IC on Music Theory Print

Icaro

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

Etymology#

The word icaro is believed to derive from the Quechua verb ikaray, which means “to blow smoke in order to heal”.

Medicine songs#

Icaro is most commonly used to describe the medicine songs used by shamans in healing ceremonies, such as with the psychedelic brew ayahuasca. Traditionally, these songs can be performed by whistling, singing with the voice or vocables, or playing an instrument such as the didgeridoo or flute. Traditionally, icaros may come to a shaman during a ceremony, be passed down from previous lineages of healers, or come to a shaman during a ‘dieta’ where plant spirits are believed to teach icaros to the shaman directly. The singing or whistling of icaros is sometimes accompanied by a chakapa, a rattle of bundled leaves. Due to the complexity of certain performance techniques, it may take many years to learn certain icaros, and experienced shamans may be able to recite hundreds of them.

Icelandic folk music

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

Icelandic folk music#

was originally the name of a kind of dance, but the name has since been transferred to a form of Icelandic song designed for people to dance to. poems (Icelandic ) are characterised by having a refrain that rhymes with the following line. Such poems usually open with an introductory stanza one of whose lines becomes the refrain. New refrains can, however, be brought into the poem. The content of the poems is very varied and can be narrative, descriptive, or dialogic, and secular or religious. According to Margrét Eggertsdóttir, “the precise origin of the tradition is unknown, but it has been observed that it shows a relationship to foreign chorus poetry, especially the English carol”. saw a decline at the beginning of the 20th century, although efforts are being made to keep it alive.

Icelandic hip-hop

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

History#

The first mainstream hip hop crew from Iceland was Quarashi, who were inspired by the rock hybrid music of Beastie Boys and Rage Against the Machine. Around the same time, Quarashi released their first album, several rap groups were formed such as Subterranean which are considered to have released one of Icelandic hiphop’s biggest classics, Central Magnetizm. Other groups included Team 13 (which later became Twisted Minds), Multifunctionals, Oblivion, Bounce Brothers and Hip Hop Elements (later named Kritikal Mazz). They all rapped in English except for one song from Multifunctionals called “Númer 1.” During that time the first crew rapping entirely in Icelandic came forward with aggressive radio singles: that band was Sækópah and consisted of the rappers BlazRoca and Sesar A. Shortly thereafter, they formed SupahSyndikal along with members of Subterranean and Tríó Óla Skans. BlazRoca and Sesar A were vital to the second generation of artists that defined itself by rapping in Icelandic. XXX Rottweiler (formerly known as 110 Rottweilerhundar), along with Sesar A, published the first all Icelandic hip hop albums in Iceland in 2001. In 2002 a new wave of rappers had followed their lead by rapping exclusively in Icelandic: Bæjarins bestu, the freestyle battle champs of Iceland in one unit, Móri, a gangsta rapper who uses Icelandic, Afkvæmi Guðanna (The Offspring of the Gods), Bent og 7Berg (Bent and 7Berg), Skytturnar (The Marksmen), Hæsta Hendin (The Highest Hand) and Forgotten Lores. Most of these groups have stopped making music, and other artists and bands have started to make a name for themselves in the Icelandic hip hop culture. The most active artists today include Gísli Palmi, Þriðja Hæðin (The Third Floor), Cell 7, Kilo, Shadez of Reykjavík, Úlfur Úlfur, Aron Can, GKR, Alexander Jarl, Agust Bent and Emmsjé Gauti. Icelandic lyrics are usually very direct and aggressive, with battle raps forming a sizable portion of Icelandic hip hop. One of the largest hip hop events is Rímnaflæði in Miðberg, a freestyle competition where young MCs and rap bands (usually ages sixteen and younger) compete by rapping a single song on stage. The first jury was made up of Sesar A, BlazRoca (XXX Rottweiler hundar) and Omar Swarez (Quarashi).