KA on Music Theory Print

Kabarett

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

Difference from other forms#

Kabarett is the German word for the French word cabaret but has two different meanings. The first meaning is the same as in English, describing a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre (often the word “cabaret” is used in German for this as well to distinguish this form). The latter describes a kind of political satire. Unlike comedians who make fun of all kinds of things, Kabarett artists () pride themselves as dedicated almost completely to political and social topics of more serious nature which they criticize using techniques like cynicism, sarcasm and irony.

Kadongo Kamu

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

History#

Kadongo Kamu emerged from traditional Baganda music and oral storytelling practices, drawing influences from folk songs and drumming styles such as Bakisimba. Although its roots are linked to earlier musical traditions, the genre gained prominence in the mid 20th century particulary from the 1950s and 1960s when the acoustic guitars became more accessible and widely adopted in East Africa. Perhaps the first well-known artist of the genre was Fred Masagazi in the 60’s. Masagazi is considered by many to be the father of kadongo kamu. His brand of educative singing won him many fans and he was one of the few musicians who was involved with Uganda’s independence in 1962. Elly Wamala was another of the founders. Elly Wamala is credited with the invention of this genre but abandoned it because it was constantly and easily played informally by people he considered uneducated. It is common to find kadongo kamu artists staged on the streets of Kampala (Uganda’s Capital City) entertaining a micro concert for a small fee usually raised by the crowd. The grandfather of this genre though is widely regarded to be Christopher Ssebaduka who last performed in 1996. Fred Masagazi and Eclas Kawalya are credited for having popularized it by actively recording in this genre in the 1960s and early 1970s. They were followed by a number of musicians who stayed true to the style and sound of the music. In the mid to late 1970s, during the dark days of Idi Amin, this genre was kept alive by Peterson Mutebi. Although many song themes revolve around suffering and outrage, the original artists of this genre sang about love and often praised women in recordings that hardly exceeded three and a half minutes. Herman Basudde was a very popular kadongo kamu musician in the 80’s and 90’s. Dan Mugula is one of the few surviving pioneers of the genre. Fred Sebatta and Paulo Kafeero made their mark in the 90’s. Over the past decade, there have been other musicians, but they have been overshadowed by pop musicians in the new bustling pop music scene. Today, the genre is still marginalized, but the music is loved by cultural loyalists in the Buganda region, as can be seen with current musicians like Fred Sebaale and Mathias Walukagga, who are still enjoying music success.

Kafi

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

Kafi singing#

In musical terms, kafi refers to the genre of Punjabi and Sindhi classical music which utilizes the verses of kafi poets such as Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussain. Kafi music is devotional music, normally associated with the Sufi orders or Tariqah of Islam in South Asia, and was sung by dervishes or fakirs (Islamic mendicants), solo or in groups, as an offering to their murshid, spiritual guide. It is characterized by a devotional intensity in its delivery, and as such overlaps considerably with the Qawwali genre. Just like Qawwali, its performances often took place at the dargahs (mausoleums) of various Sufi saints in the region. However, unlike Qawwali, the musical arrangement is much simpler and may only include one harmonium, one tabla, one dholak and a single vocalist. The emphasis remains on the words rather than the music itself, since the central aim of Kafi music is to convey the essence of the mystical lyrics. The central verse is often repeated. There are no fixed styles of singing of Kafi. Traditionally dervishes in Sindh used instruments like yaktaro, a one-stringed plucked instrument, and wooden clappers, chappars, though many contemporary singers have chosen their own variations.

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.

Kajari

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

Kalbelia

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

Etymology#

One translation of the name “Kalbelia” is a combination of the words “Kal” meaning snake, and “Beliya”, meaning friend. Another translates the name as “bowl of death”, with kaal meaning death and belia meaning bowl. This latter meaning refers to a foundational myth involving the sage Kanifnath, a prominent figure in their belief system, who is said to have consumed a bowl of poison. Consequently, his followers adopted the name Kalbelia to signify their devotion to the sage who mastered death.

Kalindula

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

External links#

Tonga Music Festival photo gallery
Kalindula Music Videos
Musical instruments in Zambia: kalindula
Songs and dances in Zambia: kalindula
Gatherings in Zambia: social dance meetings, kalindula icila
Gatherings in Zambia: modern beer party, kalindula sandauni

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.

Kansas City jazz

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

Background#

The first band from Kansas City, Missouri, to acquire a national reputation was the Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra, a white group which broadcast nationally in the 1920s. However, the Kansas City jazz school is identified with the black bands of the 1920s and 1930s, including those led by Bennie Moten, Andy Kirk, Harlan Leonard, George E. Lee, Count Basie, and Jay McShann. Bennie Moten was born in Kansas City on December 13, 1893, the beginning of the story of the 1923 recording session. During his first gigs, Moten played house rent parties and brothels operating from private homes, according to long-time Kansas City native Fred Hicks. Between 1916 and 1918, Moten began performing with the drummer Dude Langford. According to Langford, " When I first met Bennie, he was playing around town, little old joints here, some of ’em just little fronts, a bar and a gambling room in the back." The success of Count Basie nationally and internationally led bookers, managers, and record producers to come to Kansas City in search of similar talent. According to Gray Giddins, Basie “is the only major jazz figure to realize his individuality by paring down his technique” because he discovered his style through a search for identity. “From his first session with Bennie Moten to those with his own band in the late 1930s, Basie could be heard in various settings responding to musical challenges as a committed ensemble player, making choices that might serve others as well”. Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Charlie Parker learned about music by spending time in the alleyways behind nightclubs that lined Twelfth Street. Due to Parker’s dubious musical reputation, Oliver Todd reluctantly allowed him to join his Hottentots band: “I tried to take him under my wing. He was very green. If you had told me then that he would be famous I wouldn’t have believed it. He had a lot to learn. He was very determined. … He worked hard.” In the 1930s, Kansas City was very much the crossroads of the United States, resulting in a mix of cultures. Transcontinental trips by plane or train often necessitated a stop in the city. The era marked the zenith of power of political boss Tom Pendergast. Kansas City was a wide open town with prohibition era liquor laws and hours totally ignored, and was called the new Storyville. Most of the jazz musicians associated with the style were born in other places but got caught up in the friendly musical competitions among performers that could keep a single song being performed in variations for an entire night. Often members of the big bands would perform at regular venues earlier in the evening and go to the jazz clubs later to jam for the rest of the night. During the 1930s, a hybrid style between Kansas City jazz and big band was the most popular form of jazz music in the United States, often being played in popular venues and ballrooms. In 1936, Kansas City’s influence overtly transferred to the national scene, when record producer John Hammond discovered Count Basie on his car radio. Pendergast was convicted of income tax fraud in 1940, and the city cracked down on the clubs effectively ending the era. Jay McShann told the Associated Press in 2003: “You’d hear some cat play, and somebody would say ‘This cat, he sounds like he is from Kansas City.’ It was Kansas City Style. They knew it on the East Coast. They knew it on the West Coast. They knew it up North and they knew it down South.” Claude “Fiddler” Williams described the scene: “Kansas City was different from all other places because we’d be jamming all night. And if you come up here … playing the wrong thing, we’d straighten you out.” Tenor saxophonist Lester Young was a hero among writers and musicians. “Known as ‘president’ of the saxophone, he gained recognition for his musical genius while playing leading swing bands of the 1930s, including the 13 Original Blue Devils and the King Oliver and Count Basie bands”. He gained recognition for his signature whistling sound and his impact on jazz has been recognized by jazz historians. Redefining the role of the tenor sax was only the first of Young’s achievements. In this way, he profoundly changed jazz melodic improvisation, offering a counterpoint to Armstrong’s hot, syncopated style. In the Southwest, a tradition of storytelling is as strong in music as it is in speech, according to bassist Gene Ramey of Kansas City. When he explained how Young dethroned Coleman Hawkins in a legendary tenor-saxophone battle at the Cherry Blossom, he noted that the Kansas City musician played more creatively.

Kanto (music)

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

Terminology#

Italian opera and theater had a profound effect on Turkish culture during the early 20th century. The terminology of music and theater derived from Italian. In the argot of the improvisational theater of Istanbul the stage was called sahano, backstage was referred to as koyuntu, backdrops depicting countryside as bosko, the applause as furi, and the songs sung as solos or duets between the acts and plays were called kanto. As was the case with their Italian counterparts, the Turkish troupe members played songs and music before the show and between the acts to pique people’s interest and draw in customers. Kanto were based on traditional eastern makam but performed with Western instruments.

Kapa haka

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

Performance#

The work of a kapa haka consists of the group performance of a suite of songs and dances spanning several types of Māori music and dance, strung together into a coherent whole. Music and dance types that normally appear are (warm-up song), (entrance song), (action song), (challenge), or (old-style singing), (coordinated swinging of balls attached to cords), and (closing song). They may also include (synchronised manipulation of thin sticks). In a full performance, which can last up to 40 minutes, each music or dance type may appear more than once. Music for kapa haka is primarily vocal. All song types, with the notable exceptions of mōteatea and haka, are structured around European-style harmony, frequently with guitar accompaniment and acoustics. Spurts of haka-style declamation are woven into the songs, as are dance movements, facial expressions and other bodily and aural signals unique to Māori. Song poetry is completely in Māori and new material is continually being composed. The sole musical instruments used in kapa haka performances are the guitar, the conch shell, the sounds of and (see below) and body percussion, especially the stamping of feet. Every two years, kapa haka performers from all parts of New Zealand compete in Te Matatini, New Zealand’s annual, national Māori performing arts competition for adult groups. There is also a national secondary schools kapa haka competition Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa that used to be part of Polyfest, where the level of performance is also very high.

Kaseko

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

Etymology#

The term Kaseko may be derived from Kasékò, a Guianan creole dance.

History#

Kaseko emerged from the traditional Afro-Surinamese kawina music, which was played since the beginning of 1900 by street musicians in Paramaribo. It evolved in the 1930s during festivities that used large bands, especially brass bands, and was called Bigi Poku (“big drum music”). In the late 1940s, jazz, calypso, and other importations became popular, while rock and roll soon left its own influence in the form of electrified instruments. Eddy Snijders incorporated kaseko to symphonic music. In the 1970s, Surinamese diaspora living in the Netherlands, such as Lieve Hugo and Ewald Krolis, popularised kaseko.

Katavasia

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

Ordinary katabasia#

On ordinary weekdays (that is, days which do not fall on a Sunday or higher-ranking feast day), the irmos from the canon being chanted is repeated at the end as katabasia. When several canons are tied together, as is normally the case at Matins, only the irmos of the first canon is chanted, subsequent irmoi being omitted. The irmos of the final canon in the string will be chanted at the very end of Odes 3, 6, 8 and 9 as katabasia.

Kavigan

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

Form#

Kavigan is normally sung by two groups. Each group is led by a or . The accompanying singers called often repeat what the leader said. A kavigan programme starts with bandana (evocation) or gurudever geet (song of the sect patron). The bandana can be directed to or be in praise of Saraswati, Ganesh, people, and the audience, as deemed fit by a particular . This is followed by Radha–Krishna related song, some call it agamani. Then songs on four subjects are sung: , , and . deals with the love-songs related to Radha-Krishna. Biraha is about the mortal pang of separation of common human beings. Kheur is mainly about gods and goddesses, but often includes mild slangs. Finally, the competitive part starts. It mainly consists of the Lahar, where the competitors personally attack each other, musico-verbally.

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.

Kawaii metal

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

History and characteristics#

Japanese heavy metal idol group Babymetal are considered the inventors of the kawaii metal genre. The concept of kawaii metal started with Key “Kobametal” Kobayashi, the producer behind the group Babymetal. In an interview conducted by Billboard, Kobayashi explains that he was “just trying to do something no one had heard before”. Kawaii metal gained international popularity in 2014, when the group Babymetal uploaded a song to Youtube called “Gimme Chocolate!!” Angelica Wallingford of City Times opined that Babymetal’s eponymous debut album had pioneered the kawaii metal musical genre. Wallingford also defined the genre, and album, as a “mixture of varying genres including pop, rock, heavy metal, electronic dance music, industrial and symphonic death metal”. A guest contributor at The Independent believed that the genre was a derivative of J-pop and various extreme metal genres, namely “speed metal, power metal, black metal, and industrial metal”. While discussing Babymetal, The Sydney Morning Heralds Rob Nash stated that the genre consisted of “sugary pop melodies over thrash metal”. Nash also believed that the group’s song “Awadama Fever” exemplified the genre, with its “slabs of angry guitar and undanceably fast breakbeats, while the girls Babymetal squeak about ‘bubble ball fever’ and chewing gum”. Babymetal has remained extremely popular. In 2019, Babymetal became the first Asian artists to top Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart, with their third studio album, Metal Galaxy. Murray Stassen in Music Week commented that “Babymetal is, without a doubt, a genuine cross-genre musical phenomenon” and that, despite how the juxtaposition of metal and J-pop might not seem to make sense on paper: " Babymetal has proved that it can, and does work, and resistance to the Babymetal phenomenon is futile." Discussing Ladybeard, and Ladybaby, Jake Cleland of The Sydney Morning Herald defined the genre as “saccharine pop with his heavy metal growling”. Alex Weiss of Paper defined the genre as “hard rock with sugary sweet pop hooks”. Weiss also used Babymetal’s songs “Karate” and “Road of Resistance” as examples to explain the differing lyrical perspective between the kawaii metal and other metal genres, stating that kawaii metal songs “offer a perspective often missing from the hyper-masculine, aggressive lyrics usually present in most of the metal genre’s hits”. Felix Clay of Cracked.com also believed that the genre had less aggressive lyricism, citing the genre had lyrics about “pop music topics like kittens, chocolate, and fun”.

Kawina (music)

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

Origin#

The genre shares its name with the river Commewijne and the district with the same name: both are called kauna in Sranan Tongo. There are several theories about the origin of this name. According to one theory, kawina was created on the Upper Commewijne by Maroons influenced by indigenous Surinamese. According to a second, it was called mabu poku, and later renamed after a talented singer in the Commewijne District. According to a third theory, kawina originated among gold miners and rubber tappers in the rainforest.

Kayōkyoku

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

Characteristics#

Kayōkyoku music has simple melodies that are easy to follow and play along to. The lyrics of kayōkyoku are simple and attempt to relate to an everyday Japanese individual. Kayōkyoku singers also relate to common Japanese listeners by appearing as cute and approachable, with many aspects about their appearance and actions dictated by production companies. The base of kayōkyoku songs aims towards a sentimental feeling. The music draws on being able to relate to listeners and tries to voice the feelings that they keep bottled in due to social appearances. Kayōkyoku ’s style has become prominent due to the karaoke boom that occurred in the middle of the 1970s. A large focus of karaoke revolves around mimicking not only the song being sung, but also the image of the singer and the image brought out by the lyrics. The simple rhythm and lyrics of kayōkyoku made these songs very popular to sing at karaoke. An NHK survey conducted in 1982 revealed that around 80% of males over thirty years of age sang kayōkyoku songs through karaoke machines.

KA on Music Theory Print

Kabarett

Difference from other forms#

Kadongo Kamu

History#

Kafi

Kafi singing#

Kagura

Types of#

Kaiso

Terminology#

Ibibio and Igbo influence on the etymology#

Kajari

Kalbelia

Etymology#

Kalindula

See also#

External links#

Kângë majekrahi

History#

Kansas City jazz

Background#

Kanto (music)

Terminology#

Kapa haka

Performance#

Kaseko

Etymology#

History#

Katavasia

Ordinary katabasia#

Kavigan

Form#

Kavishari

History#

Kawachi ondo

Form#

Kawaii metal

History and characteristics#

Kawina (music)

Origin#

Kayōkyoku

Characteristics#