Renee’s Blog

The idea of a folk orchestra is a strange concept to me. When I think of Orchestras I instantly think of classical music, which is associated in my mind with very upperclass, haughty individuals in a very serious setting. This might just be because I’m not a fan of classical music… but regardless, Folk music has exactly the opposite image in my head. I envision folk music as being played by poorer or middle-class people, often socially, with dancing and general merrymaking. When I listen to the example track, Krivo Plovdivsko Horo, the sound to my ears pretty much sums up how odd the idea of a folk orchestra is in my head. It really does sound like a more boring, mainstream, and well… orchestrated version of a traditional arrangement of folk instruments like example 1. In example 1, it is obvious that the musicians are improvising a great deal, but in the orchestrated example it has a very clean, mechanical sound. To me, the soul has been taken out of the music. It’s more westernized, which I suppose was to make Communist Bulgaria look more impressive to the great powers in the world at the time. I don’t particularly like this scheme, and even if it is easier to listen to perhaps, I would still rather hear the reality of the music than the government’s skewed view of music in the country.

For this listening journal I listened to the pieces listed under Shona Mbira. Each one of these contains the word Nhemamusasa in the title, which I assume is the type of music being played. The first example Nhemamusasa (at bira) features a loud rythym that reminds me of the sound of maracas. Behind this sound is the sound of a more melodic percussion instrument that actually reminded me of gamelan, although it sounds as if it comes from a wooden instrument rather than a metallic one. The vocals seem very sporadic and improvisational, sometimes in the form of call and response, sometimes just joyful ululations. The next example contains the melodic instrument I previously mentioned. Melody seems much more prominent in this piece, which focuses on repetition of a simple line. Another instrument jumps in towards the middle of the recording which has a jangly sort of cymbal sound. There are no vocals in this piece, and the overall mood is a bit more somber. The last example, Form in Nhemamusasa, is even more somber sounding, perhaps because it is slower. It too contains the melodic instrument and the cymbal sound. The way the narrator breaks down the piece shows us that there are 4 distinct phrases that are repeated over and over in this specific form of music. This reminds me of the structure of gamelan, even though it is different. The kind of music I tend to listen to (black metal, psychedelic, folk, etc.) doesn’t have a defined structure, but these forms of music have very specific rules, which is interesting. I suppose different genres of music focus on different elements to define their sound.

While perusing this website, it came to my attention that gamelan music has been used in ceremonial situations in all of the different cultures we’ve discussed in class. These cultures, including Balinese, seem to put a lot of emphasis on important moments in a persons life cycle, for example a wedding or a cremation. Gamelan belaganjur is one of these types of gamelan used for these important events. In belaganjur, however, the instruments are portable, unlike Javanese gamelan. This is similar to Sumatran Talempong, which is portable and can be used during processions. When not being used for processions, gamelan belaganjur could be used simply for entertainment with the added element of dance, which brings to mind the Javanese puppet shows.

From the example on the website, I can hear that there is a loud crashing cymbal-like instrument that is impossible to ignore. I haven’t noticed this sound in any other gamelan, so perhaps this is an instrument special to the Balinese gamelan belaganjur. The gongs have a simple melody that seems to me to be less complex than a Javanese gamelan, with a distinct emphasis on percussive instruments like the aforementioned cymbal.

Bubaran ‘Kembang Pacar’ is a very slow, eerie song with a rhythm that can be best described as heavy. As I listen to it I feel almost weighted down, especially in the beginning and very end when the beat is slower. There is a distinct melody, but upon closer listen there is definite variation in the background gongs. Their rhythm and melody seem to be constantly evolving throughout, sometimes coming together with the main melody to form beautiful harmony. There is a definite element of depth here.

Ladrang ‘Wilujeng’ has a fairly different sound than Bubaran ‘Kembang Pacar’. There is the addition of vocals and what sounds like a stringed instrument. The vocals soar and give me a feeling of lightness and transcendence. It seems that the vocals have precedence here, while in Bubaran the gongs were definitely the showpiece of the song. This might be because of the setting, or possibly a cultural difference. What do you think might cause this shift in focus?

The first song, Sidi, brings to my mind the idea of “flow”. As I sit and listen to the repetitive bell-like sound and the meandering notes of the horn-like instrument, I can feel myself enter a sort of trance that I am sure is a parallel to the performers’ states of mind. The second song brings to mind a similar state, but especially notable is the “interlocking” of the two musicians. The melodies move around each other, sometimes coinciding and then quickly changing and drawing back, as if they were dancing. The third song, Pambau Duo-Duo, is a repetitive drum beat. Repetitive rhythms seem to be a common thread between these pieces of music. The next example is also a drum beat, however the beats evolve and shift throughout the piece. The next example, Basuo Duo, is a bit slower, and continues the theme of a repetitive drum beat with a trance-like feeling. Urang Halaban has a quick rhythm that seems to get quicker and quicker as the song goes on. The melody twists and dances, and the addition of some drums adds to the strong rhythm. Minangkabau is the most melodic of all these examples, exhibiting chord changes and harmony. This one seems to have been influenced by western music, and in that seems to have lost a bit of the trance feeling of the other songs. This may show that the people taking part in and listening to this particular track may belong to a more westernized social group than the other songs.

Islam’s call to prayer is a fascinating example of music as a form of worship. It’s extremely public, as it is literally amplified in the streets of Muslim areas, and yet believers are adamant about it’s separation from secular music.

The first example of the call is the easiest one for me to identify with. I grew up listening to choirs and priests sing in my (Catholic) church, and responding by singing or reciting the appropriate response. If you listen carefully, you can hear a man muttering the response to the call, which can be easily compared to my own experience. However, the next two examples are a little less familiar.

The second example features several different calls to prayer, all being played over loudspeakers in what I can assume is an urban setting, since there are so many nearby mosques. This does not happen in rural Ohio or Philadelphia, presumably because there is not a large population of Muslim people. It’s interesting to me, especially, that they all try to reach the largest audience, as if they’re competing for prayer-goers.

The last example, a ringtone, is very confusing to me. Muslims say that the Call to Prayer is sacred and should be set apart from all other forms of music. However, doesn’t making a ringtone out of the Call put it in the same category as all other ringtones (which is not the most highly respected category to be in)? My own ringtone is currently the theme from Sanford & Sons. You get the point. Why would this be okay to the Muslim community? Why would they record the Call onto a cd and sell it for a profit? It seems to me that the Call has a very distinct purpose, but this example completely deviates from that purpose. I’d be curious to hear a Muslim’s opinion of this issue.