An Introduction to Music as Social Experience Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Ethnicity Central to sense of self, home, and community Definition: groups bound by shared identity and common ancestry But ethnic boundaries are not easy to delineate Distinctions between ethnicity and race not always clear Music is one expression of ethnic identity Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

The Jalolu: Musician/Historians of West Africa Mandinka people Ethnic group of 11 million people across West Africa Common ancestry, language, and tradition shared through oral history performed by jalolu. Jali (pl.: jalolu, Fr.: griot) = singer, poet, instrumentalist, storyteller Jalolu music is characterized by call and response: solo/chorus song style Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Jalolu instruments: Kora, a plucked 21-stringed chordophone. Balafon, xylophone Ngoni, five-stringed lute Bolon, an arched harp Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Two categories of kora playing Kumbengo – accompanimental, to support singing Birimintingo – improvisatory and virtuosic, no singing Two styles of singing Donkilo – basic tune, repeated to underscore story concept Sataro – speech-like verse to advance the story Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

The African Diaspora: The Blues Roots in African American work songs, field hollers, and spirituals African influences: Social values: storytelling, group participation, improvisation Musical style: call-and-response, rhythmic patterns, sliding pitches Jalolu/kora tradition: blues singer + guitar accompaniment Storytelling genre Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Standard blues form: 12-bar blues 3 X 4-bar sections for each stanza of lyrics First two lines of lyrics repeated + second line of lyrics: AAB Harmonic progression – chords change every measure A: I-IV-I-I (do fa do do) A: IV-IV-I-I (fa fa do do) B: V-IV-I-V (sol fa do sol) Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Ethnicity in American Popular Song Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974) Wrote more than 3,000 works Compositions reflected African American heritage Led prestigious, namesake jazz orchestra for 50 years Helped revolutionize American music Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

“Caravan” by the Duke Ellington Orchestra Orchestration, harmonies, rhythms evoke exotic atmosphere Overall form: AABA AABA (A concluding section) Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Ethnicity in Western Art Music William Grant Still (1895-1978) First African American to conduct a white American orchestra First African American symphony performed by a major American orchestra Wrote 8 operas, 5 symphonies and numerous other classical works Composed ethnic music “without Caucasian influence” Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

“Afro-American Symphony” (1930) Most celebrated of Still’s works Showed that blues “could be elevated to the highest musical level.” Incorporated Western art music traditions: Standard orchestra Sonata Form Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

West to East: Return to West Africa African American blues and jazz roots in African music, and Western music influences traditional and modern values in Africa Blues in Mali: Salif Keita (b. 1949) Popular musician Mandinka jalolu traditions African American musical traditions Promotes message of social truth Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Identity and Ethnicity in 20th-Century Europe Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) Basque, Swiss, French and Spanish ethnic heritage Influenced by the “exotic” at 1889 Exposition Universelle, Paris “Habanera” from Rapsodie espagnol (1907-08) Non-European imagery in Orchestration/timbre Afro-Cuban rhythms Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Hungarian pianist, composer, scholar of folk music Béla Bartók (1881-1945) Hungarian pianist, composer, scholar of folk music Hungarian ethnic (folk music) in context of Western European art music “Allegro Barbaro” for solo piano (1911) Aggressive dissonances Harmonies, scales, rhythmic patterns of folk music Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity

Klezmer Brought to U.S. by Eastern European Jewish immigrants, early 20th century Today, popular “World Music” genre “Perets-Tants” performed by The Klezmatics Trumpet, violin, accordion, saxophone and drums Harmonic and melodic elements of Jewish traditions Rhythmic elements of Western popular music Form: Intro AA BB CC DD CC DD E / AA’ BB’ CC’ DD CC’’ DD Cornelius-Natvig, Chapter 4: Music and Ethnicity