Module 6 Flashcards
Eurovision and Euro-Pop
-In 1956, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), aired live transnational television program called THE EUROVISION GRAND PRIX
~Promote European unity in post-World War II period
-Each country (Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg) entered two songs to be preformed live during the competition
-A hallmark of the contest is the annual relocation of the broadcast venue to the previous year’s winning country
~For smaller nations, spurs a strong sense of national pride and a favorable economic boom
-At first the songs could only be preformed by soloist or a duet.
~In the 1970s the restriction was lifted as rock influences became apparent in the mid-1960s
ABBA
- Swedish quartet won the 1974 Eurovision contest with the song “waterloo”
- The lyrics refer to the military defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, suggesting that the song’s main character was similarly destined to “surrender” to her lover
- Major keys predominate in Euro-pop dance songs, which are usually intended to encourage a celebratory atmosphere, though ballads about unrequited love will often use minor keys
Riverdancing
- In 1994 Riverdance was not a competing group but a troupe of dancers that preformed during the interval capitalized leading to sold-out crowds in Dublin
- Due the popularity of the onstage production, the Irish step-dancing features have been known as “Riverdancing” in the US and elsewhere
- Based in Celtic Folk music and culture that peaked internationally during the 1980s and 1990s
Enya (Eithne Bhraonain)
-Spent most of her childhood preforming Irish folk music together with her eight siblings, parents, and extended family
-Her father bought a pub that later helped her and her siblings provide a regular venue and helped the children develop their performance skills playing traditional music and pop-sing
covers
-Three of Enya older siblings and two of their uncles formed a group call CLANNAD
~The group was strongly rooted in folk performance and recorded song both in English and Irish Gaelic
Celtic Pop
-There are three main types of Goidelic languages (Gaelic): Irish, Scottish, and Manx (From the Isle of Man)
-The maintenance of the Gaelic languages is a special source of pride and is frequently used in traditional as well as popular music performance
-A distinctive vocal practice in Ireland and Scotland is the use of puirt a beul, or “jig od the mouth”
~Generally “mouth music” is a creative way to render instruments melodies into vocal performances, similar to the practice of “scat” singing in Jazz
*The text incorporates vocables (nonlyrical, or “meaningless,” syllables) that often follow rhythmic and rhythming patterns; these patterns may render the instrumental melody as a vocal line or, more typically, related to associated dance choreography
-“Mouth music” contests are frequently found at both social gatherings and formal competitions, where performers sing with a rapid-fire delivery of tongue-twisting text
What is Celtic Music
-Instruments used, such as the traditional tin whistle or uillenna pipes, or the language in a vocal performance, which is usually Gaelic
-Other markers could be the performer’s heritage (either Irish or Scottish) or the song genre performed (jig or reel)
-They follow one or the three stylistic veins
~Folk Format
*Opting for primarily traditional instrumental ensembles and coupling new compositions with many tunes that have passed down through generations of Irish, Scottish, or Welsh musicians
~Celtic frequently labeling this as “New Age”
*Incorporates many electronic instruments, varied percussion, and studio techniques to give the music a more contemporary sound
~Celtic Rock
*Electric guitars and heavy drums are heard side by side with fiddles and bagpipes
Flamenco Proper
-The three primary elements are
~Cante (Vocal)
~Toque (Instrumental)
~Baile (Dance)
-Each elements has several subcategories, giving rise to more than fifty different types of flamenco music, known as palos
-Cante is typically divided into three basic categories that suggest the level of performance difficulty
~Cante jondo (Deep song)
~Cante intermedio (Intermediate song)
~Cante chico (Light song)
-Flamenco singers known as CANTAORA, requires a strong and passionate voice, no matter which style of cante is performed
-Is more “heart” music meaning that the emotional expressiveness of a performance takes precedence over the objective of singing every note perfectly
~Artists are tought to “learn the notes” first and then worry about sentiment, whereas flamenco artists, assuming a traditional rather than conservatory training, are urged to sing with passion, knowing that the ability to sing “correctly” will come eventually
-Was born of oppressions
~Is it believed to have originated in the fifteenth century among persecuted population of the Spanish Inquisitions
-By the mid-eighteenth century the Gitano populations (“Gypsies”)that migrated to Spain had adopted the tradition as a hallmark of their musical activity, adding guitar and dancing to the already present palmas (interlocking handclaps) technique that accompanies performances
~The strumming technique frequently incorporates a rapid “outward” flourish that utilizes the fingernail of each finger individually and a “rolling” rhythm, known as rasgueado
*This parallels the rhythmically dense accents of the canantes and the footwork of the accompanying dancers
-The vibrant strumming contrasts with the delicate melodic finger work that draws from both European classical guitar and Aribic ‘Oud plucking techniques
~The difference in technique between percussive strumming and intricate melody often signals a mood shift during a performance, which may alos be indicated by a change in rhythm and/or melody, known as compas
-There are a few percussion instruments, primarly the castanets, a instrument of Middle Eastern origin that dates to roughly 100BCE; played by accompanying dancers, castanets are a pair of hand help wooden clappers that resemble miniature clamshells
~The dancers hold a pair in each hand and “calps” them together by closing the fingers towards the palm, frequently alternating between the two hands and/or rolling the fingers on the castanet to produce a rapid clicking sound
-Performers study a variety of choreography that includes foot-stomping techniques (zapateado) and handclaps (palams) that add to they rhythmic vibrancy of the music; they wear heavy shoes that sometimes have nails driven into the heel to accentuate the sound, much like the metal plates on the toes and heels of tap-dancing shoes
Gipsy kings
-Reyes and Baliardo achieved international acclaim in 1988 with a self-titled album and the hit song “Bamboleo”
-Their music is described as rumba flamenco or rumba catalana, are not “pure” flamenco
~Their style follows in the musical sence of many generations of gypsy musicians before them, adapting their skills to the local tastes of their audience
Flamenco Rumba
-The dexterous finger work of the guitarist similarly shows a roots connection to the artistry of flamenco performance, punctuated by the rolling outward finger flourishes
-Is a style of dance music that fuses rhythmic elements of Afro-Cuban rumba with harmonic progressions and melody tendencies common to flamenco music
~The use of the acoustic guitar and fingering techniques typical of flamenco is the most obvious connection between the popular style and the traditional genre
-Percussion instruments are sometimes heard but are used in a subdued manner
-The primary percussive element in flamenco rumba is produced by slapping the body of the guitar as part of the strumming technique
~Traditional flamenco guitarists do this as well, most typically as part of an improvisation, but the popular style incorporates the guitar strike as part of the stroke pattern; the result is a steady articulation of the beat
-Is meant for mass audience participation, not specialized choreography
~The music generally follows a duple meter and remains consistent throughout the performance; a syncopated rhythm, based on either the habanera or clave pattern, is typically present
-Criticized for its lack of seriousness and technical difficulty
~The music is not as demanding for either the vocalists or the musicians, and the lyrical content is lighter, avoiding the darker themes of suffering and discriminations that frequently appear the older styles
Traditional Flamenco
-Frequently changes tempo and meter during a performance, often in conjunction with the movements of a dancer or a cue from a vocalist
-The vocal component is more demanding and melodies of a dancer or a cue from a vocalist
~The vocal component is more demanding and melodies are not based on popular songs from other genres, as is “Volare”
-Triple meters are common, and the dancers themselves often articulate the rhythmic component in Flamenco proper
Fado
- Has a mournful mood but expresses its sentiment as a soulful reminiscence, rather than a cathartic wail
- Musical roots can be traced to Brazilian, central African, and Arabic influences, is distinctly European with its use of harmony, a simple meter, and minimal percussion, if any is present at all
- Two types of fado are commonly heard in Portugal: Coimbra fado and Lisboa fado, named foe the cities that are considered to have spawned these traditions
- This longing feeling, described as saudade, strengthened as working-class seamen and street musicians of the poor neighborhoods in the port city of Lisbon adopted the accompanied song format as a medium for expressing their struggles with everyday life
Amelia Rodrigues
- popularized the genre to its greatest extent, such that fado audiences cut across social classes and international borders
- Redefined the genre, adding an expanded orchestral accompaniment to highlight her vocal talents; her success in Lisbon broadened during the 1940s and 50s through recordings and various acting roles in Portuguese and international films, in which she frequently delivered onscreen performance
- The guitars shifts to playing arpeggios (broken chords), rather than strummed full cords, which again gives a different feeling to this section; these changes are important to notice, for they add to the subtle beauty of fado
- Themes of fado are varied but usually express a romantic notion
Instruments in Fado
-Guitarra portuguesa (Portuguese guitar)
-Twelve-stringed pear-shaped lute
-Viola de fado (Classical guitar)
-Viola baixo (Bass guitar)
-Violin
-Cello
-Flute
-Accordion
-Minimal percussion
~Maracas
Morna
-Regarded as the national music of the islands, is strongly linked with Portuguese fado
-Evolving from similar roots, namely the Angolan lundun and Brazilian-Portuguese modinha, the morna repertoire flowered at the turn of the nineteenth century with the poems of Eugenio Tavares, the most revered of morna composers
-Differs from fado in its frequent inclusion of percussion instruments used to articulate a more complex rhythmic component that reflects the African heritage of the island’s populace
~A solo vocalist is still the central figure or the ensemble, with the most common harmonic accompaniment being the viola and cavaquinho (small, mandolin-like guitar with four-courses of strings)
*Piano, violin, and accordion as well as electric or acoustic bass, are typical of today’s ensembles, along with featured instruments including saxophone, trombone, and traditional African instruments, such as the kora (chordophone from West Africa)
Cesaria Evora
- Morna singer nicknames the “barefoot diva” for her preference for performing onstage without shoes
- began performing as a teenager and was encouraged by her uncle, a prolific composer of mornas and well-known musician on the islands
- Her international career did not begin until 1988, after minor tours in Portugal and France
