Caribbean Music

Caribbean music consists of many different types of musical styles which is dependent on the tradition of Caribbean countries. Said styles can range from contemporary music such as salsa or reggae and the more traditional musical styles like Jamaican Mento music. Below is an example of both.

John Johnson (2013) Jamaica Mento Music. Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSTKAtjSB4w. (Accessed 6th January 2014).

hugosam1304 (2012) Sonora Carruseles - La Salsa Llego. Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4mCU9-AqiA. (Accessed 6th January 2014).

This music came to be because of relationships between African slaves and European settlers. Each bringing their own attributes together. A lot of the styles are very distinctive and can be categorized as either folk, classical or pop music. The folk music has clearly taken attributes from African music with it's main use of percussion, off beats and call and response within the vocals. Below is a prime example of this.

Katia Sanchez (2009) Puerto Rico - Bomba, Diaspora Negra 3ra Oarte 15 de Agosto 2009. Aviable at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3kGEG0MOXc. (Accessed 6th January 2014).

For obvious reasons the most known types of Caribbean music are the modern, popular genres. Within these are the con (the most popular type of Cuban dance music). The chadracha and the listera (a more romantic style). Finally the mambo which is a big band instrumental. Since the 1960s styles like salsa suddenly became widely popular but the most internationally famous style of Caribbean music is reggae. This style is a reinterpretation of R&B music and singers such as Bob Marley assisted to push this style into the international arena. 

Musical Styles

• Ska
• Reggae
• Calypso/kaiso
• Soca music

Ska

Ska in a nutshell is dance music, plain and simple. It was a Jamaican dance music which swept out of Jamaica in the early 1960s. It's essentially a fusion of Jamaican rhythm with R&B. The drums carry the blues and swing beats and the guitar expresses the mento sound. The ska sound is drum and bass, rhythm guitar, lots of horns and maybe a Farfisa or Hammond organ.

Reggae

Reggae music is based in Jamaica and grew form ska which had elements of american R&B, Caribbean styles and folk music. As ska mellowed through rock steady, it gradually led to the creation of reggae. The transition between rock steady to reggae was unpredictable which was both a response to and a reflection of the changing social conditions of the society. Reggae usually had simple chord sequences for example a 1 5 6 4 progression and are about political matters.

Calypso/Kaiso

They're several versions of the origin of the calypso which emerged as an identifiable genre towards the end of the 19th century. Calypso represents a mixture of several folk songs in African tradition, it's original functions -  to praise or deride, to comment and to relate. Modern calypso was invented in Trinidad, however the influence it had spread out to infect all the Caribbean. Modern calypsos has started to become more complex with the introduction of a brass band, called because of it's powerful trumpets and trombones. Other instruments in Calypso's are guitars, keyboards, synthesizers, drum set and a wide variety if percussion instruments. Calypso's is the music most associated with carnivals within the Caribbean.

Soca

Socais is a mixture of soul and calypso and it originates from Trinidad and Tobago carnival celebrations. It's basically an energetic and disco influenced version of salsa. There's different types of this, there's Ringbang which is a fusion of Caribbean music with focus on rhythm rather than the melody. Rapso which is quite recent and may be unaccompanied by a simple ensemble or full orchestration. Ragga-soca is a rhythm faster than reggae but slower than up-tempo soca.

References

• http://www.caribbeanedu.com/kewl/arts/arts01.asp

Irish Instruments

Here's a list of traditional Irish instruments:

• Fiddle/Violin
• Irish Flute
• Banjo
• Tin Whistles
• Clairseach
• Uillean Pipe
• Irish Boeuzouki
• Accordion
• Bodhran
• Mandolion
• Concertina/Angalo Concertina

Instruments were important throughout Irish history. There was a point where the wealthiness of a person dictated what instrument they'd play. Instruments played by the wealthy was the Clairseach Harp and the Pipes. Where as the poorer people more than likely had Tin Whistles, Flute or the Fiddle. The percusion instruments came from what people had around them, like dried our gourds, roots and seeds, metal pods, animal skins and sapling trees which made drones.

The bodhran has a questionable history because the history of the bodhran was handed down through word of mouth. They're several tales of how the bodhran came to be and one of them is that it was a traditional instrument. That it came from a sieve-like tool (used for separating chaff from the grain) everyone had around their homes. People used it as a household appliance to carry food, store items etc. It would be a rare occasion if they brought it out for musical purposes, however they brought it out about once a year for a traditional holiday they had.

Another one is that it came to to be when the Roman Empire or the Arabic traders came through and they brought a frame drum along which is essentially the same as a Bodhran.

References

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXccNOUTe7o (Accessed 12th October 2013)

Indonesian Instruments

Instruments:

• Bonang

Figure 1

• The Dumung

Figure 2

• The Saron

Figure 3

• The Peking

Figure 4

• Slenthem

Figure 5

• Gender

Figure 6

• Gong Ageng and Gong Suwuk

Figure 7

• The Kempul

Figure 8

• The Kenong

Figure 9

• The Drums (Kendhang)

Figure 10

• Kethuk

Figure 11

• Kempyang

Figure 12

There is not a fixed number of instruments they will use what ever is required. When they arrange instruments the larger one's go in the back and the smaller ones in the front. Here's a picture show a typical gamelan set. Most of the instruments in gamelans are drums, cymbals/gongs and metallophones.

Figure 13

Bibliography

Figure 1 - http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/bonang.html

Figure 2-4 - http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/saron.html

Figure 5 - http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/slenthem.html

Figure 6 - http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/gender.html

Figure 7-8 - http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/gongs.html

Figure 9 - http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/kenong.html

Figure 10 -http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/drums.html

Figure 11-12 http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/kethuk.html

Figure 13 - http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~jjordan/gamelan/instrum-photo.html

Indonesian Music

Indonesian Music - Gamelan

Gamelan music differs depending on where in Indonesia you are and it is more than just a form of entertainment. It has a lot of spiritual meaning. 

There are two main tuning systems within gamelan music:

·       Pelog

·       Slendro

These two tuning systems do vary drastically throughout all of Indonesia there's some principles that stay the same. There are 7 tones in the pelog scale, however it's rare that they would used all 7 notes. They would usually pick 5 notes and stick to them. If you were to number them 1-7 the most common scale used would be 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. In Bali they don't number the pitches they would have the selisir names; ding, dong, deng, dung and dang. In slendro tuning there is always 5 different pitches. They are often numbered 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6. These 5 pitches are always spread out evenly within an octave. In Bali the slendro scale is mainly only used for shadow puppetry or some ancient ensembles. It's rare to have gamelan instruments with both pelog and slendro tuning. You would have to have a set of instruments for each tuning.

Their is a collection of 100 islands in Indonesia and gamelans are different depending where you're from. Bali gamelans is a more loud playing style, more intense and in your face, whereas gamelans in Java are more chilled out and use softer playing styles. However it all depends on the setting and environment be it in a home/ceremony environment and unplugged gamelans will also be more quiet and softer. Gamelans can go on for 8-9 hours performing and all ages can take part in the music. The drums drive everything along, they're various different drums. The drums define different tones of sections and identifies when things start, change and end. During performances they will always face towards the audience. The royal family is very important, they all see the salton as he has mystical powers like a god. Performances within the royal court are very formal where performances for shadow puppetry may be slightly less so. Story's for shadow puppetry came from India migrating alongside the Hindu population. Other story's also come from the book "Mahadarata" (Translated to Tale of the Bharata Dynasty). The book is a Indian poetry book which covers a wide variety of tales from history or even entire philosophies on living. The book itself is 1.8 million worlds long across 74,000 verses. For some insight to what a shadow puppetry performance would be like, think of it like olden silent movies where the piano player would match up what he's doing to what's on screen.

References

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ku9iH2pU9g - (Accessed 27th December 2013)
• http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-mahabharata.htm (Accessed 6th January 2014)

Irish Music: Structure and Ornamentation

Traditional Irish music usually consists of several instruments playing the same melody in unison without a harmony, in exception for the guitar which provides rhythm and bass. Traditionally it's just several instruments such as the fiddle, Irish flute, etc. playing the melody without a chordal instrument such as the guitar. Here's a video of several different jigs and reels.

seriglerom (2012) The Music of Ireland: Jigs and Reels. Available at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3xeTpgLP5o (Accessed on 12th October 2013).

Reels are in 4/4 and consist of similar structures of two parts (A & B) in most reels it's repeated as AABB not ABAB. Sometime's it's AABBCC and each part usually consists of eight bars. It's like a question and answer format and also consists largely of eighth notes. Because of each part consisting of eight bars it can have four bar or two bar phrases. This is also the case for other types of Irish music.

An example of the structure:

Figure 1.1

                                           

Another example with part C:

Figure 1.2

                                             

Jigs are in 6/8 which gives it a kind of swing beat, this makes it perfect for dancing. Which is what it's used for to this day, being played in a pub for people to dance and have a good time. The music sounds very traditional and is the symbol for Irish music it's very old fashioned because they use gapped scales which are scales which use less than seven notes.

Ugur Bekas (2011) Live Irish Pub Music / Ireland Temple Bar / HD Quality. Available at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY11m0d3Bjs (Accessed 12th October 2013).

Ornamentation:

Figure 2.1

 The Cut

Figure 2.2

The Casadh

Figure 2.3

The Short Roll

Figure 2.4

The Tap








This is the Salamanca Reel. You can hear and see some of the different ornamentation used.

Figure 2.5

mrleedra (2011) The Bothy Band: Salamanca Reel/The Banshee/The Sailor's Bonnet. Available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taN_I4CRv9E (Accessed 12th October 2013).

They're many other different types of Irish music with various time signatures:

• Hornpipes 4/4
• Polkas 2/4
• Slip jigs 9/8
• Slides 12/8
• Waltz 3/4
• Mazurkas 4/4
• Highlands 4/4

Bibliography

Figure 1.1/1.2 - http://www.firepowr.com/structure.html

Figure 2.1/2.2/2.3/2.4  - http://www.tradschool.com/en/tunes/ornamentation-in-irish-music

Figure 2.5  - http://www.celticorbis.co.uk/tunesala.htm

Introduction

I'm not a very good blogger; I hate blogging and everyone who does it. However it's my turn to blog. I will be blogging about traditional/folk music from around the world such as, Irish, Japanese, Indian, etc. During the blog I will post what I thought about the music I have listened to, talk about the instrumentation, structure, style, modes, famous artists, why the music sounds like it does, talk about history of the music and/or instruments. I'll even reference where I got my information from, share fun and interesting videos and just try to be as detailed as I possibly can during my blogging adventure.