Music exam 3

Tanam

A second style of melodic improvisation that occurs prior to the presentation of the kriti itself is called tanam. Tanam is like alapana, except that tanam is performed to a pulse or beat.

Evolution of Calypso Music in 20th century

Calypso was the dominant popular music for most of the 20th century up until the 1970s when it was supplanted by the style known as soca

Soca Music

"Soul calypso" Developed in the 1970s, a combo of calypso, pop/rock. and indian (Hindi) rhythm. It is the primary popular music of today in Trinidad

Three important figures are associated with the development of bossa nova:

1. Composer-performer Antonio Carlos Jobim. Of the three, he is the most significant, because many of his compositions are still performed today. 2. Lyricist Vinicius de Moraes 3. Guitarist and singer Joao Gilberto

Raga-scale

1. First, each raga that exists has 'extramusical' associations. It is for this reason that raga is often referred to as: "that which colors the mind." • For example, a raga may be associated with a particular emotion, time of day, season, deity, or even a certain mystical or "magical" property. 2. Second, each raga includes not only a set of pitches, but also understood 'rules' as to how those pitches are to be performed. • For example, a raga may omit certain tones in either ascending or descending form. See your reading ("South Indian Classical Music Basics", page 199) for other 'rules' that may be applied to a raga.

ICM-remeber!!

1. Improvisation is an important, essential part of ICM. In fact, ICM is practically never performed without improvisation! To perform Indian classical music, one must be an expert in improvisation. 2. Composed pieces that are performed in the Carnatic tradition are often performed in such a way that various types of improvisation are added to them, to create, in effect, a new version of the piece each time it is performed. We can compare this to a performance by a jazz combo.

How is soca different from calypso

1. Technology has enabled soca artists to utilize computer-generated drum sounds; synthesized horns, etc. 2. Tempo range has been extremely narrowed. Whereas calypso can take many different tempos, soca generaly is moderate to fast 3. The underlying groove of soca features a pumping bass drum emphasizing the beat. 4. Soca lyrics are almost exclusively about dancing and partying. Gone are the subtleties of text, the double-meanings, the verbal battles, the word play. Nuance is lost in favor of 'jam and wine' (party and dance).

Characteristics of Alapana

1. performed in free rhythm (no pulse or beat) 2. no percussion accompaniment 3. always appears at the beginning of a kriti performance, before the actual kriti itself has been played!

Styles emanating from Cuba

2. Cuban bolero: • The term bolero applies to several different musical styles, from various countries. In Cuba, the bolero is a slow-tempo ballad. • You can recognize the Cuban bolero by listening for the conga drums, which play a distinct "low-high-low" rhythmic pattern. • The listening example on reserve titled Quieto is a bolero

Styles emanating from Cuba

3. cha cha cha: • The cha cha cha was first created in the 1950s. It is almost always played in a moderate tempo. • The cha cha cha can be recognized by listening for the guiro (a scraped idiophone), and by listening for a steady four-beat pulse played on the small timbale cowbell. • The listening example on reserve titled Soul Burst is a cha cha cha. You will not hear the cowbell in this example; rather, the timbale player plays the cymbal on the beats instead. • Oye Como Va, also on reserve, is another example of the cha cha cha style.

What is kriti

A kriti is a song, with text. When performed by a vocalist, the vocalist will of course sing the text. When performed by an instrumentalist, the text is not sung. However, audiences will still recognize the piece, because they are educated about the music. • Kritis are generally devotional songs; that is, their texts are written as pleas to or in honor of a deity.

Instrumentation of a typical salsa band

A. vocalists - lead, and possibly separate backup vocalists as well B. horn section • trumpets, trombones are most common • sax, flute are possible • size of horn section can vary C. rhythm section: • piano • bass guitar • percussion (for example, congas, bongos, timbales, maracas, guiro)

After improv in Indian

After exploring various types of improvisation, the players often return to the pallavi (the 'top' of the piece) as a way of closing the piece out.

Bollywood songs

Called Filmi, have an indian flavor to them, particularly in terms of melodic style also indigenous Indiana musical instruments (such as sitar) are sometimes utilized But bollywood songs have a strong pop music influence Songs have strong pop music influence

Where did Salsa come from

Blend of European and African Elements There are three important locations in the development of salsa music: 1. Cuba: many styles of music that are performed by salsa bands today have their roots in Cuba. Much salsa music can be called "Afro-Cuban," because it comes from Cuba, but was created by populations who can trace their roots back to Africa. 2. Puerto Rico: some musical styles played by salsa bands come from Puerto Rico, but perhaps more importantly, many well-known salsa musicians are from this island. 3. New York City: the actual birthplace of "salsa." The salsa style was created in NYC largely by Puerto Rican immigrants.

What is Bollywood

Bollywood is the slang term for the Indiana film Industry, which is based in Mumbai (formerly know as Bombay). The industry is one of the most prolific in the world, releasing over 2,000 films annually.

Bossa nova

Bossa nova ('new wave" or "new beat") was created in the late 1950s, and is a deriviative of samba music. Bossa nova was a product of the growing urban middle and upper class in Brazil. It is associated primarily with nightclub-type venues, and has a cool, intimate sound.

Early calypso: 1900-WWII

Classic era of calypso Instrumentation: • guitar or cuatro (a Venezuelan four-stringed strumming instrument), bass, piano • violin, or perhaps clarinet, trumpet are possible • no percussion Verbal sparring; competitiveness: • Picong or extempo: a verbal battle between calypsonians • Social commentary is prevalent in calypso texts during this time, along with boasting, sex, humor.

Skin Drums

Drum ensembles are introduced to Trinidad by African slaves and their descendants • Time frame = 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries; the practice of drumming can still be found in limited areas/situations today • 1884 = Peace Preservation Ordinance banned drumming during Carnival

Additional improv to indian

Drummers may play a solo. If so, they must work within or abide by the metric cycle (the tala) that has been established.

From Chantwell to Calypsonian

Each masquerade band that would parade through the streets during Carnival in the 1800s was lead by a chant well. • The transition from chantwell to calypsonian took place when the presentation of Carnival songs (eventually called calypsos) became formalized. Instead of just roaming the streets or appearing at Carnival fetes at random, chantwells began performing in calypso tents - formal venues set up by promoters to attract a "respectable" audience who wanted to hear the music in a safe place. • Commercial recordings also legitimized the art form, beginning in the second decade of the 20th century. • Calypsonians were generally male, and from the lower socio-economic classes. They typically adopted intimidating stage names (e.g., The Growling Tiger, Lord Melody, The Roaring Lion, Lord Executor)

Samba schools

Each year Brazilians celebrate Carnaval, a nationwide party held prior to Lent. In Rio de Janeiro and other large cities, parades are a standard feature of these celebrations. In Rio, a competition is held in a specially constructed stadium (the Sambadrome) to determine the champion samba school. A "samba school" is not a school. A better term would be "samba organization." Each samba school is identified with a particular favela or slum neighborhood. People from the favela cheer on or even participate in their school.

Calypso in 1940s-1950s

Instrumentation changes: • percussion is more prevalent; bongos, congas, maracas can be heard • violin and clarinet disappear; saxophone becomes more common • electric guitar

Root styles of Salsa

Emmanate form Cuba The rumba is a Cuban style that has influenced today's salsa music. Rumba is percussion music and dance, along with singing (very similar to African dance- drumming music). Rumba was created in the late 1800s, but is still danced today. • Son was a style that originated as a rural music. When son became more popular in Cuban cities around the turn of the 20th century, it became more cosmopolitan, incorporating upright bass and trumpet. The montuno section was also added: a cyclic, harmonically static section that allowed for extended improvisation. The son is also notable for its use of clave rhythm

Carnival Activities

Important activities in Trinidad Carnival include playing mas' (dressing up in costume), music (including calypso/soca music and steel band), and competitive events centered around these first two activities. • British rule, which began in Trinidad in 1797, led to a number of eventual restrictions on Carnival celebrations, which amounted to increasing tensions between lower and upper classes.

Melodic style in ICM

Indian classical music features a very ornamented or embellished approach to melody. • When listening to ICM, one can hear many bends or slides in the melodic line. • Vocalists and melodic players employ gamakas (melodic ornamentations) as they perform melody. Gamakas are learned ornaments or "decorations" that can be applied to a tone.

Raga

Indian classical music imposes a limitation or boundary on composers and performers in the form of a raga. A raga is a set of tones (much like our concept of a scale). A piece of Indian music can only utilize one raga. Indian music never modulates; rather, once the raga for a certain piece of ICM has been established, it will never change during the course of that piece.

Teaching and Learning ICM

Indian classical music is taught in a formal setting, but no music notation is used. Rather, repertoire is learned by rote. • The formal system that has developed for passing on information is a master- disciple system. Master teachers (gurus) "adopt" disciples (sisyas) in a formal ceremony, once the guru has determined that the disciple is a serious and worthy student. • Because of this very personalized system, one can trace various "schools of thought" in Indian classical music. In other words, gurus are representatives of a lineage or a particular tradition. They pass on the idiosyncrasies of that tradition to their disciples. • Gurus are selective when choosing their disciples, because gurus are concerned with the sustainability of their tradition.

Calypso in 1960s-1970s

Instrumentation changes: • drumset is now present • full horn sections of trumpets and saxophones common • electric keyboard and bass

What is Carnival

It is an annual Pre lenten festival that happens in T&T and throughout the latin American world. Originally called the masquerade it was introduced to Trinidad by French Catholics during the colonial period The word comes from Latin words 'Carne and vale" meaning Farewell to flesh and refers to the catholics practice of abstaining from meat during lent

Importance of the clave

It may refer to an instrument comprising two wooden sticks that are stuck against one another or it may refer to a rhythmic pattern that underlies many salsa styles Presented in two versions 3-2 or 2-3. Two measure structure of clave rhythm in which one measure contains three noes and the other measure contains two notes. Serves as a compositional basis for other parts or lines in many salsa tunes

Cuban music in the US

Jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie introduced Cuban music to American audiences by incorporating Cuban styles - and musicians - into his performances. • The "mambo craze" swept the States in the 1950s and 1960s. The mambo is Afro- Cuban music played by a big band ensemble (like a jazz big band). The most significant figure in the mambo era was bandleader and composer Perez Prado. • Fania Records was founded in 1964 in NYC. Fania was dedicated to the promotion of Latin American artists.

What is Salsa

Literally sauce. Term adopted around the 1960s to describe the sense of spice in Latin American music "Salsa" is an umbrella term encompassing many different styles of music stemming primarily from Cuba and Puerto Rico. • Salsa music is popular music, played by bands in clubs, bars, etc. It is primarily dance music.

Playback singers to the success of the film

Very important. Many audience members will go to see a Bollywood film based solely on who is singing the songs (regardless of the actor or the plot)

Three Layers of ICM

Melody (sung, or played by an instrument or instruments such as flute, violin, harmonium, veena, and even possibly saxophone) • Rhythm (timekeeping or grooving provided by drums) • Drone: a constant sounding of the tonal center (provided by tambura or a shruti box, which is an electronic, drone-producing device)

Playback singers

Most actors do not do their own singing. Professional singers are hired to record the songs for the movie prior to filming. hence when the actors shoot scenes, they lip-sync to the pre-recorded songs

Musicals in Bollywood

Most bollywood films are musical (breaking in to song and dance)

Samba

Most popular in Brazil Known to the world by Brazilian Carnaval and jazz musicians have incorporated both the samba and the bossa nova

Terminology for North and South Indian Classical Music

North Indian Classical Music is called Hindustani Music • South Indian Classical Music is called Karnatak (or Carnatic) Music

Improv in Indian music

Once the performers begin to play the actual krit itself, the time cycle (tala) begins, and the drummers will enter. After the presentation of the kriti itself, the players may choose to add further improvisation types:

Panorama

Panorama is an annual steel band competition held since 1963 in T&T just prior to Carnival. Features include: • Only bands based in T&T may compete • Each band performs one arrangement of a popular song • A panel of judges adjudicates the competition Each band hires an arranger to create an arrangement for the competition. The arranger also is charged with teaching the arrangement to the players, as most of them do not read music notation. A Panorama arrangement is almost a new composition, because the arranger adds much new material to the original piece.

Salsa styles emanating from Cuba

Salsa, Cuban bolero, Cha cha cha 1. salsa: • what is called "salsa" today is the direct descendant of the Cuban son. • Characteristic elements of the salsa style include clave rhythm, a moderate to fast tempo, and an emphasis on both vocal and instrumental improvisation. • There are three listening examples on reserve that are in the salsa style: 1. 2. 3. El no le quiere na' Song for Cal Machito Forever

Who created Samba

Samba music originated among the African-descended people in northeastern Brazil. The samba de roda (ring or circle samba) is an older, root form of samba music, so called because participants form a ring for dancing. The samba de roda becomes the samba de morro (hill samba) when African-descended people migrate from Bahia south to cities such as Rio de Janeiro.

Drone

The presence of the drone allows the listener to perceive consonant or dissonant relationships between itself and the melodic line. • consonance: tones sound pleasing together • dissonance: tones sound not pleasing together

Kriti is a form of

South Indian classical music one difference (to northern) is that south Indian classical music depends to a greater extent on fixed compositions. A kriti is one such type of composition. Remember that ICM does not use musc notation to pass on repertoire. Even though traditionally they are not written down, they are still fixed pieces, passed on through oral transmission. Many existing kriti were composed over 100 years ago -- they have a tradition of "great masters" like we do in the West.

Cultural acceptance developments of Steel band

Steel bands and panmen (the players) were viewed negatively by the Trinidadian culture at large for years, because the panmen were often rough, sometimes, violent, and generally from the lower classes of society. Several factors helped to bring pan into a more positive view: • TASPO (Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra) tour of Europe in 1951 • Participation by females and "college boys"; that is, participation in the steel bands by constituencies that were deemed respectable by the culture at large • Performances in indoor, respectable venues

Steel band repertoire

Steel bands have always performed a diverse repertoire, ranging from popular to even classical musical styles and pieces. In the beginning of the art form, most bands performed arrangements exclusively. But today, there are a number of composers writing original music for steel band. Special note: a "bomb" tune is a particular category of pan music: a "bomb" tune is an arrangement of a non-calypso piece that has been turned into a calypso.

What is Calypso

Stems from African presence in the West Indies now focussed in Trinidad. At the heart is verbal expression. Texts of calypso songs are very important, they are typically in narrative form.

Tala

Tala is the Indian word for meter. • In ICM, there will be only one tala, or metric cycle, used within a piece of music.

Transition to Metal (Pre-Melody Instruments)

Tamboo Bamboo bands begin experimenting with metal sounds in the early 20th century. Junkyard items include biscuit tins, industrial containers, brake drums. • Various sizes of container are used to simulate/replace tamboo bamboo rhythms; these instruments are purely rhythmic in nature - no melodic playing yet.

The first melody instrument: The Ping-Pong

The Ping-Pong is the earliest form of a melodic steel drum. Called ping-pong due to the short pingy sound they made. Primarily made from smaller barrels.

Aldwyn Roberts (Lord Kitchener) 1922-2000

The calypsonian known as Lord Kitchener had a career that spanned over 60 years. This fact alone is significant, but his influence has also been felt in other ways: • He was successful not only as a composer of calypso, but also successfully made the transition to soca • He spent significant time in England as a composer, performer, and nightclub owner • He had his own calypso tent in Trinidad, sponsoring many new artists • He won the Road March title ten times in the 1960s and 70s • His music appealed greatly to steel bands in T&T; many of his songs were chosen to be arranged by steel bands in their competition known as Panorama

Jobim

The instrumentation of bossa nova could feature guitar, bass, percussion, drumset, piano. Saxophone was often featured by Jobim in his compositions. Also, more elaborate orchestrations are possible, including the use of string sections to create very lush arrangements (example: Dindi, by Jobim)

Tamboo Bamboo

The word 'tamboo' is a Creolization of the French word tambour (drum); thus, tamboo bamboo = 'bamboo drum' • Various lengths of bamboo were cut and used as either stamping tubes or rhythm sticks; basically, players were simulating African drumming rhythms on bamboo • Time frame = late 19th-early 20th century

Improv as a part of Kriti performance

There are different types of improvisation that performers may choose to add to a kriti: • Improvisation for melodic players only; the drums are silent during these types of improvisation • Improvisation for melodic players, accompanied by drumming (happens within the context of a piece) • Improvisation for drummers (aka, 'drum solo'). During a drum solo, the melodic player(s) are silent

Heterophony

There is no harmony in ICM. As such, it is melodic-based music. The most common texture is heterophony

Evolution of a sound

There were musical events that led to the birth of the steel drum instrument Skin drums tambo bamboo transition to metal Ping pong

Seeing Samaba school in Carnaval

Tourists can pay a fee and join the samba school to march in the competition parade, although often they are relegated to sections of the group that are not judged. The kind of samba performed by samba schools is known as samba enredo (theme samba). The "theme" is a unifying concept that a particular samba school will choose, and use as a basis to organize their entire competition show.

Precursors of Samba music

Two older styles of music have been identifies as precursors of samba music: 1. The maxixe is a dance for couples. It was a very popular type of dance music during Carnaval season in Brazil during the late 1800s. The maxixe was sometimes called the "Brazilian tango," but actually it is related the the European dance known as the polka. 2. The choro is a style of music performed by small ensembles of plucked/strummed string instruments, along with a wind instrument such as the flute or clarinet for melodic purposes. Choro was mostly a kind of music for listening, although there was a dance step to it.

Innovations led to the modernization of steel drums instruments- Mid 1940s developments

Using 55-gallon barrels as the raw material for making the instrument. The 55- gallon barrel has a larger surface than previously used materials (like the 35- gallon size; see ping-pong pans above), and thus makers could fit more pitches on the surface. Ellie Mannette is widely credited as the first individual to craft a pan from a 55-gallon barrel, in 1946. • Implementation of a full chromatic range; i.e., steel drum instruments incorporated all twelve pitches recognized in Western music.

Instrumentation developments of steel band

Various individuals develop other types of steel drum instruments, in order to accompany this initial melodic pan. Eventually, an entire 'family' of pans exists, representing various musical ranges and functions.

What is a steel pan

a steel pan is a tuned idiophone. These instruments were invented in the early to mid twentieth century on the island of Trinidad.

Niraval

additional improv to indian music a type of melodic improvisation which is based on melodic phrases from the kriti composition.

Svarakalapna

additional improv to indian music is melodic improvisation in which a vocalist sings Indian scale syllables (sa, ri, ga...similar to the Western "do", "re", "mi") instead of text.

Calypso texts

discuss or reflect the human condition. Topics range but often feature universal themes at least from the calypsonian (typically male lower class) point of view.

Samba school encompasses

floats • costumed dancers • a huge (2-300 members) percussion section

Alapana

• Alapana is a type of melodic improvisation; only melodic players will do it. • It is an improvised exposition of the raga • Performing an alapana allows a melodic performer to showcase not only their knowledge of the raga*, but also their mastery of their technique (vocal or instrumental, as the case may be). *which raga? The raga in which the particular kriti is composed

Innovations led to the modernization of steel drums instruments- Early 1940s developments

• Sinking the face of the barrels used into a concave shape (as opposed to a convex surface). • Wrapping the sticks with soft material (leaves first; eventually rubber was employed) to produce a less harsh tone.

How is kris typically performed

• The structure of a kriti comprises three parts or "verses" (pallavi, anupallavi, charanam). It is a fairly simple structure. • BUT: the key point is that performers utilize this composed piece of music as a basis for numerous improvisations.

Indiana and Western Classical Music Parallels

• both stem from ancient traditions • both have a well articulated body of music theory • both systems are formal, in terms of transmission and presentation: 1. transmission: both have formal systems of teaching and passing on repertoire 2. presentation: music is presented through formal concerts in which there are certain standards about program order, ability and behavior • both appeal to and are patronized by a small, educated segment of the population

Musical Characteristics of Samba music

• instrumentation is fairly simple: vocals, guitar or other strummed instruments (such as the cavaquinho), percussion • harmonically simple (not many chords used per song) • syncopated rhythms • medium to fast tempo

Musical characteristics of bossa nova

• slow to moderate tempo • soft, intimate dynamics • complex approach to harmony, borrowed in large part from American jazz music • "stuttering" guitar: a syncopated method of strumming chords pioneered by Gilberto • more poetic, sometimes highbrow lyrical content