Música Duranguense

Origins of Duranguense Music
-Started in Chicago, IL
-In 1996, Jose Luis Terrazas created the group Montez De Durango and they played at private parties and night clubs during the weekends.
-Since then, they have recorded 6 albums, the last of which earned them a platinum album.
-The group currently consists of seven members (all from Durango).
-Many other groups followed their style (e.g., K-Paz de la Sierra, Horoscopos de Durango, Alacranes Musical, etc.)

Instruments
-Chordophone: Electric keyboard
-Aerophones: Saxophone, accordion, and trombone
-Membranophone & Idiophone: Drum-set

Example #1
“Volveré” by Diego Verdaguer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpTg5eIEFAA
“Volveré” by K-Paz de la Sierra:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZjoBxFBeZg

Audience Criticism
-Originality
-Since “Volveré” was very popular in the 1970s, members of the older generation (fans of Diego Verdaguer) do not appreciate this new version of the song.

Example #2
“Obsession” by Frankie J:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVK9emHIDYM
“Obsesión” by Horoscopos De Durango:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byFis5FFHt4

Pasito Duranguense
-Not only did Montez De Durango create a new musical style, but they also developed a new dance style: Pasito Duranguense (the Duranguense step)
-During their presentations, they danced as they played their music. Their audience turned it into a partner dance that was mix of merengue and quebradita.
-Merengue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZNwsCiOfNc
-Quebradita: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCGpLavQ0sg
-Pasito Duranguense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MzQMisVVT0

American Music

When people are asked "What is American music?" they may simply answer, "Well, the music that Americans listen to." But before attempting to define American music, we must first take a step back and think about what it really means to be "American." Are we considered American simply because we were born in America? Is it possible for one's "Americanism" to be determined by a mere piece of paper (a birth certificate)? Is it a culture, or is it a life-style? Because these various factors are taken into account when determining what is American, it is practically impossible to say that one type of music defines American music. Music is a reflection of a peoples' culture. It is thus impractical to even try to pin point a single music genre as American music when America consists of so many different cultures. The United States is a melting pot of different cultures, identities, and of course music-cultures.

When trying to define American music, some people may say that it's the music that most Caucasians listen to, such as Britney Spears' pop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BclTRsTBZM, Carrie Underwood's country http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSMV3g-iBWU, or the Goo Goo Dolls' alternative http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Feq_G7-pwak (just to give a few examples). However, this certainly does not encompass everything about American music. America is a very diverse place. Many people from different countries have migrated to the United States and their music has also come with them. In California alone we can find various types of music depending on which area we focus on. For instance, if we go to Orange County (specifically, the city of Santa Ana), we will mainly hear Mexican music because it’s an area where the population is predominantly Mexican-American. We are likely to hear songs by Los Tigres del Norte http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZtQt4KElfE or Vicente Fernandez http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VooHJx7qoPQ. If we go to China Town, we’ll hear Asian music, such as songs from Wang Lee Hom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SDSHNJRlXk. If we go to an area that's predominantly African-American, we may hear Duke Ellington’s blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CkJmy3FUs8, or perhaps Snoop Dog's rap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okS1u85MB1g. (Again, these are only examples.) Likewise, if we go to different regions in the United States we will hear different types of music depending on the people that reside in the area.

Giving examples of every type of music in the United States requires much research and would take several pages to describe. However, what is most relevant to this discussion is the fact that it is the people that make up a music-culture. If we compare all the music genres/styles mentioned above, we will come to the realization that they sound nothing alike. Nonetheless, because America is made up of so many different peoples, it is all these different styles (and more) that make up American music.

Shakira

Shakira is a prominent Colombian singer whose unique music, dance, and singing styles have allowed her to distinguish herself from the rest of her colleagues.

Although Shakira fits in the pop genre, her music does not sound like typical pop music. Her songs are often a mix of styles that in turn develop a new unique musical style. For example, her recordings “Eyes Like Yours” and "Whenever, Wherever (Arab Remix)" incorporate Middle Eastern elements, while “Objection” incorporates tango. These different mixtures of styles show that Shakira doesn’t want to be a typical pop singer. She’s adventurous and takes risks in trying new things. Luckily for her, the risks she has taken have resulted in a worldwide positive response from the public (as shown by her best-selling albums).
"Eyes Like Yours": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkCdu6lK5xY
"Whenever, Wherever (Arab Remix)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23gVS1ZxhbE
"Objection": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_QQOGLdOCo

Dance style is another aesthetic quality that differentiates Shakira from the rest of the singers. During her concerts, Shakira's hip movements are a major part of her performance and never fail to fascinate the audience. She always incorporates belly dancing (a Middle Eastern element). The flowy movement gives her freedom and allows her to express herself in a way that wouldn't be possible through singing alone. The audience loves it and it is part of what makes her Shakira.

One last quality that disinguishes Shakira is her voice. When one of her songs is playing, it is easy to recognize it as Shakira's because of the unique timbre of her voice. It is somewhat nasal but beautiful and unmistakeable.

Latcho Drom: Part 2

The second part of the movie Latcho Drom depicts the migration of the Roma people from the Middle East to Eastern Europe. In this part, there were two major musical scenes: 1) villagers coming out of their houses in Romania, and 2) nomads singing next to a railroad in Slovakia.

The first scene shows a group of Romanian villagers happily making music outside their homes. I noticed five different instruments: four violins, one flute, one acordion, two santours, and two other large chordophones. In this scene, everyone is gathered around the musicians enjoying themselves. One thing I found interesting about this scene is that only men play instruments while women just acompany them with their singing and clapping; perhaps this is a subtle suggestion of a patriarchal hierarchy. In the train scence that takes place in Slovakia, nomads play, sing, and entertain a child and his mother. Here, I only saw three instruments: a violin, a metal jar that is used as an idiophone, and two spoons beat together that are also used as idiophones.

From the descriptions above, it is clear that the Romanian scene has many conventional instruments (including chordophones and aerophones). The scene from Slovakia also shows a chordophone (the violin), but does not include any aerophones. The most interesting instruments from this scene are the idiophones because they are not conventional. The nomads use daily utensils (spoons and a jar) as their musical instruments.

Latcho Drom is undoubtedly a very interesting film. At the begining I didn't think I would be able to follow the movie because the English translation is minimal and no dialogue takes place. However, I later realized that in this movie the music is what truly matters. Parts of the songs are translated and the translation provides enough information for the viewer to understand what's taking place. The purpose of the film is not only to describe the migration of the nomads and how the music-cultures of the different regions they traversed influenced their own music-culture, but also to show the suffering and hardships faced by this group of people. This becomes especially evident in this second part of the film. For instance, in one scene, there's a girl and a woman singing a mournful song in a train. Their song says, "Everyone hates us, we're chased, we're cursed." In another scene, a man sings, "God has condemned us to wandering." Hearing these songs is depressing, but they illustrate nomad reality. "Gypsies" are at the bottom of the social ladder and experience rejection from the rest of society. Latcho Drom also depicts the miserable living conditions of the nomads. They constantly move from place to place and are forced to live under detrimental conditions. For example, there's a scene that shows how the nomads were living on trees during a cold winter in Slovakia. It is amazing how these people survive.

Latcho Drom

The movie Latcho Drom ("Safe Journey") depicts the migration of nomads from South Asia to the Middle East. After watching the first part of this movie, it is evident that music plays a major role in their lives. There were three major musical scenes: 1) nomads under a full moon, 2) an Egyptian couple dancing, and 3) a takht ensemble playing in a Turkish teahouse in Istanbul. In these three scenes there were many musical instruments, some different and some similar to each other.

In the first scene, I saw an instrument that I had never seen before and that did not appear in any of the other scenes. I don't know the name of it but it looked like a pottery pot/vase. It seemed like they were using it as a drum; it was interesting. There was also a stringed instrument that looked like a bouzouki. In the second scene, what stood out the most to me was the tambourine. There was also another drum that resembled the tambourine but without cymbals, and an instrument that resembled the Chinese erhu . I also saw another type of drum; I think it's called a dholak. The third scene showed the typical instruments of the takht ensemble: 'ud, qanun, nay, tambourine and violin. The instruments in the three scenes were similar in that they all included some type of drum, stringed instrument, and cymbals.

The director of Latcho Drom was trying to demonstrate how the nomads absorbed the various music cultures they encountered into their own music. The director did this through the children in the movie. Every time they stopped somewhere, the "gypsy" kids were very curious to find out what was going on around them. They watched very closely the musical performances of the region they were in and tried to imitate the performers. Then they went back to the "gypsy" settlement and show the rest of the nomads. In this way, as they traveled through different parts of the world, the "gypsies" picked up different musical styles that made their way into "gypsy" music.

The Influence of Real Life's Events on Music

A real life event that had a deep influence on music in our day and age is the Middle Eastern attack of the U.S. twin towers and the subsequent US-Iraq War. After September 11, 2001, artists recorded songs relating to the human suffering that was taking place at the time. But what caused the most controversy and heightened response from various artists was President Bush’s decision to declare war on Iraq. After this declaration of war, many artists became political activists and used their positions as entertainers to reach out to the public. They recorded songs and made videos that condemned the war and promoted peace.

One of such war-denouncing groups is The Black Eyed Peas, who recorded a song titled “Where is the love?” The chorus of this song explicitly describes the situation at the time: “People killing, people dying, children hurt, and women crying…These people got me questioning, where is the love?” By recording this song not only did The Black Eyed Peas openly criticize the war, but they also tried to raise consciousness by posing an important question: What’s happening to the world?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJV9EMkv0u4

The famous punk-rock band Green Day also recorded several songs against the war. In fact, most of the songs in their album “American Idiot” criticize the war in one way or another. For instance, the video of the song “Wake Me Up When September Ends” shows a lot of war scenes and the song itself describes the war as a nightmare. This song is about a young man who goes off to fight in the war and leaves his girlfriend behind. In the song he basically states that he wants to go to sleep and not be woken up until the end of September (and its aftermath) because reality is just too harsh and he can’t face it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLSUdF2d_uI

From the examples above, it is evident that music continues to be an outlet for popular political discontent. However, the music itself also had an impact on society. This type of songs and their negative portrayal of the war influenced people’s opinion. Although they may not have been the sole reason to condemn the war, these songs definitely contributed to people’s disapproval of it.

Criticism of the Modern Chinese Orchestra

After watching a performance by the modern Chinese orchestra, Western scholars accused them of not being “authentic” enough. The scholars stated that they were very disappointed because they expected to hear “traditional” Chinese music and what they heard was something that was westernized. They complained because the instruments were factory-made and even included Western instruments such as the cello, bass, and even a keyboard. To their further disappointment, the orchestra played mixtures of arrangements of older pieces and modern compositions. According to one foreigner, it all sounded “‘like lightweight nineteenth-century [Western] music.’” An American professor was afraid that “‘By adding a bit today and a bit tomorrow, [they] will end up completely westernized.’” In the eyes of the critics, Chinese music should stick to the “traditional” music that has been played since earlier times instead of trying to move toward a western music style.

I think that western scholars are being a little too harsh on the modern Chinese orchestra. What does it really mean to be authentic or traditional? Furthermore, who are these scholars to decide what is and what is not authentic? The orchestra is Chinese and they are producing music in China; it’s Chinese music. I think the critics need to understand that times change, and other things change with them. If the technology is available now, why not let musicians take advantage of it? Westerners certainly have, why can’t the Chinese?

Naxi Music

In her article “‘Authenticity’ and the Foreign Audience for Traditional Music in Southwest China,” Professor Helen Rees describes foreigners’ fascination with “ancient Naxi music.” However, she argues that this music is not as “ancient” as it is marketed to the audience. Her argument is based on the fact that the music presented in the famous concerts is not the same as the one performed in ancient times. The Naxi music that was played in the early1900s was mostly religious and it would take “three or more days to perform an entire scripture.” Due to political reasons, the Naxi had to stop playing this music for some time, and when it revived it was all secular. Thus, the music that is presented today is not the ancient religious Naxi music that was played at the beginning of the 20th century, but a secular type of music where no religious rituals take place.

"Ratna Ayu" vs. "Gamelan Bali Nyepi"

Although "Ratna Ayu" and "Gamelan Bali Nyepi" are both Balinese musical performances, they are far more different than they are similar.

While "Ratna Ayu" is a stage performance, "Gamelan Bali Nyepi" is a community (social) performance. "Ratna Ayu" is an indoors stage performance in which the ensemble is the center of attention. The only noise is the noise created by the performers themselves. There's an audience that is sitting very quietly watching and listening very carefully in order to appreciate the Balinesian music and dancing. This performance by the California Institute of the Arts' Balinese gamelan ensemble is most likely part of concert. This implies that the audience (most of which is probably non-Bali) had to pay an entrance fee. "Ratna Ayu" is a performance for an audience. On the other hand, "Gamelan Bali Nyepi" is a performance for the Bali community; it is part of their cultural socialization. In this performance there is nothing that separates the performers from the the audience; there's no stage. The Bali people that are playing the music are doing it for fun. They are performing for no one but themselves. Rather than following a strict code of conduct like the performers in "Ratna Ayu", the performers in "Gamelan Bali Neypi" talk amongst themselves as they play and enjoy their music. As far as the audience goes, some people stand around watching, but others simply take a glance as they pass by the beach and continue walking.

Appart from the context, there are some other small differences between the two performances. The most noticeable is that while female dancers are a major part of "Ratna Ayu," there are no dancers involved in "Gamelan Bali Neypi." Also the music from "Ratna Ayu" starts off very slow, then speeds up, and fianlly slows down again. On the other hand, the music from "Gamelan Bali Neypi" is upbeat throughout the entire piece. Finally, while "Ratna Ayu" combines music and singing, "Gamelan Bali Neypi" consists of music only.

It's amazing how Balinese performances can so different!

Music as Part of an Event

Music has been and continues to be everywhere. Places where we find music today include night clubs and churches.
Perhaps there's more to a night club than just music. It can be argued that some people go there just to drink or to find a boyfriend or girlfriend. However, a night club wouldn't be a night club without music. People go to night clubs to dance, and what would they dance to if there was no music? This music must be up-beat in order to attract people to the dance floor.
We also find music at church (perhaps at the opposite side of the spectrum). Church music serves the purspose of worshiping a supernatural being. For the most part, this music is calm and brings peace to the workshipers. Sometimes church music is more up-beat and energizes the worshipers.
Music is part of a wide range of events. As illustrated by the two examples above, the purpose of the event determines the kind of music that is played.

Identities

Different contexts accentuate different parts of my identity. For example, when I am at church I accentuate my religious identity. At church, I pray, sing Christian hymns and other religious songs, and refer to people around me as brother or sister. Outside church, I rarely do any of this, and if I do, it is to a much lesser extent. Music is an important part of my accentuated religious identity, particularly the singing part, because music at church is live. My mom has various Christian CDs at home, but I don't sing along with those. Live music at church allows me to really feel the songs and makes me want to sing. Since this only happens at church, this part of my religious identity is mainly accentuated in this context.

Another example would be that my home environment accentuates my cultural identity. This is especially true at family parties, where we loudly play and dance to Mexican music. When I'm at other places, like school for instance, I do listen to that kind of music but it's not the same. I feel that being at home surrounded by people of my same culture playing and dancing to our music brings out more of the Mexican in me.

Insider/Outsider

Although today I feel like an insider in the Mexican culture, there was point in my life when I also felt like an outsider. This was during my early teenage years. I felt like an insider because I was born into the culture and identified myself as Mexican. However, when my mom started taking me to Mexican parties I felt I didn't belong there; I felt like an outsider. When the music started playing, I would see the people around me get up and head to the dancefloor. They really seeemed to enjoy themselves, and all I could think was: "How can these people seem so happy, if that music sucks; It's so annoying!" So I would just sit there with a frown and pray that my mom would get as bored as me and decide to leave. However, after repeated exposure to the music and the dancing, I slowly but surely began to embrace the musical aspect of my Mexican culture. Now I love it!

A more current example of me feeling like an insider and and outsider simultaneously would be when I go home and gather with my cousins on my dad's side of the family. I feel like an insider because I am part of the family, I feel accepted, I belong to their age group, and I feel comfortable around them. However, at the same time I feel like an outsider because they're not going to college (so they are unable to relate to me in that sense); and they like to drink a lot (I just like a single drink, if any). Despite these differences, the insider part allows me to enjoy my family and have a good time with them.

Experience Abroad

I’ve only set foot on two countries: the United States and Mexico. I was born in the States, but I moved to Mexico when I was two years old and I stayed there for 10 years. Interestingly, while I lived in Mexico, I practically hated traditional Mexican music. I found it very annoying and would actually cover my ears when the music came on. It wasn’t until I returned to the United States (8 years ago) that I began to listen to traditional Mexican music. I was kind of forced to, given that my neighbor would listen to it all day every day full blast. But now I not only appreciate but actually enjoy the music.

Class Interest

As I looked through the General Education Course List, the title of this course is what caught my attention: Music Around the World. I thought it would be interesting to learn a little about different musical traditions from different parts of the world. Since I am not the most musically learned person in the world, I thought this course would make me a little more literate in the musical world.

Musical Experience

Music has always been in my family in one way or another. In their youth, my grandpa and his brothers used to gather around to play the guitar and sing songs (and they still do some times). Today, when I think of my grandpa I think of a man happily singing and whistling as he performs his daily chores. My mother is currently part of our church's choir and my fourteen-year-old cousin has been playing the drums since he was three. I once tried to play his drums, but it was a futile effort. My experience with musical instruments is limited to having played the recorder in 4th and 5th grade (I think). However, although I'm not a talented musician, I do enjoy listening to, and espceially dancing to, music (and sometimes singing in the shower, too). For the most part I listen to music in Spanish (almost everything - pop, merengue, norteña, duranguense, cumbias, balads, and more). As for the dancing part, I like to dance at parties and clubs; I was also on the dance team in high school.