Music that is translated does lose much of the cultural of
its original. If you examine the song Sukiyaki it is a wonderful 1950’s styled
ballad from Japan. The English version is not a horrible song it does lack some
of does lack some of the culture of the Japanese music of the 1960’s. The song
is a direct reflection of the music that is introduced to Japan by the United
States after World War II. It is interesting that Japanese crooner Kyu
Sakamoto recorded this song and it was popular in the United States due to the
sound of the song. This song can loose much of the culture when recorded in
other languages but is a mixture of U.S. and Japan during the 1960’s
This history of Greece and its music has had a profound influence on the musical structure that we use today. In the piece Lazaros Harisiadis Greek Clarinet it blends modern instruments with older ideas. Even though the clarinet was not around during ancient Greece we can see its influence on sounds of modern Geek music using modern instruments. The tones used on the clarinet are not produced like the ones when the clarinet is used classically or in other styles. The group also shares structure with Jazz or other music that improvised where the musicians do not have to use music. This also adds to the tradition of passing music down through the culture.
Traditional African Drums(Idiophones)
Saxophone (Areophones)
Trumpet (Areophones)
Trombone (Areophones)
Angelique Kidjo’s piece is an example of how music can be influenced by many different cultures. The style used in the song is also powerful in allowing the listener to have a pleasant western pop music while interweaving the culture and music of West Africa. This video makes more of the traditions of West Africa with its visual representation. This video is a great way to introduce a new style of music to a new listener. This can help take the listener to the original songs and cultures of many different African nations. Videos and songs similar to Wombo Lombo offer people who enjoy music and teach music the chance to expand the musical knowledge of a broader group of people. These pieces can act as a bridge between two cultures and create more informed music listener.
The classification of instruments can help if the music that you are listening to is new to you and the culture is also new. When looking at a piece of music you might not know what instruments are in being played but you can determine the category. This was helpful in the song above there are may instruments I was able to identify quickly but some that I had to put into an instrument category.
New York, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi
4 Instrumentation
Banjo
Upright Bass
Guitar
Fiddle
Washboard
Bluegrass music has its origins in many states that are from Appalachian mountain region and others that are from the southern states that border the Appalachian Mountains. Settlers from the United Kingdom and Ireland influenced Blue Grass Music. The musicians used ballads, dance music, and Irish reels that were traditions that the settlers carried with them from their homelands. Bluegrass music groups are mainly string groups with the occasional jug player and washboard player when desired. Bluegrass music also shared traits with two other genres of music Jazz and Country Music. Blue Grass shares Jazz traditions of a soloist that plays an improvised solo while other music plays the chords of music. Country Music shares the a portion of the listener of Blue Grass often times the listeners of Bluegrass are from the same region as the origin of Bluegrass music but have found homes in the west with the expansion of the United States. When looking at Ethnomusicology for Bluegrass music it applies to how the music of the settlers has evolved into the stories of the families that settled the United States. With the basis of music from the United Kingdom and Ireland the music brought communities together through music and carried on the traditions of their ancestors. This also gave the Bluegrass musicians a chance to add their own stories and lives to the music. This caused playing techniques to be passed down from generation to generation. These traditions eventually would be recorded in methods on how to perform bluegrass music has become a feature in the Appalachian region of the United States.
