Traditional Ethnic or World Music

[melonkali]

I was wondering if others here had an interest in traditional music from different world cultures (I live in the U.S., so for me "other" means non-U.S.). I hope to learn from other members here about music with which I'm not familiar.

I personally enjoy music from the Republic of Georgia (which the Kartvelian inhabitants there call Sakartvelo). Georgia has a living, unbroken music tradition dating back to at least 2500 BC, and probably earlier. It was the region the ancient Greeks referred to as the Kingdom of Colchis.

For Georgians, music has always been an important part of daily life; they have traditional songs for virtually every occasion or activity. Nearly all families own at least one traditional instrument: the 3-string panduri, 4-string chonguri, harp-like changi, guitar or salamanuri (shepherd's flute). It is now known that multi-voice or polyphonic singing was a tradition in Georgia long before it began in Europe, or any other part of the world, by perhaps as much as 1000 years.

I'd like to share three very different Georgian music styles. In all three, the unique Georgian musical scale has been slightly modified to sound more consonant to Westerners.

SORRY -- I SEE I POSTED EACH VIDEO TWICE AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WENT WRONG. I'M AFRAID IF I TRY TO CORRECT IT I'LL LOSE THEM COMPLETELY.

The first is the song is Shatilis Asulo, with a video produced by Georgian Legend designed to introduce Westerners to the "feel" of Georgia. Georgian Legend is one of the very few Georgian concert groups which use Western instruments.

[Samm]

These Georgian songs are all remarkable, and the last two both had me in tears, one for its gentle beauty and the last for its sorrowful grieving after the singer's soulmate. I would like to hear more of this Georgian music and similar music from other places, music with humanity, passion, beauty. Is such not the very heart of aesthetics, the ability to touch the soul? I believe that experience is the central reality that binds everything in the universe to everything else within its sphere of perception, and for sentient beings such as we are, there are few greater bonds than these aesthetic bonds that communicate from soul to soul the deepest of our feelings and longings. But I'm a push-over for musical beauty. I cry every time I hear the Finnish National Anthem, "Finlandia" (or its Christian derivative, "Be Still My Soul").

Thanks again. I've got a blue star for anyone who can bring tears to my eyes with other musical beauty and passion. :-)

Samm

[melonkali]

Whoops! About the above homage to Stalin...

After you play each of the three Georgian videos I posted, Youtube apparently runs a few thumbnails across the bottom for similar videos. On the bottom of the Suliko video you will see a thumbnail of Stalin and if you click on it you will view an homage to Stalin with the Red Army Chorus singing Suliko, because it happened to be Stalin's favorite song. Sorry about that...

rebecca

[Catchabula]

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Again I felt that truth is beauty, and beauty truth. Thanks so much for posting these great vids!

[Aedes]

I'm very much a fan of world music, particularly from parts of West Africa and South America where I've traveled. There are phenomenal popular artists from Africa who fuse traditional African music with very modern rock. Check out Youssou N'dour, Salif Keita, Amadou and Mariam, Orchestra Baobab, Angelique Kidjo, Rokia Traore, Fela Kuti, and Baba Maal.

[Pangloss]

Yes, I have also heard some great music out of Africa. Unfortunately, I have no idea of the names of the groups or the songs; a local public radio station here plays world music though, and all I know is that the stuff coming out of Africa is quite good. The fusion of traditional rhythmic African music, and more recent Jazz and Rock styles makes for a nice combination, that can be appreciated by someone from any culture.

On a side note, does the first post of this thread look really messed up to anyone else, or is it just my computer?

[melonkali]

Thanks for the support and suggestions so far. I'm not familiar with African or South American music, but I'll be heading over to Youtube and check them out.

As for my OP in this thread looking weird -- sorry. I'm fairly new here and have no idea what I did wrong.

rebecca

rebecca

[Catchabula]

Ok, still drunk here with the many wonderful songs/vids that have been posted in various threads lately. Salima is right of course. From all arts music may be the one that expresses most deeply and intensely our relation with ... what really? With God, the universe, ourselves, life, all of this together (William?). Yes, music is healing and wholesome. Standing on the ground we look upon the heavens, and we can only sing, it's all we can do, like a flower can only reach towards the light. All music is mystical, holding time and eternity, riddle and solution, promise and fulfillment. Does it matter if a song is "pure" folk, baroque, indian or whatever? Whether it has been recently created or is around for centuries? As long as it moves us, stretches us, brings us tears and visions and strenght. Yes, let's travel through time and space, let's dream, let's live and feel and see. I propose Brazil...

YouTube - A garota de Ipanema

.

[Samm]

Once you catch a bula, what do you do with it? I agree, catchabula, that music is very powerful, and if it has ever been used for evil, I can only think of the horns and pipes and drums used in combat to spur the troops forward to their doom. Or perhaps I would include the MUZAK played in the dentist's office. "Is it safe?" he asks, "Is it safe?"

Ah, but there's a different story. I suppose Japanese Kabuki could be called an evil use of music...if by any twist of the imagination you could dare call that music. I think all Kabuki singers and musicians should be sent to re-education camps as soon as possible, for the sanctity of the human ear.

No, as I think of it, you have made a very interesting and accurate point to the best of my knowledge. It seems that we never use music to an evil end, but only to elicit pleasure or passion or to communicate ideas. "Blowing in the Wind" made many of us ask in fact, "How many times?" "The Internationale" has inspired many generations of oppressed people to band together to strive against their oppressors. "Onward Christian Soldiers" has inspired mob mentality among many a Christian soul. Music makes us laugh or cry, it draws us to dance (which to me may be an evil since I cannot toss my feet without injuring someone).

So let me return the favor of your gentle song about Ipanema with a song of a different flavor, just to keep the old ball rolling along in the spirit of the aesthetic moment.

YouTube - Libera - be still my soul

Samm

[Catchabula]

To catch boolah's is strictly forbidden by international law. There are only 37 left in Southern Borneo, and 93,2 % are males...

No, to be serious. Yes I belief indeed that music is "in essence" something that can never be bad, but of course music has been widely abused like everything else, good ànd bad. The vid you posted shows images of concentration camps. Wasn't it customary to bring the victims to the gallows in Auschwitz pulled in a little chariot and preceded by a company of fiddlers? Imagine the grinning SS in the background. Yes, such is man.

Your posting touches also something that must have been discussed before in these threads, the influence of cultural context on subjective taste. Classic japanese theatre is difficult to swallow for westerners, but perhaps some hard-boiled Shogun listened to it with tears in his eyes? Yoooohhh yiiiiaaah... dounk! Hey, why not a vid here? A little laugh as an intermezzo? It's totally off-topic but it's such fun :-) .

YouTube - Noh Theater