Global soundscapes exam 2

Javaneseness

a worldview that embraces many layers of (spiritual) belief which is characteristic of the syncretism and pluralism in Javanese culture

Gamelan

refers to a set of instruments unified by their tuning and often by their decorative carving/painting; also refers to the ensemble in which these instruments play

Kraton

a royal palace which is the house of a monarch; most were patrons to the arts

Yogyakarta and Surakarta

the location of the two primary ancient courts where gamelan performances took place

Longevity

bronze tuning changes over the years as the metal “settles” (most dramatically is first few years)

right angles

reflect Javanese concern with the cardinal directions

gendhing

a “gamelan piece” or “composition”

gongan

the basic time and melodic unit in a gendhing

balungan

one “completed cycle within a gendhing

irama

(ee-RAW-maw) subdivision of the possibilities within a balungan level (5 possibilities)

pelog

7 note scale; pitches are evenly distributed throughout the scale; not all pitches need to be played

slendro

5 note scale; pitches are evenly distributed throughout the scale

colotomy

the rhythmic and metric patterns used in gamelan music; use of specific instruments to mark off nested time intervals, or the process of diving rhythmic time into nested cycles

loud vs. soft style

“loud” is only instruments (mostly outdoor performances); “soft” is with vocals (indoor performances)

Balinese Gamelan

gamelans that develop on the island of Bali

Gangsa

a metallophone in the gamelan ensemble

Ceng-Ceng

a set of paired cymbals made of either bronze or iron, placed on a turtle shaped frame

Kotekan

the name for a gamelan hocketing (players alternate notes in the melody) technique; a style of playing fast, interlocking parts; allows ensemble to play a single melodic line faster than would be possible by an individual player

Gong Gede

“gamelan with large gongs”; a form of ceremonial gamelan, often associated with special occasions such as temple festivals

Gambuh

an ancient form of Balinese dance drama; accompanied by a gamelan gambuh ensemble

Suling Gambuh

very low pitched bamboo flute; primarily plays melodies

beleganjur

“gamelan of walking warriors”; one of the most popular styles of gamelan music in Bali; played in a processional context and historical role was to scare away demons

“Kebyar”

“flash/dazzle”; “to flare or burst open”; refers to the explosive changes in tempo and dynamic characteristic of this style

Jiangnan Sizhu

silk and bamboo music of the jiangnan region (east china and lower Yangtze River region)

Gentrification

a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving and raising the cost of housing, and attracting new buisness; typically displaces current residents

Historical Ethnomusicology

the study of music history and and the application of historical methodologies within the field of ethnomusicology

Mexican revolution

extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 1910-1920

Mariachi

genre of regional Mexican music that evolved in performance context and instrumentation over time

Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan

a Mexican folk ensemble founded in 1898 by Gaspar Vargas; uniquely serves as a model for the mariachi tradition’s historical development, instrumentation, people of note, etc.

Musica Ranchera

a traditional, pre-Revolution genre of music of Mexico; played in all regional styles; draws on rural traditional folk music; developed as a symbol of new national consciousness in reaction against new developing aristocratic (urban) musical preferances.

Ranchera

Mexico’s most popular nationalistic musical expression

Sesquialtera

superimposition of a meter of 2 and 3 (it is a specific way of defining a “hemiola” - though it usually alternates between meters)

Golden Age of Mexican Cinema

1930-1969, when Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success of its films, and international recognition (influence of US and other international film industries - similar aesthetics of golden age of Hollywood)

Mexicanidad

the quality of being Mexican, “Mexicanity” (hard to define); implies a sense of regional and national pride, particularly in relation to national pride, particularly in relation to national heritage or indigenous culture)

Pastoralism

relating to rural life and scenes; dealing with the “pasture”; farming, agricultural lifestyles, livestock, herding

Machismo

“braggadocio”; refers to both specific behaviours and general ideologies emphasizing male pride and male dominance to the point of exaggerated “male” identities; associated with male-dominated spaces. 

Melodia/Armonia Matrix

a way of grouping instruments based on their role providing either musical melody or harmony

Bolero

Mexican urban romantic song characterized by sensual lyrics and camp performance aesthetics

crooning

singing in a soft low voice, in a particularly expressive manner

cursileria/cursi

(hard to translate) evokes the idea of bad taste but also suggests the pretentions of refinement and elegance; developed alongside middle-class culture in Mexico since the 19th century

Bolero ranchero

a Mexican musical genre which is the result of hybridization between the Cuban bolero with the Mexican ranchera song

Pedro infante

a Mexican ranchera music singer and actor whos career spanned the golden age of Mexican cinema who came to be known as the face of Mexican national music

corrido

a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad; themes can be varied and usually encompass themes of historical encounters, biographical tales, romance, migration and drug trafficking

New mexicanidads

“my Mexicanness is not tied to physical presence in Mexico, it is tied to my pride in my ethnic familialand cultural Mexican heritage”

Vaquero

a cowboy/cattle-driver; used in reference to areas where Spanish is spoken

Musica Nortena

a genre of regional Mexican music; most often based on duple and triple meter and its lyrics often deal with socially relavant topics

Conjunto Norteno

a specific genre of corrido that deals with themes related to nothern Mexico and/or the borderlands; particularly outlines historical events, territorial struggles and elements of border life such as smuggling, immigration, politics and injustice. 

Chalino Sanchez

a Mexican singer-songwriter. He sang regional Mexican music and was prominently known for his narcocorridos (drug ballad), posthumously referenced as the king of the Corrido

Cancion

“song” is a popular genre of Latin American music, particularly in Cuba, where many of the 

Sonic masculinity

musical features and aesthetics that reference a prominent sense of machismo or are sonically defined as masculine

Acoustemology

how sound and sound experiences shape the different ways of being and knowing the world; knowing and experiencing through sound

sound

continuous and regular vibrations

noise

irregular fluctuations in these vibrations that accompany the vibration but are not part of it, or tend to obscure it

pinkuillo

reed, played throughout Andean mountain range including Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, etc. can be one melody or an aulos (double flute), with a drone pitch and melody pitch, musicians get energy from mother Earth, played at fertility rituals

Pitu

side blown flute with a lateral mouth hole

Canchis Sipas

panpipes, tone is functual and echos from far distances, 2 bound rows of 7 reed flutes, one row is never played, literally “7 unmarried girls” 

living world (animu)

philosophical and often-spiritual belief that all matter (nature, animals, people, etc.)

Sonic regionalism

the way music sounds and is made is dependent on the region in which it is being made. Impacts things like type of instruments, material of instruments, frequency and purpose behind musical activities, etc.

Environmental determinism

the concept of how the physical environment predisposes societies towards particular practices and trajectories; the environment features directly into determining aspects of human behavior

participatory

characterized by participation

dualism

the division of something conceptually into 2 opposed or contrasted aspects

Hindustani Music

The art tradition of North India

Raag

A melodic framework with a specific mood, made of a set of notes in a specific sequence

Taal

a rhythmic cycle with a fixed number of beats

laya

the tempo of the music

Alankar

melodic ornaments, such as meend (long glides) and gamak (oscillations)

Alaap 

An unmetered and unaccompanied introductory section where the raag is explored

Bandish

a fixed composition, typically with a slow (bada khayal) or medium/fast (chota khayal)

Thaat

a system for classifying raags based on their notes

Gharana

a specific tradition or style of singing passed down through a lineage

Jugalbandi

a Hindi word meaning “entwined twins” that primarily refers to a duet in Indian classical music where two solo musicians perform together on an equal footing. It can involve vocalists or instrumentalists, who might come from different traditions or schools, or engage in a playful competition of call and response, improvisation, and harmony

Satsang

a Sanskrit term meaning “company of truth” and refers to a spiritual gathering for discussion, reflection and shared experience

Bhajan

a type of Hindu devotional song or hymn that expresses love and devotion

Dhrupad

“fixed verse” or “immovable verse” refers to one of the oldest forms of Indian classical music. Originating from ancient Vedic chants, a devotional and spiritual music is characterized by a slow meditative tempo, solemn and majestic singing, and complex melodic and rhythmic structures

Khayal

a major genre of Hindustani music known for its improvisational and lyrical nature, often exploring themes of romance and mythology.