradition of Noh, was founded by Hata no Kawakatsu in the 6th century. However, the founder of the Konparu school, which is widely accepted among historians, was Bishaō Gon no Kami (Komparu Gonnokami) during Nanboku-chō period in the 14th century. According to the genealogical chart of the Konparu school, Bishaō Gon no Kami is a descendant after 53 generations of Hata no Kawakatsu. The Konparu school was descended from the sarugaku troupe which had played active roles in Kasuga-taisha and Kofuku-ji in Yamato Province. Another theory, by Shinhachirō Matsumoto, suggests Noh originated from outcastes struggling to claim higher social status by catering to those in power, namely the new ruling samurai class of the time. The transfer of the shogunate from Kamakura to Kyoto at the beginning of Muromachi period marked the increasing power of the samurai class and strengthened the relationship between the shogunate and the court. As Noh became the shōguns favorite art form, Noh was able to become a courtly art form through this newly formed relationship. In 14th century, with strong support and patronage from shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, Zeami was able to establish Noh as the most prominent theatre art form of the time.

Nueva canción

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

"" is a type of music which is committed to social good. Its musical and lyrical vernacular is rooted in the popular classes and often uses a popularly understood style of satire to advocate for sociopolitical change. The movement reacted against the dominance of American and European music in Latin America at the time by assuming an anti-imperial stance that was markedly less focused on the visual spectacle of commercial music and more focused on social and political messages. It characteristically talks about poverty, empowerment, imperialism, democracy, human rights, religion, and the Latin American identity. draws heavily upon Andean music, música negra, Spanish music, Cuban music and other Latin American folklore. Most songs feature the guitar, and often the quena, zampoña, charango or cajón. The lyrics are typically in Spanish, with some indigenous or local words mixed in, and frequently utilize the poetic forms of copla and décima. was explicitly related to leftist politics, advancing leftist ideals and flourishing within the structure of the Communist Party in Latin America. Cuban cultural organization Casa de las Américas hosted many notable gatherings of musicians, including the 1967 Encuentro de la Canción Protesta. Songs of conflict in Spanish have a very long history, with elements to be found in the “fronterizos”, songs concerning the Reconquest of Spain from the Moors in the 15th century. More immediately, some of the roots of may be seen in the Mexican “corrido”, which took on a strongly political flavour during the War of Independence , and then the Revolution after 1910. The modern developed in the historical context of the “folklore boom” that occurred in Latin America in the 1950s. Chilean Violeta Parra and Argentine Atahualpa Yupanqui were two transitional figures as their mastery of folk music and personal involvement in leftist political organizations aided the eventual union of the two in . The movement was also aided by legislation like Juan Perón’s Decreto 3371/1949 de Protección de la Música Nacional and Law No. 14,226, which required that half of the music played on the radio or performed live be of national origin. The music quickly spread to Argentina and throughout Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s. Various national movements used their own terminology; however, the term "" was adopted at the 1967 Encuentro de la Canción Protesta and has thereafter been used as an all-encompassing term. Though is often considered a Pan-Latino phenomenon, national manifestations were varied and reacted to local political and cultural contexts.

Ojkanje

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Geographical extent#

Historically, ojkanje is found in the regions of the Dalmatian hinterland, Velebit, Lika, Kordun, and Karlovac, belonging to the Dinaric area, along with several neighbouring micro-regions. Dalmatian hinterland area is considered as main home of the ojkanje style and from there was expanded to other parts of Croatia. Migrations from the Dinaric region during the 16th and 17th century probably introduced this style of singing to Adriatic islands as well migration of Bunjevci from same area to Vojvodina and Hungary. The solo singing type of ojkanje is associated most with the Lika region and surrounding Karlovac, while two-part singing is dominant in the wider area of the Croatian coast and its hinterland. Specific types of ojkanje singing can be found between the rivers of Krka and Cetina (Drniška Krajina), in the regions of Ravni Kotari and Bukovica, in the Cetinska Krajina between Svilaja and Moseč, and the hinterlands of Trogir and Kaštela. Similar styles of polyphonic singing can be found throughout the Dinaric region of the Balkans, such as ganga, found mainly in Herzegovina and inland Dalmatia, and izvika from the Zlatibor area in Serbia. These enduring musical traditions show a connecting link among the populations of the mountainous regions. Owing to emigration, ojkanje groups can now be found in western Serbia and to a smaller extent, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Old time fiddle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition and distinction of old time fiddle#

Newer traditions have grown out of old time fiddle music but it retains a separate and distinct identity from those styles. These include bluegrass and Western swing and to some degree country rock. However, the positive statement of what, exactly, constitutes the true and authentic delineation of old time fiddle music is not necessarily unambiguous. Different sources draw a sharper distinction than others, and there is a good deal of overlap which purists will acknowledge to a varying degree. The areas of overlap are primarily in terms of the repertoire of fiddle tunes with the genres of bluegrass and Western swing (Texas swing) playing tunes of the same name, but playing them with a different group dynamic, different stylisms, and very often–for fiddles and banjo–in tunings unique to old-time music.

Old-time music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Reflecting the cultures that settled North America, the roots of old-time music are in the traditional musics of the British Isles, Europe, and Africa. African influences are notably found in vocal and instrumental performance styles and dance, as well as the often cited use of the banjo; in some regions, Native American, Spanish, French and German sources are also prominent. While many dance tunes and ballads can be traced to European sources, many others are of North American origin.

Ondo (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and description#

The literal translation of “ondo” is “sound head.” Kanji, or the Chinese characters used in the Japanese language, often have literal and abstract meanings, here the kanji for “sound” (音-on) having a more abstract meaning of “melody” or “music,” and the kanji for “head,” (頭) having a more abstract meaning of “beat,” “base pattern.” Hence “ondo” probably refers to a kind of “sound” or “beat pattern.” There are other names used to describe older Japanese genres of music. For example, “fushi” or “bushi” (節), with its literal meaning of “node,” “knuckle,” or “joint,” refers to the nodes found in bamboo, usually found at a steady sequence. Thus “fushi” can also have the abstract idea of “sequence” to refer to notes and beats in a sequence, i.e., a melody. An “ondo,” however, usually refers to a kind of song with a distinct swung 2/2 rhythm. This “swing” can be referred to as “ukare” in Japanese. “Ondo” is a term used in older Japanese genres, but it is still used today when referring to songs written in this swinging style. Sometimes the rhythm is not swung and it is played straight through. This is called “kizami”. Not every old Japanese melody with a swung rhythm is called an “ondo,” as sometimes the term “fushi” or “bushi” is used to refer to a tune with a swung 2/2 rhythm, both of these having more or less the same meaning of “tune” or “melody.” The folk song Goshu Ondo, for example, does not follow this rule, as the rhythm is not played in a swung fashion. The folk song Tankō Bushi has a swung 2/2 rhythm, even though it has “bushi” in its name. In Japanese folk music, “fushi” and “ondo” follow the name of the song. For example, Tokyo Ondo, Mamurogawa Ondo, and Hanagasa Ondo all have “ondo” in their names. Kushimoto fushi, Burabura fushi, and Soran fushi all have a rendering of “fushi” in their names.

Oppari

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Content and theme#

The songs do not follow a set pattern; rather, the lyrics are sung impromptu, mostly improvised, and eulogise the person who has died. The oppari is also often centred around the relatives of the deceased and stresses the nature of the blood relation (mother, father, brother, sister etc.) between the person and the deceased. The oppari singer sings, wails and beats her chest and accompanied to the sounds of a beating drum she helps mourners bring their buried grief to the surface. A sample theme of a daughter lamenting father’s death is described below: Opparis are rich in wordplay relating to names and events associated with the deceased person. Colourful local idioms also decorate the lyrics. While oppari singing is still prominent in rural Tamil Nadu, the tradition had almost died out in urban Tamil Nadu.

Overtone singing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mongolia and Buryatia#

It is thought that the art of overtone singing originated in southwestern Mongolia (modern Khovd Province and Govi Altai region). Overtone singing can be found throughout the country and Mongolia is often considered the world’s most active area. The most commonly practiced style, (Cyrillic: ), comes in these varieties: * / labial khöömii * / palatal khöömii * / nasal khöömii * / glottal, throat khöömii * / chest cavity, stomach khöömii * / khöömii combined with long song Mongolians also have many other singing styles, such as (literally, “growling”) and .

Palo music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instruments#

Palo music is played on long drums termed palos. The word palos means sticks, and therefore all Dominican palos drums are instruments made from hollowed out logs. The head of the drum is made of cowhide and it is attached to the log portion with hoops and pegs in the Eastern region, or with nails in the Southwest. There is a master drum (palo mayor) which is the large, wide drum played with slimmer drums (alcahuetes) alongside: two in the East or three elsewhere. Palos are usually played with guiras, which are metal scrapers. They may also be played with maracas, or a little stick used to hit the master drum, called the catá. The Dominican region in which the palos are played determines the form, the number of the instruments, and how they are played.

Pansori

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Name#

Pansori is a form of musical entertainment that has persisted in Korea from the 17th century to the present day. A related term, “pannoreum,” refers to plays such as Sandae-do Gamgeuk () and geundu (), as well as tightrope walking. The pansori of the Joseon Dynasty included sijo poetry () accompanied by music. Therefore, it is not appropriate to refer to pansori as Changgeuk () or Changgeukjo (). Changgeuk is based on the name of Pansori dramatized after Wongaksa Temple (), but it is not suitable for pure Pansori. Therefore, Changgeukjo is appropriate for the musical term of the song sung in Changgeuk, but it is not appropriate for the form of pansori. “Pansori” as a musical term originated independently from the term “pannol” (pannoreum). Likewise, the literary form of this form of pansori is also called pansori. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between pansori as a musical term and pansori as a literary term, but it is still appropriate to use the term “pansori” to refer to sijo. https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=869187&cid=60544&categoryId=60544#TABLE_OF_CONTENT2

Parang

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance#

In Trinidad, traditional parang music is largely performed around Christmastime, travel from house to house in the community, often joined by friends, neighbours, and family, using whatever instruments are at hand. Popular parang instruments include the Venezuelan cuatro (a small, four-string guitar) and maracas (locally known as chac-chacs). Other instruments often used are violin, guitar, claves (locally known as toc-toc), box bass (an indigenous instrument), tambourine, mandolin, bandol, caja (a percussive box instrument), and marimbola (an Afro-Venezuelan instrument). In exchange for the entertainment, parranderos are traditionally given food and drink: pasteles, pastelle, sorrel, rum and Ponche Crema (a form of alcoholic eggnog). While traditional house-to-house caroling tradition is still practised by some small groups and larger organized groups, modern parang music has also developed a season of staged performances called parang fiestas, held from October through to January each year, culminating in a national parang competition. Today, parang is especially vibrant in Trinidad and Tobago communities such as Paramin, Lopinot, and Arima.

Pasodoble

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Structure#

All pasodobles have binary rhythm. Its musical structure consists of an introduction based on the dominant chord of the piece, followed by a first fragment based on the main tone and a second part, called “the trío”, based on the sub-dominant note, based yet again on the dominant chord. Each change is preceded by a brieph. The last segment of the pasodoble is usually “the trío” strongly played. The different types of pasodoble – popular, taurino, militar – can vary in rhythm, with the taurino being the slowest and the popular being faster and often incorporating voice. Pasodoble as we know it started in Spain but is now played in a wide variety of Hispanic nations. Each region has developed its own subgenre and personal style of pasodoble, adjusting some formal aspects of the structure to fit their local musical tradition. In modern Spain, the most prolific composition of pasodobles takes place on the Valencian coast, associated with the festivals of Moors and Christians and the Fallas. The dance form is very free regarding figures. The dancers must remain one in front of the other, and keep their bodies parallel to each other at all times, leaning slightly to the left. They must give one step per tempo . The left hand of the male and the right hand of the woman must remain united almost permanently. Besides this, almost all motions and figures are accepted, which allows space for dramatization. The dance can be similar to the one-step, except for the speed and number of steps given.

Payada

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The work of Bartolomé Hidalgo (born in Montevideo in 1788) is considered a precedent of this form of art in the Río de la Plata. Hidalgo is regarded as the first gaucho poet. His birthdate, August 24, was established as the “Day of the Payador” in Uruguay. In Argentina, July 23 was established as the “Day of the Payador” in commemoration of the famous payada where Juan de Nava and Gabino Ezeiza contended. This payada was held in Paysandú in 1884, and Ezeiza was proclaimed the winner with the improvisation of his famous Saludo a Paysandú. A recording of this song is the only existing record of Ezeiza’s voice. The first registered payador was Simón Méndez (nicknamed Guasquita), a soldier who fought in the British invasions of the River Plate. Both in Argentina and Uruguay, the payada is considered part of the “gauchesca” culture. Santos Vega (to whom writer Rafael Obligado dedicated his most famous poem) is considered “the” payador par excellence, with successors such as Gabino Ezeiza, José Betinoti, Carlos Molina, Abel Soria, Julio Gallego, Gabino Sosa Benítez, Cayetano Daglio, among others. The payada has also been parodied by the comedy-musical group Les Luthiers in their Payada de la vaca. The work of Bartolomé Hidalgo, born in Montevideo in 1788, who is considered the first gaucho poet, can be found as an antecedent to the appearance of this art in the Río de la Plata. The date of his birth (August 24) was established by law as “Payador’s Day” in Uruguay. The payada can be traced back to the troubadour traditions of southern Spain, which settlers then brought the music tradition to Latin America. When it reached Argentina, its development was greatly influenced by Afro-Argentines in the late 19th century. During this time, Argentina’s government were trying to “whiten” the country by encouraging European migration and marginalizing the black community. Black payadores like Gabino Ezeiza used their music to fight against the discrimination and they sought recognitionfor Afro-Argentines’ deep historical contributions. Even though the government were able erase most of Afro-Argentine presence, there are still people in the Americas who practice the music traditions that originated from Afro-Argentines and African ancestry.

Peşrev

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

In Ottoman Turkish, peşrev combines a New Persian loanword, piš “before, ahead” and the native term rev, “that which goes”. coming to mean “that which comes first”.

Structure#

Peşrevs are composed of movements called hane (lit. “house”), at the end of which there is always an unchanging particle introducing the teslim (lit. “handing in”) mülazime (lit. “that which is inseparable or constant”), i.e. the refrain. Peşrevs are named after the Turkish makam used in the first hane and usually end with this makam; in Turkish classical music theory, they are said to be “bound” to this makam. There are always modulations to other makams in the hanes that follow the first hane, but with the refrain (teslim), the piece always regains the principal mode. At the end of each hane, a pause is made on the strong degree of its makam, forming a semi-cadence. This is called a yarım karar or nim karar (lit. “semi-decision”). Peşrevs usually have 4 hanes, yet they occasionally have 2, 5 or 6. In principle, they comport rather large usuls, yet peşrevs with shorter rhythmical patterns do exist. One rule that is never transgressed is that this usul may not be a compound meter of the family aksak. Some peşrevs, called batak or karabatak, are organized as to instigate a form of question-and-answer between instruments. If the hanes are to be marked with A, C, D, E and the teslim with B , the regular structure of a peşrev would be A+B/C+B/D+B/E+B, thus always ending with the teslim. For some, the teslim is also the first hane; therefore they have the structure: A/B+A/C+A/D+A.

Pibroch

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The Gaelic word literally means ‘piping’ or ‘act of piping’. The word is derived from (‘pipes’) via (‘piper’) plus the abstract forming suffix . In Gaelic, literally refers to any pipe music, not merely (literally: ‘big music’). Pibroch is a spelling variant first attested in Lowland Scots in 1719. Bagpipe societies, such as the Glasgow-based Piobaireachd Society, have commonly employed the term as a synonym for played on the Great Highland Bagpipes. The term or pibroch is also historically employed to describe -related repertoire played on instruments other than bagpipes, particularly the Scottish fiddle.

Polo (flamenco palo)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Poetic and musical structure#

The stanza of the polo is the cuarteta romanceada, typical of most flamenco songs and Spanish folklore: four octosyllabic verses, the second and fourth rhyming in assonance. It is usually sung with the following typical lines: Carmona tiene una fuente con catorce o quince caños con un letrero que dice: ¡Viva el polo sevillano! Translation: Carmona has a fountain With fourteen or fifteen jets And an inscription that reads Long live the Sevillan polo! Often, the last line is replaced by another saying: “Viva el polo de Tobalo” (“Long live the polo de Tobalo”). This is curious, as the melody used is not that of the polo de Tobalo, but that of the polo natural. Some lines are partially repeated, and there are also two series of melismas sung on one vowel in the middle and at the end of the stanza, which separate the song in two sections. The stanza is therefore rendered like this: Carmona tiene una fuente con catorce con catorce o quince caños oooh oooh oooh etc. (melismas) con un letrero que dice y que y viva el polo viva el polo de Tobalo oooh ooh ooh etc. As to the metre and musical mode, they are the same as for the soleá, that is 12-beat metre (or alternating 3/4 and 6/8) and Phrygian mode (for more information, see article on soleá). The guitar accompaniment and falsetas are also inspired by the soleá, although some special arpeggios are included after the second line of each section (“con catorce” and “y viva el polo”) and during the singing of the melismas. It is always accompanied in the guitar chord position of E for the tonic. Musicologist Hipólito Rossy stated that the song was in major mode and 3-beat metre (Rossy 1966 1998), but he was not very familiar with this palo, as all recordings show the typical soleá rhythm and Phrygian mode. He might have been influenced by the recording of singer Jacinto Almadén, in which guitarist Perico el del Lunar certainly uses some chords insinuating the major mode.

Polska (dance)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Evolution#

As suggested by the name, the roots of the polska are often traced back to the influence of the Polish court throughout the northern countries during the early 17th century. (Polska also happens to be homonymous with the Swedish word for the Polish language.) This view is sometimes challenged by those who see earlier evidence of the musical tradition in Nordic visor or songs, that may have become grafted onto the newer foreign influences when the court dances began to filter out into the middle class and rural communities. In addition, some earlier triple meter dances and melodies may have evolved into the polska. The polska dances were likely inspired by court dances such as the polonaise or the time minuet involving larger sets of people. Some see traces of the evolution from set dances to couples dances and from duple time to triple time in the minuets, still danced in some communities of Finland and Denmark. In these, the dance starts with a large set of dancers dancing a slower formal section and ends with couples or foursomes dancing a faster, more energetic polska section. In the late 1600s it was common in northern Europe that only the slower Alla breve or section of the music was written down on paper, as paper was expensive. The musicians were expected to be able to improvise a dance in which was based on the same motivic material as the previous dance. The parts played in were the ones evolving to the modern polska. In the prevalent time form, polska dances were most common in Norway, Sweden and Swedish-speaking Finland, but with versions seen in Finnish-speaking Finland and in Denmark. It is best to discuss these dances by country as their regional histories, while contemporaneous, were quite varied and the dances known today differ significantly from one country to the next.

Polyphonic song of Epirus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In Greece#

Among Greeks, polyphonic song is found in the northern part of the Greek region of Ioannina; in Ano Pogoni, (Ktismata, Dolo, Parakalamos) and some villages north of Konitsa), as well as in very few villages in northeastern Thesprotia (Tsamantas, Lias, Vavouri, Povla). Among the Greek minorities in southern Albania, polyphonic singing is performed in the regions of Dropull, Pogon (Kato Pogoni) (Poliçan) and the cities of Delvinë, Himara, Sarandë and Gjirokastër. Greek polyphonic groups can include six different parts: taker (partis), turner (gyristis), spinner (klostis), isokrates, rihtis (the one who “drops” the voice) and foreteller (prologistis). Songs are performed in two (taker and turner or taker and isokrates), three, four or five voices. In five-voice singing all parts are present, while the role of the spinner and the rihtis is performed by one part. The main voice, the taker, can be sung either by men or women, but it can also alternate between them. Greek polyphonic groups usually consist of 4 to 12 persons. Among Greeks a second kind of polyphonic singing differing in maximum roughness is also performed in Karpathos and Pontos. In 2020, the Polyphonic Caravan, which is a Greek project with the purpose of researching, safeguarding and promoting the Epirus polyphonic song since 1998, was inscribed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Good Safeguarding Practices.

Pontic Greek music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Cultural role#

When Pontian refugees came from the Pontos to Greece in the 1920s, they brought traditions of music and folklore with them. Between the 1950s and the 1980s, Pontian clubs used music, dance, and folklore to portray themselves as both patriotic Greeks and as a distinct group unto themselves. At the time, Pontian singers tended to censor songs with Turkish verses in order to assimilate into Greek society. In the 1980s, as the original generation of Pontian refugees began to die off, Pontian musicians focused on remembering the original refugees and their experience. Musicians began to openly perform Pontian songs with Turkish verses, such as “Tsambasin.” A , or , is an important form of social get-together for Pontians in the 21st century, describing “a banquet where music is the main activity.” gatherings feature music, including , or “tabletop melodies.” Tablemates go back and forth, singing original or remembered rhyming couplets to one another. The couplets are in iambic meter or trochaic meter. The provides instrumental support. The goal of a performance is to express emotions through the use of remembered verses, and to share these feelings with one’s community. Couplets may be used to communicate sorrow, to express longing, or to flirt. Scholar Ioannis Tsekouras argues that gatherings first emerged among refugees as ways to discuss their memories of genocide and deportation.

Powada

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Powada during Maratha Empire#

The composer-cum-singers of the powadas are known as Shahirs. The professional Powada singers formed a guild or caste called the Gondhalis. The earliest notable powada was The Killing of Afzal Khan (अफझल खानाचा वध) by Agnidas, which recorded Shivaji’s encounter with Afzal Khan. The next notable powada was Tanaji Malusare (तानाजी मालुसरे ) by Tulsidas, which gave an account of the capture of Sinhagad Fort by Tanaji. Another notable contemporary powada was Baji Pasalkar (बाजी पासलकर ) by Yamaji Bhaskar. They are also mentioned in the 13th century Marathi scripture Dnyaneshwari. During the Maratha Confederacy rule, several celebrated Shahir poet-singers, which include Ram Joshi (1762–1812), Anant Phandi (1744–1819), Honaji Bala (1754–1844) and Prabhakar (1769–1843) also composed powadas.

Progressive folk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins of the term#

The original meaning of progressive folk came from its links to the progressive politics of the American folk revival of the 1930s, particularly through the work of musicologist Charles Seeger. Key figures in the development of progressive folk in America were Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, who influenced figures such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez in the 1960s. All mixed progressive political messages with traditional folk music tunes and themes. In Britain, one of the major strands that emerged from the short-lived skiffle craze of 1956–9 were acoustic artists who performed American progressive material. Vital in the development of progressive folk was the emergence of the American counterculture and British underground scenes of the mid-1960s. The term progressive began to be used by radio stations to describe psychedelic music, including pop, rock and folk, that emerged from this scene.

Psychedelic folk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics and terminology#

Psychedelic folk generally favors acoustic instrumentation although it often incorporates other instrumentation. Chanting, early music and various non-Western folk music influences are often found in psych folk. Much like its rock counterpart, psychedelic folk is often known for a peculiar, trance-like, and atmospheric sound, often drawing on musical improvisation and Asian influences.

Acid folk#

The term acid folk was coined in late 1969 by Australian journalist Lillian Roxon to describe the music of Pearls Before Swine. In her Rock Encyclopedia, she explained: In Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk (2010), author Jeanette Leech states that the term “acid folk” was a “perfect summation” of the music of Pearls Before Swine and similar acts: The term was nonetheless not used widely until some time after it was coined. Tom Rapp of Pearls Before Swine commented that “acid folk as a label is fine in that it implies borderlessness.”

Pungmul

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Classification#

Pungmul was first recognized as an Important Intangible Cultural Property in 1966 under the title nongak sipicha (, “twelve movements of farmers’ music”). The designation was changed to simply nongak in the 1980s in order to accommodate regional variations. The Cultural Heritage Administration currently recognizes five regional styles of the tradition, each named for its center of activity, under Important Intangible Cultural Property no. 11: Jinju Samcheonpo nongak, from South Gyeongsang province (designated in 1966); Pyeongtaek nongak, from Gyeonggi province (1985); Iri nongak, from North Jeolla province (1985); Gangneung nongak, from Gangwon province (1985); and Imsil Pilbong nongak from North Jeolla province (1988). Each style is unique in its approach toward rhythms, costuming, instrumentation, and performance philosophy: Jinju Samcheonpo for yeongnam (), Pyeongtaek for utdari (), Iri for honam udo (), Gangneung for yeongdong (), and Imsil Pilbong for honam jwado (). Most scholarly works on pungmul focus on the two distinct styles present in the Honam region encompassing the two Jeolla provinces. In this region, the designations jwado (left) for Imsil Pilbong and udo (right) for Iri are determined according to geomantic principles. Looking southward from the “center” (Seoul, the capital), udo indicates “right”, and jwado indicates “left”.

Pungmul as protest

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin in the Minjung Movement#

Pungmul, along with other Korean folk arts such as talchum, madang guk, and minyo were important in the minjung movement. It involved a will of the university students and intellectual elites to become and embody the working class, which in the minjung movement was seen as the “ultimate revolutionary subject”. students used pungmul during street protests and demonstration, often shouting slogans such as “Revolution!” and “Down with the dictatorship!” along the beats while in violent altercations with police. Other than the sentiment of performing minjung ideology, pungmul was useful in protests due to its loud volume, as it was easily heard over a long distance and in the presence of large crowds and energized the group. Historically, pungmul was used by farmers to set a working rhythm and create a sense of community. This nature of the art, with basic beats easy to learn and the ability to be strapped onto the player for mobility, also made it accessible to protests.

Punto music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Choreography#

Traditionally, one male and one female participant perform the dance. The dance begins with the male kneeling with his left knee on the floor. Once the music begins to play, he takes the hands of the female dancer, who circles around him to the beat of the music. The male and female back away from each other, often emoting longing and passion. The male then initiates the dance with the following steps, repeating in order two or three times: # El Paseo () – The male and the female walk around in a wide circle. # El Zapateo – Face to face, the dancers show off their skill and dexterity during a change of music. # El Escobillao – The couple separate widely, often with a short backward-running movement. # El Seguidilla – The couple move closer and rotate with finesse in the center of the circle until a musical change indicates a return to the paseo.

Qaytarma

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Description#

During Qaytarma, a male dancer holds his arms apart and forms fists, making short, provocative movements with small jumps. His dancing partner, usually a woman, acts without sharp movements. Instead, she performs exact movements of her legs and shoulders, making smooth, rotational hand movements. According to other studies, among them those conducted by , only women should participate in Qaytarma, or, if men participate, they should do so separately from women. In addition to Crimean Tatars, Krymchaks, Crimean Karaites, Urums, and Ukrainian Greeks also dance Qaytarma. According to researcher Serhiy Zaichenko, Qaytarma music is typically in or time, which is common of Turkic music.

Quan họ

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Quan Ho, folk song, MP3, Video
Quan ho MP3, Video
Nhac dan ca
Dan Ca Viet

Qudud Halabiya

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Qudud Halabiya originated in al-Andalus. However, it was formed as a musical genre in the Levant, mainly in the city of Aleppo. It was developed by the musicians in Aleppo, based on secular, folk and religious songs. During the 20th century, Qudud Halabiya further developed and popularized by many Aleppine musicians including Omar al-Batsh (1885–1950), Abdul Qader al-Hajjar (1917–1993), Bakri al-Kurdi (1909–1978), Bakri Rajab (1910–1979), Sabri Moudallal (1918-2006), Sabah Fakhri (1933-2021), Mohammad Khairy (1935-1981), etc. Contemporary Qudud Halabiya performers include Mohammad Qadri Dallal, Shadi Jamil, Nihad Najjar, Hamam Khairy, Shahd Barmada, Nadya Manfukh, Subhi Toufic, Ahmad Azrak etc.

Quebec fiddle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History and development#

According to Reiner and Anick, the affinity between Anglo-Celtic and French fiddle music dates to the 17th century. Solo style predominated in the rugged frontier land where a small fiddle could be easily managed. Thus, cross tunings, drone notes and complex rhythms evolved to fill the gaps left in unaccompanied playing and this resulted in a highly developed style. Clogging was often the only available accompaniment, and, much like the Indigenous Metis fiddle style, percussive and rhythmic playing is notably developed in this style. As with the French-speaking Cajun fiddle style, German button accordion created a fad which temporarily influenced the form, as did the eventual introduction of piano in the urban center Montreal.

Raï

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

Raï is a type of Algerian popular music whose origins in the port city of Oran go back to the 1920s. Raï later emerged as a major genre of Algerian popular music whose early development was shaped by cheikhs and cheikhas and later by younger singers called cheb or – for women singers – chebba. The lyrics often address social, religious, and cultural change. Following a long period of marginalization, the genre spread internationally through Algerian migration to Europe, eventually gaining global recognition and becoming associated with the world music market. Raï ran counter to accepted artistic and social mores and appealed to young people who sought to modernize the traditional Islamic values and attitudes. Regional, secular and religious musical traditions, melodies, and instruments were blended with Western electric instrumentation. Raï emerged as a major world music genre in the late 1980s. In the years just following World War I, the Algerian city of Oran (known as “little Paris”) was a melting pot of various cultures, full of nightclubs and cabarets; it was the place to go for a bawdy good time. Out of this milieu arose a group of male and female Muslim singers called chioukhs and cheikhates, who rejected the refined, classical poetry of traditional Algerian music. Instead, to the accompaniment of pottery drums and end-blown flutes, they sang about the adversity of urban life in a raw, gritty, sometimes vulgar, and inevitably controversial language that appealed especially to the socially and economically disadvantaged. The cheikhates further departed from tradition in that they performed not only for women but also and especially for men. The music performed was called raï. It drew its name from the Algerian Arabic word (‘opinion’ or ‘advice’), which was typically inserted—and repeated—by singers to fill time as they formulated a new phrase of improvised lyrics. By the early 1940s Cheikha Rimitti el Reliziana had emerged locally as a musical and linguistic luminary in the raï tradition, and she continued to be among the music’s most prominent performers into the 21st century. In the early 20th century, Oran was divided into Jewish, French, Spanish, and Native Algerian quarters. By independence in 1962, the Jewish quarter (known as the Derb), was home to musicians like Reinette L’Oranaise, Saoud l’Oranais, and Larbi Bensari. Sidi el Houari (the old quarter where Sidi El Houari has his shrine) was home to Spanish fishermen and many refugees from Spain who arrived after 1939. These two areas had active music scenes, and the French inhabitants of the city went to the Jewish and Spanish areas to examine the music. The Arabs of Oran were known for al-Andalous, a classical style of music imported from Southern Spain after 1492. Hawzi classical music was popular during this time, and female singers of the genre included Cheikha Tetma, Fadila D’zirya and Myriam Fekkai. Another common musical genre was (‘Bedouin’) or (‘Western’), which originated from Bedouin chants. Bedoui consisted of Malhun poetry being sung with accompaniment from guellal drums and gaspa Flutes. Bedoui was sung by male singers, known as s, who were dressed in long, white jellabas and turbans. Lyrics came from the poetry of people such as Mestfa ben Brahim and Zenagui Bouhafs. Performers of bedoui included Cheikh Hamada, Cheikh Mohammed Senoussi, Cheikh Madani, Cheikh Hachemi Bensmir and Cheikh Khaldi. Senoussi was the first to have had recorded the music in 1906. French colonization of Algeria changed the organization of society, producing a class of poor, uneducated urban men and women. Bedoui singers mostly collaborated with the French colonizers, though one exception from such collaboration was Cheikh Hamada. The problems of survival in a life of poverty were the domain of street musicians who sang bar-songs called zendanis. A common characteristic of these songs included exclamations of the word and variations thereof. The word implies that an opinion is being expressed. In the 1920s, the women of Oran were held to strict code of conduct. Many of those that failed became social outcasts and singers and dancers. They sang medh songs in praise of the prophet Mohammad and performed for female audiences at ceremonies such as weddings and circumcision feasts. These performers included Les Trois Filles de Baghdad, Soubira bent Menad and Kheira Essebsadija. Another group of female social outcasts were called , who were known for their alluring dress, hedonistic lyrics, and their display of a form of music that was influenced from meddhahates and zendani singers. These cheikhas, who sang for both men and women, included people such as Cheikha Remitti el Reliziana, Cheikha Grélo, Cheikha Djenia el Mostganmia, Cheikha Bachitta de Mascara, and Cheikha Ouachma el Tmouchentia. The 1930s saw the rise of revolutionary organizations, including organizations motivated by Marxism, which mostly despised the earlier generation of raï singers. At the same time, Arabic classical music was gaining huge popularity across the Maghreb, especially the music of Egypt’s Umm Kulthum. When first developed, raï was a hybrid blend of rural and cabaret musical genres, invented by and targeted toward distillery workers and peasants who had lost their land to European settlers, and other types of lower class citizens. The geographical location of Oran allowed for the spread of many cultural influences, allowing raï musicians to absorb an assortment of musical styles such as flamenco from Spain, gnawa music, and French cabaret, allowing them to combine with the rhythms typical of Arab nomads. In the early 1930s, social issues afflicting the native population in the colony, such as the disease of typhus, harassment and imprisonment by the colonial police, and poverty were prominent themes of raï lyrics. However, other main lyrical themes concerned the likes of wine, love, and the meaning and experiences of leading a marginal life. From its origins, women played a significant role in the music and performance of raï. In contrast to other Algerian music, raï incorporated dancing in addition to music, particularly in a mixed-gender environment. In the 1930s, Raï, al-Andalousm, and the Egyptian classical style influenced the formation of wahrani, a musical style popularized by Blaoui Houari. Musicians like Mohammed Belarbi and Djelloul Bendaoud added these influences to other Oranian styles, as well as Western piano and accordion, resulting in a style called bedoui citadinisé. Revolt began in the mid-1950s, and musicians which included Houari and Ahmed Saber supported the Front de Libération National. After independence in 1962, however, the government of the Houari Boumédienne regime, along with President Ahmed Ben Bella, did not tolerate criticism from musicians such as Saber, and suppression of Raï and Oranian culture ensued. The number of public performances by female raï singers decreased which led to men playing an increased role in this genre of music. Meanwhile, traditional raï instruments such as the gasba (reed flute), and the derbouka (North African drums) were replaced with the violin and accordion.

Rasin

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Rasin bands combine the Vodou ceremonial and folk music traditions with various musical styles. The Haitian Vodou musical tradition includes “cool” rada rhythms often associated with Africa and the “hot” petro rhythms that speak of a New World, and bands incorporate both styles in their music, although rarely in the same song. On top of the basic horn and drum rhythms, melodies are layered that include structure from rock and roll and jazz. instrumentation can include a variety of drums (including distinct rada and petro styles), rara horns, electronic keyboards, electronic drums, electric guitars, an electric bass, one or more vocalists, and other percussionists. Most song lyrics are written in Creole and often incorporate traditional Vodou ceremonial lyrics or poetry. Songs can speak to traditional Vodou themes such as spying and betraying, feeling lost or estranged, the need for judgement and justice, or the urge to reconnect with an ancestral homeland. Some songs are based on prayers directed to particular loa, or gods, while others may be ballads relating to Haitian mythology. Many songs contain multiple layers of meaning, and can be interpreted as social or political commentary. Songs often emphasize spiritual messages of tolerance, faith, justice, and universal love. The music is upbeat and rhythmic and, like Vodou ceremonial music, intended for dancing.

Rasiya

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Rasiyas are characterised by a frequent use of a set of stock melodies which are used equally throughout the genre. Modern Rasiyas contain erotic lyrics and euphemisms while traditional Rasiyas are devotional portrayals of Radha and Krishna. They are most commonly sung in informal song meetings by members of the rural community in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh. There are different variants and styles of rasiya’s, and villagers will sing their own respective regional variants during their local festivities. During the Holi season, rasiyas are widely performed in temples. Rasiyas tend to encompass a traditional set of themes, however, the range of topics that the songs can be based on within the genre is limitless. Author Peter Manuel has argued that “to some extent, rasiya is distinguished by its characteristic melodies, styles, and contexts rather than text content, and is thus able to accommodate any sort of text topic”.

Rebetiko

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition and etymology#

The word (plural ) is an adjectival form derived from the Greek word (, ), which is construed to mean a person who embodies aspects of character, dress, behavior, morals and ethics associated with a particular subculture. The etymology of remains a subject of dispute and uncertainty. An early scholar of rebetiko, Elias Petropoulos, and the modern Greek lexicographer Georgios Babiniotis each offer suggested derivations, but leave the question open. where the word is defined as a ‘wanderer’, ‘blind’, ‘misguided’.

Rebita

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Rebita Bands and Musicians#

In the history of Rebita music, musicians who made significant progress and development in the musical style include Ngola Ritmos, Mestre Geraldo Morgado, União Kaboko Meu, Euclides Fontes Pereira, Amadeu Amorim.

Reel (dance)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The reel is indigenous to Scotland. The earliest reference was in a trial of 1590, where the accused was reported to have “daunced this reill or short dance.” However, the form may go back to the Middle Ages. The name may be cognate with or relate to an Old Norse form, with Suio-Gothic rulla, meaning “to whirl.” This became Anglo-Saxon hreol and Gaelic ruidhle or ruidhleadh, which is the origin of the word now. Later it was introduced to North America by English, Scottish, and Irish colonists and immigrants. In the United States, reels remain central in the traditions of Anglo and African-American Old-time music and square dancing, as well as Cajun and Zydeco. In Canada, they are important parts of Cape Breton, Acadian, Québécois, and Métis repertoires.

Rōkyoku

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance style#

In a rōkyoku performance, the rōkyokushi (singer) will deliver the narrative singing in the centre of the stage, with a blend of sung sections (fushi) and spoken word (tanka). https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/c030226/ The kyokushi (shamisen player) accompanies the singer and plays along. The will try to captivate and engage with the audience.

Instruments#

Yamabushi
Horagai
Shakujo

Origins and history#

Rōkyoku originated from the streets of Tokyo during the early Meiji period. It later evolved into popular entertainment which was watched by various social classes. By the end of the Meiji period, Rōkyoku was gaining attention across Japan and becoming a part of the nations culture. During the Edo period, performers were part of socially marginalized groups called the eta-hinin (穢多非人), or “lowborn people.”

Roots revival

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The British folk revival was an academic movement to transcribe and record traditional British songs during the late 19th and early 20th century. Pioneers of this movement were the Harvard professor Francis James Child (1825–96), compiler of The English and Scottish Popular Ballads (1882–92), Sabine Baring-Gould (1834–1924), Frank Kidson (1855–1926), Lucy Broadwood (1858–1939), and Anne Gilchrist (1863–1954). The Folk Song Society was founded in 1898 to promote this new endeavour. A major figure in this movement was Cecil Sharp who was the most influential on the repertoire of subsequent performers and defining the nature of folk song. His lectures and other publications attempted to define a musical tradition that was rural in origin, oral in transmission and communal in nature. The American folk music revival, which focused on culture and entertainment, began in the 1930s and 1940s. During the Great Depression, folk music styles were disseminated around the country, as Delta blues, Latino and Cajun musicians, and itinerant honky tonk singers spread to cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. The growth of the music industry in the same period was also important; higher potential profits from music placed pressure on artists, songwriters, and label executives to replicate previous hit songs. This meant that musical fads, such as Hawaiian slack-key guitar, never died out completely, since a broad range of rhythms, instruments, and vocal stylings were incorporated into disparate popular genres. The movement became global in the 1960s and 1970s. In most cases, the folk songs being revived were not quite extinct, though some had not been played for years or were moribund; such cases include the Celtic songs of Cornwall and the Isle of Man, for example. In other cases, such as Cameroon and the Dominican Republic, no revival was necessary as the music remained common, and was merely popularized and adapted for mainstream audiences at home and abroad.

Saeta (flamenco)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Performance#

The saeta is a song of Catholic Andalusia dating back many centuries. The saeta antigua old saeta probably arose from the recitation of psalms under the influence of liturgical music. “Saetas vary greatly in form and style, ranging from simple syllabic melodies to highly ornamented ones.” In the older tradition, solemn drums and horns might accompany the singer, or the saetero sang alone. Since the nineteenth century, however, the more favored saetas have incorporated distinct elements associated with Flamenco music, particularly the siguiriyas. The saeta is best known for its mournful power during Holy Week in Spain. The song is performed during the processions by religious confraternities that move slowly through the streets of cities and towns in southern Spain. Possessing a plaintive emotional intensity, and dramatic charge, the saeta is sung by the saetero, often from a balcony, and may be addressed to the statue of Jesus below, in his agony on the Via Dolorosa, or to that of his suffering mother Mary. These and other crafted statues are mounted on platforms and carried along the streets on the shoulders of several penitents who pass among the assembled public. The immediate emotional response to the saeta, often of intense sorrow, may be the reason for its name, as the Spanish word saeta can mean “arrow or dart”. One of the places with the most tradition and variety in the singing of the flamenco saeta in Spain is Jerez de la Frontera. Saetas are also sung at outdoor devotions throughout Lent, and may be sung during the Christmas season as well. Several of the cities in Andalusia have their own peculiar styles of the saeta. Four intentions or themes have been distinguished from the religious lyrics, which mark the music of Saeta: descriptive, praising, prayerful, and exhortative.

Samul nori

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The term samul originally comes from Korean Buddhism, where it referred to four instruments considered essential for ritual use in temples: the wooden fish (), the temple bell (), the dharma drum (), and the bronze gong (). The term nori means “to play” in Korean. In a later interview, Kim Duk-soo (), the founder and artistic director of the group, claimed that the choice to adapt traditional music to indoor venues was due to political circumstances at the time. The late 1970s saw the last years of the rule of South Korean president Park Chung Hee. During that time, large public gatherings were restricted, and Korean traditional music was associated with the student protest movement. Public performers were subject to arrest. in a small theater in Seoul. Initially, samul nori failed to gain acceptance from traditional Korean musicians; among others, South Korean musicologist Alan Heyman questioned the genre’s link to traditional local bands. Ethnomusicologist Keith Howard noted, “Older musicians saw in the quartet a challenge to what they knew, hence SamulNori was destined to struggle for acceptance from them.” and globally, with the original quartet being invited to perform in Tokyo and at the opening of Disney World Resort’s Epcot Centre in Florida in 1982. In 1984, Kim Yong-bae brought samul nori to the South Korean National Gugak Center. In 1985, the group began touring in Europe. The original samul nori quartet disbanded in 1993, as a result of internal conflicts, burnout, and financial issues. The same year, however, Kim founded a large samul nori orchestra called “Hanullim” (). The orchestra seeks to promote samul nori performance.

Sanedo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The original pronunciation and word is snehdo (), derived from the word sneh (), meaning love or affection. Sanedo contains couplets of four lines and has a striking resemblance to bhavai, a folk drama form from Gujarat. Gujarati folk artist Arvind Barot performed Sanedo on stage in the 1980s and deserves credit for bringing it to the mainstream. However, it was another Gujarati folk artist, Maniraj Barot, who made Sanedo widely popular among Gujaratis, and it is now commonly played during Navratri and at many wedding celebrations. A Sanedo topic can be anything from romance or youth to satire. Sanedo originated from the villages of the Patan district in Gujarat and it has become a very popular dance all over Gujarat and also among the Gujarati speaking population in other parts of India, United States, Australia, Canada and Britain. It is frequently played during the festival of Navratri, wedding celebrations and parties. The music played in the background during a Sanedo recital is from a musical instrument called daklu. It is similar in shape to a damaru but is considerably larger.

Sanjo (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Composition#

The composition of sanjo varies depending on the people, instruments and time. However, usually sanjo starts with a slow jinyangjo rhythm (hangul: 진양조장단; very slow rhythm used in pansori or sanjo) and becomes faster, ending with a very fast rhythm like a danmori rhythm and creating enthusiasm in the audience. Starting from a slow rhythm, the audience can gradually sink into the melody of the song. Sanjo expresses various aspects of the player. Sanjos are not fixed music. The musician can make new music with original variations. Sanjo has endless melodies in which musicians make new compositions that change with the times.

Sardana

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The origin of the Sardana is unknown. The oldest found reference to the word Sardana is from 1552. The invention served to symbolize the distinct Catalan ethos promoted by the then-newborn Catalan nationalism. These influences evolved into sardanes (plural of sardana) of different lengths. As a consequence, people started counting steps in order to finish at the same time. Shorter choreographies could be accommodated in longer melodies. The new melodies which progressively were made popular required new instruments, increasing the size of the cobla. This fact increased the identification of the sardana with Catalanism. In 2015 the Spanish parliament approved unanimously an initiative of the People’s Party of Spain to urge the Spanish Government to promote sardana for inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The same vote was done in 2002 in Spain’s senate and was rejected due to the negative vote of People’s Party of Spain.

Schottische

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Argentina#

In Argentina, the schottische (chotis) was introduced by Volga German immigrants and also evolved and mixed into , an Argentine folk music genre.

Australia#

Australian composers of schottische music include Christian Helleman and Henry Marsh.

Brazil#

In Brazil, the schottische (xote) has largely developed in the north-eastern area, especially the Sertão, where it has created variations such as and , which are usually grouped in the denomination. All of these rhythms are typically danced in pairs, being xote the slower and simpler style of dancing, in which the couple alternate left-left-hop-right-right-hop steps.

Sean-nós singing

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

There is almost no mention of sean-nós songs in medieval Irish literature, but experts have speculated that sean-nós singing has existed in a similar form since the thirteenth century. In early Irish history, poets and bards had distinctly separate social roles from musicians. However, the Tudor and Cromwellian conquests of Ireland led to a suppression of traditional Irish culture, and the 1662 Act of Settlement, which banished Irish Catholic landowners to Connacht, meant that the remains of these once complex social and regional styles combined. The once lowly bard became the nonprofessional composer of “street poetry” (sráid éigse), and the strict meters of older, professionally composed, Irish ballads were replaced with the far more accessible amhrán (“song”) meters. The tradition of the sean-nós song was exclusively oral and remains customarily so, however, a few songs were known to have been conveyed to script as early as the 16th century. A songbook for Elizabeth I contained English interpretations of sean-nós songs. Songs started to be more extensively written down in the eighteenth century and distributed in print from then on. The Irish antiquarian Thomas Crofton Croker described an elderly female sean-nós singer he encountered in the early 1800s known for her “skill in keening”: This woman, whose name was Harrington, led a wandering kind of life, travelling from cottage to cottage about the country, and though in fact subsisting on charity, found everywhere not merely a welcome, but had numerous invitations on account of the vast store of Irish verses she had collected and could repeat. Her memory was indeed extraordinary; and the clearness, quickness, and elegance with which she translated from the Irish into English, though unable to read or write, is almost incredible. Before she commenced repeating, she mumbled for a short time, probably the beginning of each stanza, to assure herself of the arrangement, with her eyes closed, rocking her body backwards and forward, as if keeping time to the measure of the verse, She then began in a kind of whining recitation, but as she proceeded, and as the composition required it, her voice assumed a variety of deep and fine tones, and the energy with which many passages were delivered, proved her perfect comprehension and strong feeling of the subject. The first recordings of sean-nós singing were made in 1905 by Richard Henebry (Risteard De Hindeberg) in An Rinn (Ring) and Cill Ghobnait (Kilgobnet), County Waterford, all of which have been digitised and made available online via the Irish Traditional Music Archive website. In 1907, the Austrian ethnologist Rudolf Trebitsch made several recordings in Counties Waterford, Kerry, Donegal as well as Dublin. Later in the twentieth century, particularly during the folk revival, some sean-nós singers gained popularity in international folk music circles. The most notable of these was the Connemara singer Seosamh Ó hÉanaí (Joe Heaney), Others, including Bess Cronin of West Cork, were visited and recorded by song collectors and their recordings inspired future generations of musicians. The term “sean-nós” (“old style”) to describe traditional Irish language singing began in the early 1940s at the Gaelic League Oireachtas

Seguidilla

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Types#

The earliest and most influential of the types of seguidilla are thought to originate in either La Mancha or Andalusia, having become typical of large parts of central Spain. Variants include the seguidilla manchega (from La Mancha) as well as the murciana from Murcia and the slightly faster sevillana of Seville. One of the most complex styles of seguidilla is the seguidilla flamenca or seguiriya), which is used in flamenco music. Act I of Jacques Offenbach’s opera La Périchole includes a number entitled “Séguedille”.

Sentimental ballad

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Early history#

Sentimental ballads have their roots from medieval French chanson balladée or ballade, which were originally “danced songs”. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of the British Isles from the later medieval period until the 19th century. They were widely used across Europe, and later in the Americas, Australia and North Africa. As a narrative song, their theme and function may originate from Scandinavian and Germanic traditions of storytelling. Musically they were influenced by the Minnesinger. The earliest example of a recognizable ballad in form in England is “Judas” in a 13th-century manuscript. A reference in William Langland’s Piers Plowman indicates that ballads about Robin Hood were being sung from at least the late 14th century and the oldest detailed material is Wynkyn de Worde’s collection of Robin Hood ballads printed about 1495.

Sevillanas

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Dance#

Sevillanas are danced by couples of all ages and sexes during celebrations (fiestas or ferias), often by whole families and towns. Sevillana choreography is characterized by stability and functionality, since it is a festival dance. This is why those intending to dance flamenco usually start by learning sevillanas; they are easier to master and there are more occasions for practice and training. The rhythm of Sevillanas can be interpreted as 3/4, although it is generally 6/8. Each sevillana is composed of four or sometimes seven parts, with each part divided into three coplas and with each copla made up of six movements. During festivals and shows, it is often the Sevillana dancing visitors to Andalusia mistakenly take as Flamenco, as it is a vivid style, full of turns.

Shamanic music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Shamanic and musical performance#

Since a Shamanic ritual includes a spiritual purpose and motive, it cannot be regarded as a musical performance, even though shamans use music (singing, drumming, and other instruments) in their rituals. Several things follow the ritual. First, a shamanic ritual performance is, above all, a series of actions and not a series of musical sounds. Second, the shaman’s attention is directed inwards towards her or his visualization of the spirit world and communication with the spirits, and not outwards to any listeners who might be present. Third, it is important for the success of the ritual that it be given its own clearly defined context that is quite different from any kind of entertainment. Fourth, any theatrical elements that are added to impress an audience are of a type to make the contact with the spirits seem more real and not to suggest the performer’s musical virtuosity. From a musical perspective, shamanic ritual performances have the distinctive feature of . Breaks may happen because a spirit is proving difficult to communicate with, or the shaman needs to call a different spirit. Typically, phases of the performance are broken off abruptly, perhaps to be restarted after a gap, perhaps not. The rhythmic dimension of the music of shamans’ rituals has been connected to the idea of both incorporating the rhythms of nature and magically re-articulating them.

Shamstep

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Shima-uta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Names and concepts#

Although shima-uta is often considered to represent Amami’s musical tradition, it is just one of various music genres. Amami’s traditional songs can be classified into three categories: # kami-uta (religious songs sung by priestesses) including omori, tahabë and kuchi, # warabe-uta (children’s songs), and # min’yo (folk songs). Amami’s min’yo is further divided into three genres: # gyōji-uta (songs for annual events) including songs for hachigatsu-odori, # shigoto-uta (work songs), associated with rice planting, sailing, etc., and # asobi-uta, which are sung at recreational gatherings. In a narrower sense, shima-uta refers to asobi-uta and is also known as sanshin-uta, zashiki-uta (lit. room songs) and nagusami-uta (lit. comforting songs). In a broader sense, shima-uta also covers gyōji-uta and shigoto-uta.

Shōka (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

In 1872, the Meiji government promulgated the first educational constitution called and set up as a subject in elementary schools. However, the subject was not taught due to the lack of teaching materials. Japanese court musicians composed most of the music for kindergarten, such they were the only musicians with knowledge in Japanese and Western music. In 1878, they composed Kazaguruma (Windfans), commissioned by the Tokyo Women’s Teacher College. In 1890, Musical Investigation Committee changed its name to Tokyo Music School and hired German musicians, and stopped teaching Japanese music. However, music textbooks that mixed Western melodies with Japanese text for school appeared after Shogaku Shokashu. In 1893, the Ministry of Education selected eight shōka songbooks for Imperial Holidays. In this book, songs with traditional Japanese Pentatonic scale were preferred, instead of the western diatonic scale. In this way, shōka songs sounded more familiar to Japanese people and got more popularity.

Shōmyō

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

An early reference to Buddhist chanting in Japanese history is a ceremony being held at the time of the kaigen ceremony for the in 752, and it is believed that chanting was widely practiced during the Nara period (710-794). In the early Heian period (794-1331), Kūkai and Saichō each transmitted chanting styles they had inherited when studying Buddhism in China, which eventually became the basis for the chanting styles of Shingon and Tendai. The Tale of Genji, a crucial work of classical Japanese literature written during this period, frequently mentions memorial services performed by monks from Mount Hiei, where Tendai chanting was utilized. In addition, Buddhist traditions other than Shingon and Tendai also have their own chanting styles, which are still passed down today. Buddhist vocal music introduced from China during the Heian period was called the . This remains the term used for chanting styles in both Chinese and Korean Buddhism, where the same Chinese characters are read as fanbai and beompae, respectively. The study of the Siddhaṃ script, used to write Buddhist texts in Sanskrit, also became popular. Eventually, the term shōmyō came to denote the combination of Siddhaṃ studies and the recitation of texts; from the medieval period onwards, it referred only to the recitation of texts. Because shōmyō was passed down orally, there was initially no equivalent to musical notation in modern music theory. This made transmission extremely difficult. Later, the equivalent of musical notation would be developed, with technical terms referring to the notation varying across Buddhist schools. However, the notations were merely a reference for chanting, and to formally master shōmyō, ), or face-to-face instruction by a teacher, was essential. Without face-to-face instruction, the school could not be maintained or passed on from teacher to student. For this reason, it was essential to train instructors and successors. Before the medieval period, shōmyō was difficult to understand, not only for ordinary Japanese people but also for Buddhist monks. As a result, there was a demand for easy-to-understand shōmyō with lyrics in Japanese, and a form of shōmyō called was created. Because Kōshiki was made up of a musical structure that deviated from the conventions of existing shōmyō, a new method of notation was devised. Kōshiki had a major influence on the development of Japanese music, such as the yōkyoku used in Noh plays.

Skiffle

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins in the United States#

Skiffle is often said to have developed from New Orleans jazz, but this claim has been disputed. Improvised jug bands playing blues and jazz were common across the American South in the early decades of the 20th century. They used instruments such as the washboard, jugs, washtub bass, cigar-box fiddle, musical saw and comb-and-paper kazoos, as well as more conventional instruments, such as acoustic guitar and banjo. The origin of the English word skiffle is unknown. However, in the dialect of the west of England to make a skiffle, meaning to make a mess of any business, is attested from 1873. In early 20th century America the term skiffle was one of many slang phrases for a rent party, a social event with a small charge designed to pay rent on a house. It was first recorded in Chicago in the 1920s and may have been brought there as part of the African-American migration to northern industrial cities. It was used by Ma Rainey (1886–1939) to describe her repertoire to rural audiences. The term skiffle disappeared from American music in the 1940s.

Skiladiko

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Chryspa
Lefteris Pantazis
Giorgos Mazonakis
Nancy Alexiadi
Dionysis Makris
Kelly Kelekidou
Maro Litra
Vasilis Karras
Paola Foka
Zafeiris Melas
Anna Vissi
Angela Dimitriou
Antypas (singer)
Themis Adamantidis

Slovenian-style polka

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Instruments#

The Slovenian style polka band always includes a piano accordion, chromatic accordion, or the Diatonic button accordion (also called a “button box”). An accordion called the Half Chromatic, often abbreviated half-chrom, is sometimes used. This accordion has a right side similar to a three-row B-system chromatic accordion, but a bass side similar to the Diatonic button accordion. Some bands in Slovenia use keyboard instead of accordion. The other melody instrument is a saxophone or clarinet, and the rhythm instruments include drums, bass, and guitar or banjo. The Avsenik brothers also add a trumpet to their sound. The Slovenian style polka in the United States came about when immigrants from Slovenia taught the old songs to their children. Those children, as adults, translated the old songs from Slovene into English, and arranged them in a polka beat. This began the oral tradition of Cleveland-style polka music.

Soleá

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lyrics#

When singers sing soleá, as with most palos, they normally choose different “coplas” (stanzas), with different melody, and combine them according to the inspiration of the moment or to a previous plan. Even if the singer has a previous plan, it is often altered on the spur of the moment. These stanzas are independent in subject matter from one another. The content of the lyrics is generally serious in nature, as appropriate to the solemn air of the music. They often have a sententious tone and convey a feeling of intimate pain. Sometimes despair, more typical of seguiriya, can also appear. However, it is difficult to generalize: sometimes a less serious stanza can turn up in the middle of other serious ones, and irony is frequent. The stanza of the soleá has three or four lines. In four-line stanzas, the second and fourth line are in assonant rhyme, while the first and third are free. In three-line stanzas, the assonance is between the first and the third. Some examples: ;A three-line stanza :No se me daba cuidao :me hago cargo que ha sío un ensueño :y a lo pasaíto pasao. :;Translation ::I didn’t mind ::I know it was just a dream ::and past things are past. ;A four-line stanza :Fui piedra y perdí mi centro :y me arrojaron al mar :y a fuerza de mucho tiempo :mi centro vine a encontrar :;Translation ::I was a stone and lost my centre ::and was thrown into the sea ::and after a very long time ::I came to find my centre again. This type of stanza is the cuarteta romanceada, one of the oldest and most frequent in Spanish poetry, and is derived from the medieval “Romance” poetic form, a type of traditional epic poetry that has survived in both learned and popular literature to our days. The melody of a soleá can demand repeating some lines, altering their logical order, or cutting the lines, sometimes even in the middle of words. For example, as stanza like: :En mis cortas oraciones :le pido a dios llorando :que me quite la salud :y a ti te la vaya dando :;Translation ::In my short prayers ::crying, I ask God ::to deprive me of my health ::and to give it back to you Can be rendered in song like: :A Dios llorando yo le pido :le pido a Dios llorando :yo le pido a Dios llorando :que me quite la salud :y a ti te la vaya dando :en mis cortas oraciones :que yo le pido a Dios llorando

Spirituals

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Terminology#

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians—one of the largest reference works on music and musicians —itemized and described “spiritual” in its electronic resource, Grove Music Online, an important part of Oxford Music Online, as a “type of sacred song created by and for African Americans that originated in oral tradition. Although its exact provenance is unknown, spirituals were identifiable as a genre by the early 19th century.” The term was generally employed without the descriptor “African American”. “Negro spirituals” is a 19th-century term that according to writer Arthur Evans was “used for songs with religious texts created by African Enslaved in America”. The first published book of slave songs referred to them as “spirituals”. In the introductory phrase, the singular form is used without the adjective “African American.” Throughout the encyclopedia entry, the singular and plural forms of the term are used without the “African American” descriptor. The Library’s introductory sentence observes that “A spiritual is a type of religious folksong that is most closely associated with the enslavement of African people in the American South. The songs proliferated in the last few decades of the eighteenth century leading up to the abolishment of legalized slavery in the 1860s. The African American spiritual (also called the Negro Spiritual) constitutes one of the largest and most significant forms of American folksong.”

Starogradska muzika

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In Serbia#

Starogradska muzika was very popular during the early 20th century in Serbia. Today, this sort of music can be heard in the bohemian quarter of Belgrade, Skadarlija. It is most popular in the northern part of Serbia, Vojvodina. Famous performers include Zvonko Bogdan, Ksenija Cicvarić, Toma Zdravković and Dušan Jakšić. The lyrics are often romantic and depict city life, as well as some more rural scenes.

In North Macedonia#

The emergence of starogradska muzika is related to the development of cities and the bourgeoisie under the influence of the West in the Ottoman-occupied Macedonia during the 19th century. Unlike rural folk music, which portrays life in villages, the nature surrounding them, and the hard agricultural work performed in the fields, starogradska music is about life in the city and its famous loves, tragedies, and characters, from rich traders to impoverished beggars. Starogradska music uses instruments such as violins and clarinets instead of ones associated with more rural music, such as gajda. While rural folk performers usually wear traditional village costumes, starogradska music performers are usually dressed in European old city fashions, including suits, hats and neckties, as well as accessories such as pocket watches and walking sticks. An important, if not the most important part of the Macedonian old city music is the musical genre called Čalgija (not to be confused with chalga, which is a contemporary Turbofolk style in Bulgaria and Serbia). In both rural and urban Macedonian folk, songs about famous revolutionaries also exist. Among prominent starogradska performers are Ansambl Biljana from the city of Ohrid, a historic center for this sort of music along with Bitola, Prilep and others, the vocal groups Oktet Makedonija from Skopje and Oktet Kumanovo from Kumanovo, and the vocal and instrumental ensemble Raspeani Resenčani from Resen.

Strathspey (dance)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Printed collections#

Among printed collections of Strathspeys, Keith MacDonald’s “The Skye Collection of the Best Reels and Strathspeys” (1887) has over 400 tunes. It is mentioned on the website “The Session” under the article for “Clark’s Strathspey”. Peter Wyper recorded a version of “Lord Lynedoch” on cylinder in the period 1901 - 1907. (see “The Session” article referenced above). It is not easy to determine the most frequently recorded strathspey but “Monymusk” has been recorded 24 times. (see “The Session” again). The “tunearch” website has 21 transcriptions of “Money Musk”, originally dated to 1789.

String band

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History of African American old-time string band music#

Although African American old-time string bands recorded history is that of the early 20th century, the beginnings of the music started much earlier. Many people once believed that the role African Americans played in the upcoming of old-time string band music was either nonexistent or to interest the Middle Ages or medieval times. The genre of African American folk music actually began with the use of percussion instruments, which were used to create music in form of encouragement to keep the slaves exercising on slave ships. Furthermore, that then sparked the usage of stringed instruments such as banjos and violins that the slaves played as a way of entertainment.

Sub-Saharan African music traditions

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Regions#

Alan P. Merriam divided Africa into seven regions for ethnomusicological purposes, observing current political frontiers (see map), and this article follows this division as far as possible in surveying the music of ethnic groups in Africa. * Music of the northern region of Africa (red on the map), including that of the Horn of Africa (dark green on the map), is mostly treated separately under Middle Eastern and North African music traditions. * West African music (yellow on the map) includes the music of Senegal and the Gambia, of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia, of the inland plains of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and also the coastal nations of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo as well as the islands of Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe. * Central African Music (dark blue on the map) includes the music of Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. * The Eastern region (light green on the map) includes the music of Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe as well as the islands of Madagascar, the Seychelles, Réunion, Mauritius and Comoros. The eastern region has received south Asian and even Austronesian influences via the Indian Ocean. * The Southern region (brown on the map) includes the music of South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Namibia and Angola.

Suzhou Pingtan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin and development#

It originated in Suzhou about four hundred years ago. From the middle of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, it was performed in Shanghai. At that time, Shanghai was one of the five treaty ports. Shanghai’s economy was booming and various cultures arrived there. Pingtan absorbed some elements from various cultures and was well developed under the circumstances. The rise of records and radio stations also played an important role in popularizing Pingtan art. Another positive factor was the expansion of performing halls, which were decorated well and spacious. As a result, people like writers, painters, professors gradually became loyal fans. After the founding of People’s Republic of China, 18 performers organized Shanghai People’s Pingtan Troupe, which was the first official troupe. Based on traditional long story-telling, shorter and medium-sized stories were created, reflecting modern life. The form of performance is not limited in Shuchang, which was the traditional performing stage, however, in 1961 Pingtan concert was held which attracted nearly one thousand people to watch in each performance. While its traditional repertoire was banned during the Cultural Revolution, Pingtan still enjoyed a special status as a preferred medium for singing poems by Mao Zedong, making Pingtan known and appreciated throughout China, despite the dialectal barrier. Since the late 1970s, the traditional repertoire has been revived. The old artists undertook the task of passing the tradition on to the new generation. Pingtan is popularized by radio, television and Internet. Meanwhile, it faces challenges as a result of the popular entertainment industry.

Talking blues

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Development of the genre#

Woody Guthrie and his song “Talking Hard Work” is a title-tribute to Bouchillon’s “Talking Blues” and “Born in Hard Luck”. The “Talking Blues” begins with the line: Several sources of the 1940s–1950s, including the Almanac Singers, wrongly credited Guthrie as the creator of the talking blues. By the 1940s, what had started as a comedic country music genre became a more pronounced form of wry political protest singing. This sample lyric, from “Talking Union” by Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Millard Lampell shows the development of the genre into a vehicle for political commentary: In 1958, the musician and folk music scholar John Greenway recorded an album collection called “Talking Blues” on the Folkways label. His compendium included 15 talking blues songs by Guthrie, Tom Glazer, and others, and was, according to the music historian Manfred Helfert, the “obvious source” for the many 1960s forays into the genre by Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan recorded “Talking World War III Blues” in 1963. Dylan’s fame and his repeated use of the talking blues form contributed to the genre becoming a widely popular vehicle for the composition of songs with political content. When the country singer Johnny Cash recorded a song that described his trip to Vietnam with his wife June Carter Cash, he chose the talking blues format to describe his dissent against the Vietnam War. Talking blues is also popular as a medium for parody, as in “Like a Lamb to the Slaughter”, Frank Hayes’s talking-blues parody of Matty Groves:

Tallava

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Tallava originated in the 1980s and 1990s within the Albanian-speaking areas of Kosovo region, created by the Romani ethnic minority community. The name is derived from Romani tel o vas, meaning “under the hand”, referring to the čoček dance where the hands are waved delicately. Kosovo Albanian refugees of the Kosovo War in North Macedonia had brought their music with them, including Tallava. It has since also been adopted by the non-Albanian-speaking Roma in North Macedonia.

Tamang Selo

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hira Devi Waiba, pioneer of Nepali folk songs and Tamang Selo#

Hira Devi Waiba is hailed as the pioneer of Nepali folk songs and Tamang Selo. Her song “Chura ta Hoina Astura” (Nepali: चुरा त होइन अस्तुरा) is said to be the first Tamang Selo ever recorded. Waiba has sung nearly 300 songs in a career spanning 40 years. Waiba’s children Navneet Aditya Waiba and Satya Aditya Waiba have carried the legacy further by continuing on her footsteps.

Tanci

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Historically tanci was a popular art form with women in the lower Yangtze River Valley, specifically the Jiangnan region. Women’s tanci often are about their philosophy of literary creation, the sentiments of the author, and descriptions of seasons. During the Qing dynasty it was not only used for entertainment but also for political and social propaganda. The Gengzi Guobian Tanci, a tanci by Li Baojia (Li Boyuan) written about the Boxer Rebellion, is an example of a political tanci.

Tango (flamenco)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology and terminology#

In flamenco, the palo is normally referred to in the plural as tangos. Performers commonly say that a singer, guitarist or dancer performs por tangos, meaning in the style or compás of tangos. The singular tango may be used in general description, but the plural is the usual name of the palo in flamenco contexts. The etymology of the Spanish musical and dance term tango is uncertain. The current Diccionario de la lengua española of the Real Academia Española marks this sense of the word as perhaps onomatopoeic, and distinguishes it from another word tango meaning a game-piece, derived from an old form of tañer. The dictionary gives separate definitions for several musical and dance uses of the word, including the Rioplatense tango and the flamenco palo. Flamenco writers have also pointed to early Andalusian documentation of the word. José Blas Vega cited an 1814 Cádiz manuscript, Apuntes para la descripción de la ciudad de Cádiz, in which tango appears in connection with popular dances and festivities in Cádiz. This earlier use of the word tango should not be confused with Argentine tango, which later developed as a distinct Río de la Plata music and dance tradition.

Tarab

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definitions and descriptions#

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians defined tarab as “a state of heightened emotion or ecstasy felt by musicians and audience that is central to Arab music performance. Within tarab culture, performer and audience are bound by a “common emotional experience to which both contribute.” Commenting on Arabic music in the US, Kenneth S. Habib noted that tarab “refer s both to the feeling of enchantment or ecstasy produced by captivating music and to such music itself. While tarab refers to musical experience, it is also mutually reinforced in an active performer–audience dynamic, where “performers express themselves musically and audience members respond in affirming ways.” In 2003, Ali Jihad Racy, a musician and professor of ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles, published his study Making music in the Arab world: the culture and artistry of tarab. He described tarab as “a multifaceted concept that has no exact equivalent in English and refers to both the indigenous music and the ecstatic feeling associated with it.” In Arab culture, tarab represents the deep connection between music and emotional experience. The term, found in medieval writings and still used today, refers broadly to the urban, structured classical music of the Arab Near East. Closely linked to the concept of fann (“art”), tarab can denote both this musical tradition and, more specifically, an older repertoire from pre-WWI Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean, especially associated with stirring emotional responses. Further, Racy explained that tarab has been described as a “musically induced state of ecstasy”, as “enchantment”, “aesthetic emotion” and “the feeling roused by music”. Accordingly, the ecstasy of tarab involves intense emotional states in the listener, such as excitement, yearning, and timeless delight. It may also induce an altered state of consciousness, such as feelings linked to intoxication, empowerment, inspiration, and creativity.

Tierra Caliente music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Tierra Caliente music originated in the late 20th century in Mexico’s Tierra Caliente region. The genre was influenced by the technobanda sound; essentially using the same instruments such as vocals, electric keyboards, electric bass, trumpets, trombones, saxophones and drums. Some bands also utilize accordions. Tierra Caliente emphasizes the electric keyboard, giving the genre its own signature keyboard riff. The genre’s popularity was originally limited to the region in Mexico it is named after, as well as among the Mexican population from said region living in the United States, but starting in the mid-2000s, its popularity spread to other parts of Mexico; mainly in the country’s Bajío region, as well as the Mexican community from said region residing in the United States. It also gained some popularity in the Northern Triangle of Central America.

Tonada

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Baroque Peru#

The baroque tonada is distinct from the tono humano or tonado, secular song, a main genre of 17th-century Spanish and Portuguese music. Examples of the baroque tonada are found in the Codex Martínez Compañón.

Argentina#

The Argentine form of the tonada originates from Cuyo Region and is usually played by guitar group.

Chile#

The modern rural Chilean folk tonada is typically a simple “monotonous” slow-moving song with a melancholy theme.

Tovareća mužika

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins and traditions#

The Tovareća mužika traces its roots back to the maritime culture of Sali. Originally, the ox horn (rog) was an essential communication tool for coordinating bluefish fishing. Every household possessed this instrument, which was believed to have magical virtues capable of protecting against the “evil eye” during nights at sea. The symbolic importance of this instrument is now embodied by a five-meter-high bronze sculpture, named Rog, erected on one of the harbor’s squares (Porat) to celebrate this tradition.

Traditional Japanese music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Theatrical#

Japan has several theatrical forms of drama in which music plays a significant role. The main forms are kabuki and Noh.

Noh#

or music is a type of theatrical music used in Noh theatre. Noh music is played by an instrumental ensemble called . The instruments used are the stick drum, a large hourglass-shaped drum called the , a smaller hourglass-shaped drum called the , and a bamboo flute called the . The ensemble is performed along with , vocal music, in Noh theater.

Traditional music of Galicia, Cantabria and Asturias

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

It has long been thought that Galician and Asturian music might owe their roots to the ancient Celtic history of the region. It was presumed that some of this ancient influence had survived despite the long evolution of the local musical traditions since then, including centuries of Roman and Germanic influences. Whether or not this is the case, much modern commercial Galician and Asturian traditional and folk-rock of recent years has become strongly influenced by modern Irish, Scottish and Welsh “folk” styles. Galicia is nowadays a strong player on the international Celtic folk scene. As a result, elements of the pre-industrial Galician tradition have become integrated into the modern Celtic folk repertoire and style. Many, however, claim that the “Celtic” appellation is merely a marketing tag; the well known Galician bagpipe player Susana Seivane, said “I think the ‘Celtic’ moniker is a label, in order to sell more. What we make is Galician music”. In any case, due to the Celtic brand, Galician music is the only non- Castilian-speaking music of Spain that has a significant audience beyond the country’s borders. Some Galicians and Asturians have complained that the “Celtic boom” was the final death blow to once highly distinctive musical traditions. Celtic culture is known to have extended over a large part of the Iberian Peninsula as early as 600BC. During the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the Roman Empire slowly conquered Iberia, which they called Hispania. The Celtic regions put up a long and fierce struggle to maintain their independence but were eventually subdued. In the centuries that followed, the language of the Romans, Latin, came to gradually supplant nearly all the earlier languages of the peninsula, including all Celtic languages, and is the ancestor of most of the current languages of Spain and Portugal other than Basque, including Galician and Astur-Leonese-Mirandese. The departure of the Romans in the 5th century led to the invasions of Germanic tribes. The Suebi people conquered the northwest but the poor documentation from the period has left their cultural impact on the region unclear. In the 6th century, a final small Celtic influx arrived from Britain; the Britons were granted their own diocese, Britonia, in northern Galicia. Galicia was then taken over by the Visigothic Kingdom when the Suebian kingdom fell apart. Galicia came under the control of the Moors after they defeated the Visigoths in 717 but Moorish rule was little more than a short lived military occupation, although an indirect Moorish musical influence arrived later, through Christian troubadours. Moorish rule ended after two decades when their garrison was driven out by a rebellion in 739. The region was incorporated into the Kingdom of Asturias and, after surviving the assaults of the Moors and Vikings, became the springboard for the Reconquista. In 810, it was claimed that the remains of Saint James, one of the apostles, had been found at a site which soon became known as Santiago de Compostela. It became Europe’s premier pilgrimage destination in the Middle Ages. This is assumed to have had a significant effect on the folk culture of the area, as the pilgrims brought with them musical instruments and styles from as far afield as Scandinavia and Hungary. Like the earlier periods, little is known about musical traditions from this era. Just a few manuscripts from the time are known, such as those by the 13th-century poet and musician Martín Codax, which indicate that some of the distinctive elements of today’s music, such as the bagpipes and flutes, were common at the time. The Cantigas de Santa Maria, a collection of manuscripts written in old Galician, also show illustrations of people playing bagpipes.

Traditional music of Korea

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea#

Not much is known about music from the Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea period (before 57 BCE). It is believed that Korean people practiced shamanistic rituals involving music at agricultural festivals.

Three Kingdoms of Korea#

The Three Kingdoms of Korea refers to the period from 57 BCE to 668 CE when the Korean peninsula was ruled by three kingdoms: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Each kingdom was known for favoring different musical instruments.

Traditional Nordic dance music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

References#

Goertzen, Chris. 1997. Fiddling for Norway: Revival and identity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Hopkins, Pandora. 1986. Aural thinking in Norway: Performance and communication with the hardingfele. NY: Human Sciences Press.

Trallalero

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

recordings by Alan Lomax, with much background information.
For the Le vie dei canti festival see: https://www.leviedeicantifestival.it/

Tsugaru-jamisen

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

While it is clear that the originated from China through Okinawa in the 16th century CE, the specific developers of are not known with certainty, largely because written records of its development were not kept, nor did the Japanese government formally recognize it. What is known is that originated from a small peninsula due west of present-day Aomori Prefecture called Tsugaru. In addition, some researchers have conjectured the style’s origins based on available evidence. Some consensus is that the style was developed by homeless and blind individuals called . One scholar, Daijō Kazuo, proposed that the genre originated from a named Nitabō based on interviews with musicians and their families. According to his research, Nitabō acquired and modified a in 1877, for which he adopted a different playing style. Nitabō rounded off the plectrum of the instrument such that it was shaped like a rice paddle. In addition, he adopted a playing style with the held upright, included the area around the bridge as the playing area, and incorporated beating and slapping the strings in contrast to exclusive use of the plectrum. However, other scholars, such as Gerald Groemer, argue that the account advanced by Kazuo may not be entirely accurate due to a lack of documentation. Nitabō had multiple blind students, such as Kinobo and Chōsakubo, who contributed to the development of the style. Nitabō’s last student, Shirakawa Gunpachirō, performed outside of the Tsugaru region as a part of a folk performance troupe. Gunpachirō also performed in professional settings, such as in concert halls in Tokyo. As a result of his successes, became popular in the 1920s, but its popularity waned with the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War later in the decade. During 1955–1965, a number of genre performers moved to urban centers in Japan, such as Tokyo. This migration was part of a larger movement due to a boom in the traditional arts in Japan. enjoyed another bout of popularity when Gunpachirō performed with star Michiya Mihashi at the Nihon Theater in Tokyo in 1959. As a result of this mass exposure to the genre, younger practitioners emerged. Takahashi Chikuzan, also a , was a highly regarded practitioner of the genre and began touring Japan in 1964.

Turbo-folk

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Croatia#

Turbo-folk grew in Croatia in part due to the popularity of the Croatian singer Severina’s style of fusion music. Turbo-folk is purportedly seen as a “part of everyday life in Croatia and serves a means of social release and reaction to the effects of globalisation in Croatia” according to contemporary art professor Urosh Cvoro of UNSW Sydney. Upon introduction of Billboard Croatia Songs chart on 15 February 2022, it became apparent that mainstream music from Serbia and other former Yugoslav republics (which is all described as turbo-folk or by a derogatory term "" (plural: cajke) by its critics in Croatia) dominated the music taste of the people of Croatia, as the only Croatian artists featured on the chart were Eni Jurišić, Matija Cvek, 30zona, Kuku$ Klan, Jelena Rozga and Grše, and the only Western artists featured on the chart were Glass Animals and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Verdiales

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The word verdiales is usually connected with the olive-growing landscape of Málaga. One common explanation relates the name to a local variety of olive or to the green appearance of olives in the region, from Spanish verde, meaning green. The term also refers to rural districts and settlements associated with the tradition, especially the area of Los Verdiales, north of the city of Málaga. In musical usage, verdiales is both plural and collective. It may refer to the genre as a whole, to particular songs and dances, or to the festive event in which they are performed. The expression Fiesta de Verdiales designates not only a musical performance but a larger social event involving singing, dancing, costume, ritualized competition, local identity and communal celebration.

Vesnianky

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

For the ancient Slavs, the year began in spring, and the March chronology was preserved until 1409 (Nestor the Chronicler began his Tale of Bygone Years based on this chronology). The New Year began with the revival of the surrounding nature and with the awakening of Mother Earth from her winter sleep, with the first plowing and sowing. Spring was greeted joyfully and magnificently, with songs, dances, and games. These songs were called vesnianky. Later, during the Christian era, as the church fought against paganism and banned any entertainment and secular singing during Lent, in some regions vesnianky were sung during Easter. In the twentieth century, in Western Polissia (Pinshchyna), the ritual of expelling Winter was performed on Easter. In Podillia, apparently because spring was already fully coming into its rights at Easter time, there was no need to call it out at all, so the emphasis of spring rituals shifted to the field of dancing and games.

Volkstümliche Musik

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Closely related to the German schlager genre, many titles stress a Heimat affect, being presented in regional dialects (e.g. Bavarian, Upper Saxon, Low German) or colloquial language (e.g. Rhinelandic) and invoke local and regional lifestyles and traditions, particularly dances. Brass and Alpine musical instruments, such as Alphorns, Zithers, acoustic guitars, violas, and harmonicas are frequently featured, although most commercial productions nowadays employ drum machines and synthesizers. Yodeling is also common.

Wangga

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Samples at Manikay.Com
Wangga dancers from Eastern Kimberly Group, at Australia Council for the Arts website.

Warabe uta

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Tōryanse#

“Tōryanse” is often played as an electronic tune at pedestrian crossings in Japan to signal when it is safe to cross. Japanese: 通りゃんせ通りゃんせここはどこの細道じゃ :天神さまの細道じゃちっと通して下しゃんせ :御用のないもの通しゃせぬこの子の七つのお祝いにお札を納めにまいります :行きはよいよい帰りはこわいこわいながらも通りゃんせ通りゃんせ Romaji: Tōryanse, tōryanse Koko wa doko no hosomichi ja? : Tenjin-sama no hosomichi ja Chitto tōshite kudashanse : Goyō no nai mono tōshasenu Kono ko no nanatsu no oiwai ni O-fuda wo osame ni mairimasu : Iki wa yoi yoi, kaeri wa kowai Kowai nagara mo Tōryanse, tōryanse Translation: Pass through, pass through What is this narrow pathway here? : It’s the narrow pathway of the Tenjin shrine Please allow me to pass through : Those without good reason shall not pass To celebrate this child’s 7th birthday I’ve come to dedicate my offering : Going in will be fine, fine, but returning will be scary It’s scary but Pass through, pass through (When infant mortality was high, people traditionally celebrated when a child survived to reach the age of 7. See Shichigosan) This particular warabe-uta is sung as part of a traditional game identical to “London Bridge Is Falling Down”. Two children facing each other link their hands to form an arch ‘checkpoint’, and the remaining children walk through underneath in a line (and back round again in circles). The child who happens to be under the arch when the song finishes is then ‘caught’. The tune is played at Japanese pedestrian crossings by analogy with this game, i.e., it is safe to cross until the music stops.

Welsh bardic music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

General features of musical style#

Hallmarks of Welsh bardic music included the use of cerdd dant (“the craft of the string”), which is vocalization over a melody played on a harp or crwth alongside a datgeiniad, the narrator or specialized singer of the bardic verse. These performances pulled from social frameworks and were primarily oral in nature.

Examples of Welsh bardic works#

Y Gododdin
Book of Aneirin
Book of Taliesin
Canu Llywarch Hen
Y Llafurwr

External links#

Music of the Robert ap Huw Manuscript
1 and 0 a compositional basis on Bragod website
Medieval Welsh Bardic Music, Interpreting the Robert ap Huw MS. by William Taylor

West gallery music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

By the 1700s, many church goers were unsatisfied by the state of congregational singing, which resulted in the formation of amateur choirs, which were initially male. In rural English churches, congregations often lacked an organ, but still needed support in order to maintain pitch in complex music. Some of these works have remained in use in shape note traditions, for example in the Sacred Harp repertoire. The 4-part, tenor-led harmony, fuguing tunes and anthems and other aspects strongly helped influence the shape note musical tradition, and in many ways the American music style is directly evolved from the older one. Use of west gallery music in the Church dwindled in part due to the rise of urbanization and also due to the desire for a more polite, more formal style of worship. Another possible reason for this is that when the Methodists split from the Anglican church, many of these bands would have been split apart, or even leaving en masse. In 1893, the Reverend Francis William Galpin described the church band at Winterbourne Abbas, which he believed was the last surviving example in England; however, two years later, a survey of parishes in Cornwall found that 18 out of 219 churches still had a band.

White voice

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Technique#

The technique is based on an open throat and free volume with a bright color. It spans all vocal registers. Sometimes it is close to a controlled screaming or calling. Air escapes through the fully open throat. The upper and medium resonators, laryngeal cartilage, bones and air cavities in the head and throat are used. A characteristic feature of this kind of voice is its brightness, clarity (not in the meaning of voice color) or intensity. Although breathing can be taken at random moments of a song, it is a very important underlying expression. Nowadays, a “revival” of folk singing made this style universal, equal and de facto flat. Field work shows that the style is more complex than just singing “on nose” and loud. It depends mainly on the country/region, speech, voice color, sound, solo or polyphonic singing and individual expression of a singer.

Wienerlied

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

A distinguishing feature of many Wienerlieder is their chromatic and harmonic variety. Frequent changes in tempo together with theatrical pauses throughout the songs bring a certain degree of excitement to both singer and listener. A typical Wienerlied is written according to a 2/4 or 3/4 time signature with an often-alternated rhythm. The Wienerlied has a more complicated musical structure than other well-known music genres such as blues, rock, folk or Alpine folk music. It is therefore quite unusual that Wienerlieder became so popular, yet it is often the case that many songs become established as traditional folk songs in Vienna. The Alpine-Bavarian roots of Wienerlieder are still recognizable; for example, the melody of ‘Ländler’ (an Austrian folk dance featuring much hopping and stamping) or the characteristic use of melodic polyphony (a deep main voice sung together with a second accompanying higher-pitched voice). Slavo-Hungarian components are also recognizable within Wienerlieder, adding to the unique mix of multiple musical elements that give an exciting and surprising feel to Viennese folk songs. And all of this with a carefree wink and that typical Viennese ‘schmäh’ (Viennese: “Weana Schmäh”; German: “Wiener Schmäh”) as characteristic as the folk songs themselves; a blend of humour built on quick-wit and charm and at times sarcasm and melancholy, but always expressed with a smile.

World music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lexicology#

The term “world music” has been credited to ethnomusicologist Robert E. Brown, who coined it in the early 1960s at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he developed undergraduate through doctoral programs in the discipline. To enhance the learning process (John Hill), he invited more than a dozen visiting performers from Africa and Asia and began a world music concert series. The term became current in the 1980s as a marketing/classificatory device in the media and the music industry.

Worldbeat

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Definition#

Worldbeat is akin to world fusion and global fusion, each of which primarily manifest as a blend of non-Western music tradition and Western, popular music. These particular music genres can also reflect in a cross-blend of more than one “traditional” flavor, producing innovative, hybrid expressions of world music. As with most “world”-laden genre categories, worldbeat is not clearly defined as are the many classic world music subgenres, such as gamelan, or calypso. In general, the expanding family of ethnic music subgenres under the world music umbrella represents an intrinsically nebulous terminology, which depending on how one interprets a particular hybrid of world music, can be interchangeable to a significant degree. Worldbeat defines a hybrid of what can be listed under the generalized world music term, even though it features a prominent interbreeding with elements of Western, pop music. As an ethnically coloured genre, worldbeat is a part of the world music movement that is steadily influencing popular music in every corner of the globe. This is partially due to the advance of digital music production and the availability of high-quality ethnic music samples to artists and producers in the recording arts. The globalization of texture and style between indigenous and modern music genres has rapidly expanded the scope of 21st century, popular music, and continues to reshape how the world defines the increasing number of genres conceived with world music elements.

Xẩm

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History and performers#

The origin of xẩm was dated from the Trần dynasty in the 14th century. During the dynastic time, xẩm was popular in the Northern region of Vietnam. At the beginning of the 20th century, xẩm artists performed on the trams of the public transport system of Hanoi, so this type of folk music was sometimes called xẩm tàu điện (tram xẩm). When the tram lines were abandoned in the 1980s, xẩm tàu điện disappeared and xẩm gradually fell into oblivion. Nowadays, xẩm is considered an endangered form of Vietnamese traditional music because the number of experienced artists rapidly declines while the younger generation usually prefers modern types of music. She was one of the few artisans who was honoured by the title Nghệ sĩ ưu tú (Outstanding Artist of Vietnam). There are several efforts to preserve and propagate xẩm, such as the introduction of xẩm performance in the Đồng Xuân night market, and encouraging young artists to learn xẩm from old artisans.

Xi'an guyue

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Literature#

Yang Yinliu (ed.): Zhongguo yinyue cidian (Dictionary of Chinese Music). Beijing 1984.
Cheng Yu: Xi’an Guyue - Xi’an Old Music in New China. “Living fossil” or “flowing river” (Dissertation) Department of Music. School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 2005.

Yayue

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

According to tradition, yayue was created by the Duke of Zhou under commission from King Wu of Zhou, shortly after the latter’s conquest of Shang. Incorporated within yayue were elements of shamanistic or religious traditions, as well as early Chinese folk music. Dance was also closely associated with yayue music, each yayue piece may have a ceremonial or ritual dance associated with it. The most important yayue pieces of the Zhou dynasty were the Six Great Dances, each associated with a legendary or historical figure – Yunmen Dajuan (), Daxian (), Daqing (, or Dashao ), Daxia (), and Dahu (), Dawu (). The Book of Rites records a number of situations where yayue might be performed. These included ceremonies in honour of Heaven and Earth, the gods or the ancestors. There were also detailed rules on the way they were to be performed at diplomatic meetings. Yayue was also used in outdoor activities, such as aristocratic archery contests, during hunting expeditions, and after the conclusion of a successful military campaign. Yayue was characterised by its rigidity of form. When performed, it was stately and formal, serving to distinguish the aristocratic classes. It was sometimes also accompanied by lyrics. Some of these are preserved in the Book of Songs. With the decline of the importance ceremony in the interstate relations of the Spring and Autumn period, so did yayue. Confucius famously lamented the decline of classical music and the rites. Marquess Wen of Wei was said to prefer the popular music of Wey and Zheng to the ancient court music, listening to which he may fall asleep. Much of the yayue of the Zhou dynasty continued into the Qin dynasty. However, some pieces appeared to have been lost or were no longer performed by the Han dynasty, and the content and form of yayue was modified in this as well as the succeeding dynasties. For example, the terrace ensemble (dengge) in yayue involved singings but not string instruments in the Han dynasty, and in Sui dynasty, singers and string instruments were added to the court ensembles. During the Tang dynasty components of popular music were added to yayue. However, the dominant form of music in the Sui and Tang court was the entertainment music for banquets called yanyue (), and the term yayue became reserved for the music of Confucian rituals used in temples of the imperial family and the nobility as well as in Confucian temples. During the Song dynasty, with Neo-Confucianism becoming the new orthodoxy, yayue was again in ascendancy with major development, and a yayue orchestra in this era consisted of over 200 instrumentalists with many instruments added to the orchestra. Two important texts from the Song dynasty describing yayue performances are Zhu Xi’s Complete Explanation of the Classic of Etiquette and Its Commentary () and Collection of Music () by Chen Yang (). In 1116, a gift of 428 yayue instruments as well as 572 costumes and dance objects was given to Korea by Emperor Huizong upon request by the Emperor Yejong of Goryeo. As a result, elements of yayue music from previous Chinese dynasties are still preserved in Korea including two melodies. A major research and modern reconstruction of yayue of the imperial court was initiated in Taiwan in the 1990s, and in mainland China a performance of yayue music in 2009 by Nanhua University’s yayue music ensemble in Beijing also spurred interest in this form of music. There are however questions over the authenticity of these revived and recreated yayue music and dances, especially the use of modern forms of instruments and various substitutions rather than the more ancient and original forms, nonetheless some argued that such music and dances have always changed over time through succeeding dynasties, and that any changes introduced in the modern era should be seen in this light.

Zhongguo feng (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

It is hard to pinpoint the exact origins of Zhongguo feng music, although Jay Chou is largely credited as an influential figure in modern Zhongguo feng music in the early 2000s. Music ethnographers and researchers have also studied Zhongguo feng in relation to the sociocultural and political conditions in different time periods such as the May Fourth movement and the end of Cultural Revolution. Departing from the days of revolutionary and ultra-nationalistic songs during Mao’s dictatorship until the end of the 1970s, the 1980 saw the introduction of rock music into China, with its people beginning to embrace new steady and upbeat rhythms. Featured in his debut album Jay in 2000, “Wife” is one of Jay Chou’s most famous songs in the Zhongguo feng music genre. Leehom Wang is also known for his brand of Zhongguo feng music, known as “chinked-out”, since 2004. Other factors that contributed to the popularity of Zhongguo feng music include the efforts of the Chinese state in building a sense of nationalism, and national pride from the successful 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Zulu music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Mbube and Isicathamiya#

Mbube is both a song, originally released in the 1940s by Solomon Linda, and a genre of South African popular music that was inspired by it. “Mbube” was recorded in 1939 and became a major hit in the country. The song was in a traditional Zulu choral style, which soon came to the attention of American musicologist Alan Lomax, who brought to the song to folk singer Pete Seeger, then of The Weavers. They made the song a Top 15 American hit in 1952 (as “Wimoweh”), though creator Solomon Linda was not credited; later, The Kingston Trio released a cover of it. Later still, The Tokens turned the song into “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, and it became a #1 American hit. The Durban-based Ladysmith Black Mambazo, formed by Joseph Shabalala in 1960, sings, among other styles, music in the mbube tradition inclusive of isicathamiya.

Zydeco

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Zydeco music is typically played in an uptempo, syncopated manner with a strong rhythmic core, and often incorporates elements of blues, rock and roll, soul music, R&B, and early Creole music. Zydeco music is centered on the accordion, which leads the rest of the band, and a specialized washboard, called a vest frottoir, as a prominent percussive instrument. Other common instruments in zydeco are the electric guitar, bass, keyboard, and drum set. If there are accompanying lyrics, they are typically sung in English or French.

Folk & Traditional on Music Theory Print

Aak

Background#

Aguinaldo (music)

Venezuelan aguinaldo#

Albanian iso-polyphony

Geographic distribution#

Origin#

Alpine folk music

See also#

Bibliography#

See also#

External links#

American fiddle

Fiddle playing distinguished from violin playing#

Instrument#

American primitive guitar

Development#

Americana music

Definition#

Andalusi nubah

Form, texts, and performance#

Anti-folk

In the United States#

Arabesque (Turkish music)

Description and history#

Arabic hip-hop

History#

Arabic maqam

Background#

Arabic pop

Songwriting, recording and distribution formats#

Athabaskan fiddle

Origins#

Ballad

Origins#

Bambera

Definition#

Banjo music

History#

Barcarolle

Description#

Notable examples#

Baul

Etymology#

History#

Bećarac

Description#

Bhawaiya

Etymology#

Biraha

History#

Bluegrass fiddle

The beginnings of bluegrass music#

Bluegrass music

Instrumentation#

Bothy ballad

Subjects#

Bubu music

Bulerías

Cante (singing)#

See also#

Cachi Cachi music

Etymology#

Cajun fiddle

Cajun music#

Campus folk song

See also#

Cante flamenco

Types of cante#

Cante Grande#

Cantu a tenore

Etymology#

Canzone napoletana

History#

Cape Breton fiddling

Playing style#

Cariso

Chantwells#

Celtic fusion