welcome to music 1e, introduction to music: latin america and the caribbean instructor: ron dunn...
TRANSCRIPT
WELCOME TO MUSIC 1E, INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC: LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
INSTRUCTOR: RON DUNN (PLEASE CALL ME RON)
Please sit toward middle section of the room
Silence, put away cell phones--This rule is effective throughout the quarter
Laptop computers: Anyone using laptops must sit in first row
Important information:
Copy this email: [email protected] this URL: http://faculty.deanza.edu/dunnron -- instructor's website including Music 1E course resources
Introduction to Music: Latin America
and the Caribbean
WHERE IS LATIN AMERICA?
• From tip of Tierra del Fuego (to Tijuana
• Latin America has an area of approximately 7,880,000 sq. mi
• 14.1% of earth’s land surface area.
• Hundreds of indigenous groups and languages still in existence—many languages dying
• In modern times, areas defined by Colonial administrative language: Spanish (most prevalent), French, Portuguese (Brazil), English (Trinidad, Jamaica)
“THIS IS WHO I AM”: MUSIC IS THE EXPRESSION OF PEOPLE’S LIVES
• How does music express identity in your life?
GETTING TO KNOW YOU….Find a group of strangers
When it’s your turn, introduce yourself to your group
• How long at De Anza?
• If new, from what school or college?
• Your major?
• Read or paraphrase the two questions from Student Info sheet
Follow-up questions or comments from group members?
Be sure to exchange email addresses!
MUSICAL STUDY IN LATIN AMERICAMUST INCLUDE
Ethnicity
Religion
History
Geography Musical elements,style, aesthetics
OUR JOURNEY
• Introduction to the class• Introduction regional history and issues• Introduction to musical elements: rhythm, melody, form,
texture, etc.• “Classical” music—first contact, church music, colonial “art”
music, modern expression• Regional musics:
• Mexico• Spanish-speaking Caribbean• Brazil• Andes• Southern Cone (Argentina and Chile)
MUSICAL INTOLERANCE/RELATIVITY
• Latin America has long history of “coarse” vs. “refined”• Class and ethnicity used to denigrate music “taking [one’s
own] worldview as an absolute standard” • This practice is called Ethnocentrism
Music/culture must be seen in its own terms:
Cultural Relativity
TRANSFORMATION/COMPLICATING MATTERS…
Accepted categories of music• Folk: music of the people, often anonymous, steeped in
tradition and community ritual and associated with uneducated working class, usually in rural areas
• Popular: urban settings, composed by known individuals, circulated throughout the community at all levels, often with commercial considerations
• Art/classical: music of the elite and educated members of a society, music that is studied, written down and performed in more formal settings
MORE COMPLICATIONS…
• However, many genres blur: Martinican Kwadril–
Furthermore, Much Latin American music began as folk music• 20th century brought migration to cities
• hybridization occurs, reification, abandonment of ritual/religious underpinnings
• Folk music becomes preferred popular music
• Nationalism in 20th century• Uses folk music as underpinnings
TRANSFORMATIONS
Transformation of folk genres by modernization, globalization• use of electric instruments, pop beat• abandonment of African or Native elements as
commercial interests “sanitize” for middle class• simultaneous rise of popular genres: salsa, reggae,
tejano, calypso, from folk roots• Typical trajectory: Folk “Art” Popular• Political borders, language not barriers in spread of
popular styles
GLOBALIZATION OF L.A. MUSIC BEGAN IN 1492
• Globalization has helped to create “world music”• Latin American music played big role in creation of world
music as a broad popular category• Latin American music has been transformed in the
process:• Pop orientation, electric instruments• Homogenization criticized by academics and others, see it as
degradation of “authentic” styles
What does this say about “authenticity?”
INDIGENOUS CULTURES BEFORE 1492
• Thousands of groups inhabiting the regions: much diversity
• Extreme geographic diversity, isolations create diverse cultures
• Over time, 3 major groups• Aztec• Mayan• Inca
• As many as 100 million• European contact
decimates populations• Warfare/conquest• disease
THE FIRST AMERICANS
Earliest known instruments were percussion: • gourds, seeds, claws, hooves• Also flutes: wood, cane, bone
• Each had complex governments, religious belief systems• significant architectural landmarks• lucrative economic systems and trade networks• powerful militaries
How do we know what we know?
• Loss of history – Europeans systematically destroyed artifacts
• Music itself almost completely lost: remaining filtered through eyes of conquistadors and missionaries
• Europeans described music as barbaric, demonic, uncivilized because• no harmony• complex syncopation• Dissonance
Reconstructing history• What’s left?
What we know
No string instruments–all wind, percussion and human voice• Similar instruments found in various parts of continent
• Drums• Shakers• Rasps• Conch shells • Flutes–many different scales, ranges; beauty of flutes is that tuning
system remains intact• Music for religious ceremony dominated
1492 and the advent of syncretism
• What is Syncretism? • process of mutual influence and adaptation among
different religious or cultural traditions: two or more cultures combine to form a new culture
• Not a simple “mixing”—power structures complicate
White Legend and Black Legend
Two opposing models• Black legend: Europeans destroyed people they
contacted and subjugated• White legend: Europeans brought prosperity and spiritual
salvation to indigenous populations• What’s wrong with these models?
Population Decimation
• Smallpox• Tuberculosis• Measles • Dysentery
• By 17th century, as much as 90% of populations were destroyed
Indigenous populations had no natural immunity to European diseases
Emergence of Mestizo culture:Pragmatism, survival and adaptation
EncomiendaReduccionesRepartamiento
Emergence of Mestizo culture:Pragmatism, survival and adaptation
Expert metallurgy combined with European filigree work
Simple European skirts decorated with indigenous patterns and colors
European string Instruments
Adaptations
Andean Charango
Andean harp with other strings instruments
EUROPEAN CULTURES IN AMERICA
THE EMERGENCE OF AFRICAN CULTURE: TRIANGLE TRADE AND THE “MIDDLE PASSAGE”
“Sins traded, bartered for goods to trade for slaves:
glass beads, textiles, guns, whiskey, ivory
European goods traded for slaves in
Africa
Slaves traded in Caribbean for products of slave labor:• rum, sugar, tobacco, molasses–so-called “Sin” products
African Influence in South America• Shaded areas show
areas of slave importationin South America
Cabildos in Cuba (Wikipedia) Name of Cabildo African region of origin Ethnic group of originAbakuá Nigeria/Cameroon EkpeMandinga Sierra Leone MalinkéGanga Sierra Leone MalinkéMina Gold Coast AkanLucumi Benin and Nigeria YorubaCarabalis Biafra Igbo - EfikMacauas Mozambique MakuaCongo Angola Bantu
General Elements of Sub-Saharan African Culture Transplanted to New World
• Complex rhythmic layering–conversation– cross rhythm/polyrhythm
• Bell or clave as guide rhythm, drum patterns fit within it– strong metronomic sense without thinking of beat and/or meter, whereas
Westerners are conditioned to think of organizing music to a meter– Tresillo, cinquillo, other rhythmic patters are African rhythmic patterns
• Short phrases, responsorial forms in both song and instrumental music: lead drum (call) – and support rhythm (response)
• Open-ended cycle AB vs ABA• Drums very important
– Upright and horizontal• Other instruments: marimba, thumb piano, many string instruments• Tonal language–rhythms often have meaning, drums can “talk”• Drums sometimes banned because of their ability to communicate over
long distances .
Religious Syncretism
• Religious devotion a part of both European and indigenous American cultures
• The plan for conversion– Incorporate some elements of native American
worldview– Make religious ceremony joyous, full of splendor– Use lots of music
Patron Saint Festivals
Liturgical Drama and DanceDance-drama used as means of conversion• Matachines, Moros y Christianos
– Symbolism beyond historical enactment, moral undertone
• Pasiones—stylized representations of passion of Christ
• Some incorporated indigenous and African elements; biblical and doctrinal, others with moral undertones, others comedic– Mojigangas: fin de fiesta– Bumba meu boi: resurrected bull
• Modern versions still in existence, widely practiced, regional in nature
Mojigangas puppets
Bumba meu boi
The syncretic process
• Did missionary strategies work?• Separate practices eventually merge: syncretism
• Virgen Mary/Tonatzin, Mother of Aztec gods• Merged as Virgen of Guadalupe
• Guelaguetza , Zapotec feast of Thanksgiving/feast of Virgen of Mount Carmel
Syncretism and Slavery• Ancestor worship/animism at core of African religions• Pantheon of gods merges with Christian saints• In Cuba, Santeria major religion
– Babalu Aye becomes St. Lazarus
Oshun/Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre
Carnaval: the most widespread of all syncretic celebrations!
Syncretism beyond race, religion, culture
• What elements were shared between cultures?
Modern Native Societies
• Importance of Native societies