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LESSON III: Folk Traditions - Multicultural World views of Sound
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Folk Traditions
Corazon Canave-Dioquino musicologist, is a professor at the University of the
Philippines, College of Music where she has taught for the past 42 years.She is actively
involved in the collection and archiving of musical Filipiniana at the UP Center for
Ethnomusicology at Diliman, Quezon City.
The International Folk Music Council defined folk music as “the product of a musical
tradition that has been evolved through the process of oral transmission.” The term is
thus applied to the musical repertory of communities as opposed to art music or music
composed by trained musicians. It is also applied to music composed by an individual
but which has been absorbed into the unwritten living tradition of the community.
Asiatic Traditions
In the Philippines, there are two main streams of folk music–one that exhibits Asiatic
traditions and one that exhibits Westernized traditions. The former encompasses the
music of indigenous groups of people scattered all over the Philippines, inhabiting
mostly upland areas. In Luzon, some of these groups of people are the Apayao,
Tingguian, Kalinga, Balangao, Bontok, Kankanai, Ifugao, Ibaloi, Ikalahan, Iwak, Gaddang,
Ilongot, Atta, Agta, and Aeta. In the Bisayan islands, indigenous groups are the Sulod,
Bukidnon of Negros, Magahat, Ati, and Ata. The Tagbanua and Batak are found in
Palawan. In Mindanao, indigenous groups include the Tirurai, Manobo, T’boli or Tagabili,
Ubo, B’laan (Bilaan), Subanon, Kalagan, Mamanwa, Bagobo, Mandaya, and Mansaka.
These groups practice an indigenous religion. Also included in the category of music
with Asiatic traditions are the Muslim groups of people found mostly in Mindanao,
Palawan, and the Sulu archipelago. These include the Maranao, Ilanun, Magindanao,
Kolibugan, Karaga, Yakan, Sama, Badjaw, Tausug, and Jama Mapun.
There are no written records of the musical traditions of these peoples before 1500.
After the arrival of the Spaniards in 1521, church and civil reports dealt primarily with the
military conquest, government, administration and Christianization of various parts of
the Philippines. From this vast assortment of maps, letters, narration’s, descriptions,
etc., occasional mention is made of the music and musical practices of the natives. In the
1700’s more published material in the form of travelogues appeared. In the last quarter of
the 1800’s specialized studies on the music of various groups began to appear.
Anthropological research in the 1900’s furnished more detailed descriptions of musical
traditions. Since the 1950’s, ethnomusicological research has brought about a strong
interest in indigenous music.
Studies on Philippine indigenous music cover surveys of instrumental and vocal
forms. Indigenous instruments include those made of metal (bronze or iron), of bamboo,
and wood. Metal instruments include gongs made from bronze or iron. These gongs are
two types: flat gongs and bossed (or knobbed) gongs. Flat gongs are found only in the
north. Similar gongs are found in the hills of Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and
some parts of Indonesia. In the Cordillera highlands, these gongs are called gangsa, are
played in ensembles consisting of anywhere from one six or seven gongs. Some
ensembles use gongs only but others combine the gongs with other instruments, often
drums. Bossed gongs are found only in the south. They are of three types: the agung,
the gandingan, and the set of graduated gongs laid in a row called kulintang. These
gongs are usually combined with each other together with drums in various
combinations to form different types of ensembles, varying from group to group.
Bamboo/wood instruments antedate the gongs. There are of various types: flutes,
stopped pipes, panpipes, reed pipes, stamping tubes, quill shaped tubes, xylophones,
clappers, zithers, lutes, fiddles, suspended logs, and wooden sounding boards.
There are different genres of indigenous vocal music which are performed in a solo
or responsorial manner. there is a noticeable differentiation in singing style between the
north and the south. The northern style uses a marked and rhythmic enunciation of
vowels to form syllables or slides, half-speech sounds, and frequent pauses. In contrast,
the southern style of singing is characterized by melismas, long phrases, a narrow
range, fluidity, and tremolo. A more recent Islamic style superimposed on this tradition
has a specially distinct vocal delivery with high tessitura, a strained voice of various
timbres, and a nasal enunciation. Vocal genres include epic singing; songs connected
with life-cycle events: birth, lullabies, courtship, marriage and death; occupational
songs; and ritual songs.
Westernized Traditions
The Spaniards arrived on Philippine shores in 1521 and the Filipino’s music was to
undergo a transformation due to the influx of western influences, particularly the
Spanish-European culture prevalent during the 17th to the 19th centuries. Hispanization
was tied up with religious conversion, and in the next three centuries, the people’s
musical thinking was affected resulting in a hybrid expression heavily tinged with a Latin
taste. It produced a music connected to and outside the Catholic liturgy and a European-
inspired secular music adapted by the Filipinos and reflected in their folk songs and
instrumental music.
The large number of liturgical and para-liturgical vocal genres that developed
included songs used inside as well as outside the church. These included Christmas
songs and practices such as the pastores, daygon,galicon, tarindao, and the outdoor re-
enactment of the Holy Couple’s search for lodging called pananawagan,panunuluyan,
pananapatan, or kagharong.
The custom of chanting the passion of Jesus during Lent gave rise to the pasyon, a
practice widespread among the lowland Christians. The verse narrative on the life and
sufferings of Jesus Christ appears in almost all major Philippine languages- Tagalog,
Bicol, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Pampango, Ilonggo, Sebuano, and Waray. The Gaddang,
Ibanag, and Cuyunon also have their versions. The text may be rendered by a group of
singers who take turns singing the verses, or by two singers, or in some cases by a solo
singer. The pasyon is sung in homes, village chapels, or even in outdoor makeshift
sheds erected for the purpose. A more extensive and complicated rendition of the life
and passion of Jesus Christ in the form of outdoor dramas also takes place during Lent.
These passion plays are called senaculo. A cast of 30 more characters is accompanied
by a small band of instruments. Another related Lenten celebration is the moriones of
Marinduque.
Devotion to Mary took the form of a number of rituals done during the month of May
such as thesantacruzan and the flores de Mayo. May is also the month of town fiestas
where patron saints are honored with processions accompanied by the town bands.
Some rituals show a syncretization of indigenous and Christian practices. Old rites
seeking favors and good fortune invoke God, Mary, the saints, pagan gods, good, and
evil spirits such as the Cavite sanghiyang and the Bataan kagong.
Another type of music, quickly assimilated and adapted by the Filipinos were
western dance forms such as the habanera, tango, fandango, seguidilla, jota, curacha,
polka, mazurka, danza and rigaudon. The adopted and adapted versions are the
pandanggo, jota, habanera, danza, polka, mazurka, valse, andrigodon. Today they form
the greatest bulk of “popular” folk dances of the lowland Christians. These dances were
accompanied by cumparsasa, later replaced by the rondalla. The instrumental group,
said to have originated from the Mexican murza and Spanish estudiantina comprises the
bandurria, laud, octavina, guitar, and the bajo de unas.
Alongside the folk dances, many folk songs with a western harmonies structured
with regular phrases appeared. Their composers are no longer known but they have been
adopted by the community. These include such songs as “Bahay Kubo”, “Atin cu pung
singsing”, “Ili-ili tulog anay”, “Leron leron sinta”, “Sit-si-rit-sit”.
Source: By: CORAZON CANAVE-DIOQUINO
Multicultural Music
Ina recent survey conducted by MENC, the National Association for Music
Education, 95 percent of 364 music teachers polled reported that they teach
multicultural, or world, music in their curriculum. Eighty-four percent said they
include this music in their ensembles' performances.
In a separate survey, 25 percent of the educators questioned said that their
choices of multicultural music included selections from the represented ethnic
and/or religious groups in their schools. An additional 29 percent said that the
selections "pretty much" included choices from these different groups.
While the MENC survey represented a cross-section of music educators - from
instrumental music to choral and general music - the percentage of band and
orchestra directors that actually incorporate world music into their ensembles
could be much lower.
Dr. William M. Anderson, Associate Dean at Kent State University and author of
several books on multicultural music, said, “Most of the work has really been in
the general music area.”
He explained why this may be the case. “[In general music classes], you’re not
bound by these Western idioms that you have to filter [music] through. In other
words,” he said, “if you put it through the band or orchestra, you’ve got to filter a
lot of music from a completely different part of the world into a different medium.
They’ve got different instruments and different ensembles.”
However, that’s not to underestimate the importance – or prevalence – of
multicultural music in middle and high school bands and orchestras.
“Once you branch out into another music,” Anderson said, “you come back to
your own, hearing and thinking in a very different way. What we want to do is to
encourage people to try to think broader. I’d rather give them a broader
perspective than just European composers.”
Why Multiculturalism?
Of course, there are also social implications to studying the music of other
cultures. Dr. Terese Volk of Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich., noted, “How
better to understand another person than to understand his or her music? Music
is representative of culture. Ethnomusicologists look at music both in, and as,
culture.”
As American classrooms become more ethnically diverse, it’s important for music
educators to teach and model tolerance; music is a logical way to create
familiarity with other cultures.
“The American demographics demand diversity in the classroom, and students
can learn about the people behind these statistics through the music the people
make, listen to, and like,” Volk said.
Anderson agreed. “The thrust of multiculturalism has been systemic. It started
with people thinking it was a fad and it would be here and gone. But it’s shot
through and through the school music curriculum. People really do feel like you
have to be representative of what American culture is, which is a series of
cultures. We have 105 cultures in the Cleveland area. It’s normal that we would
make it a part of the curriculum.”
MENC’s survey findings support Volk’s and Anderson’s assertions. Sixty-two
percent of the 78 educators polled said that 10 percent or more of their total
student population would be considered minority in terms of racial heritage or
ethnic background. Fourteen percent said that their music ensembles reflect the
overall ethnic or racial make-up of the school “to a great extent,” while 11 percent
said the ensembles match the overall make-up of the school “to a moderate
extent.” (Responses did not add up to 100 percent.)
Authenticity in Multicultural Literature
Fifty-six percent of the directors surveyed by MENC said that, generally speaking,
it is difficult to find or obtain a good selection of multicultural music materials.
This percentage is likely higher for band and orchestra directors.
However, Anderson said, “there’s a lot of literature, now, where music from other
parts of the world is transcribed into works that bands and orchestras [can] do.
Some of it fits pretty well.”
He noted that most Latin pieces usually transfer seamlessly to band and
orchestra performances, while forms of Asian music don’t work as well.
“You end up changing the music into another idiom. You may be playing a
Japanese tune with the orchestra, but it’s probably fairly different.”
MENC offers several resources for directors interested in expanding their
multicultural curricula. Companies who specialize in multicultural works, such as
World Music Press, provide a wide range of world music alternatives for the band
and orchestra director.
When selecting multicultural compositions, Anderson said, “You want to try to be
as authentic as possible, but sometimes it doesn’t work so easily, so you want to
try to get as close to it as you can.”
Volk called this assessment of a work the “Levels of Authenticity.”
“Level I has no relation to any culture except the title,” she explained. “It’s
something that helped inspire the composer, but does not use any musical
elements from the culture. Level II is the standard ‘Folk Song Suite,’ or ‘Themes
and Variations on a Song from [any culture].’ At least the melody comes from the
culture, but the composition is purely Western. Level III tries to make use of other
elements of music from the culture: original instruments, rhythms, melody and/or
harmony, sometimes form. Level IV is either a close transcription from a piece in
the culture, or is composed by a person from the culture, employing the elements
of music from the culture.”
The Search for Authentic Pieces
Many high school and middle school band and orchestra directors, including Eric
Melley of Belmont High School in Massachusetts, have successfully integrated
multicultural music into their curricula.
Melley noted the difficulties inherent in finding authentic multicultural
compositions for his three concert bands and his jazz ensemble.
“The challenge of finding music is that the band is a Western European and
American tradition, and although it caught on around the world, most of the
music from around the world was written for [other] ensembles, or for solo
instruments that aren’t found in the band.”
Melley said that the study of multicultural music often starts with the composer.
He often turns to European composers that have employed music from different
cultures, including folk music from their own cultures.
“There are a few composers that have written music that fits in the band room,”
he said. “The challenge is finding a composer who comes from a certain tradition
or has researched a certain tradition, but is also trained to write music for the
symphonic band.”
He cited composers such as Dana Wilson, who commissioned “Dance of the New
World” for Belmont High School in 1995.
“That [composition] employed a lot of Native American syncopated rhythms,
African drumming, and things like that,” he said.
Melley looks for works by composers who are native to a certain region but have
also been schooled in the United States. Works from a composer of a certain
ethnicity will, naturally, reflect that person’s culture.
“It’s such a personal thing, writing a piece of music,” Melley said.
Teaching authentic pieces from other cultures also presents a musical challenge
for the director.
“A lot of music from different cultures also uses a different music language,”
Melley said. “You can relate it all, but it’s a slightly different vocabulary.”
The ‘Culture’ in Multiculturalism
In addition to teaching a new form of music, directors can take the opportunity –
when they introduce world music to the classroom – to offer history, sociology
and geography lessons.
“I always give the kids a little bit of the background,” said Melley, adding that he
also includes cultural references in the program notes for each concert. “When
you have 90 to 100 kids sitting in front of you with instruments, it’s hard to
lecture, but I do discuss it. I ask kids what kind of association they might have to
the composer or the piece or the melody. Do they recognize it?”
Melley has managed to engage his students in the study of music from other
countries so well that they now come to him with selections and genres.
“Students will come to me and say, ‘Have you heard this band? Have you heard
this Klezmer music?’ They’ll introduce me to new pieces and new works. They’re
out there listening on the Web or through their church group or other
ensembles,” he reported.
Multicultural Music in Jazz Ensembles
Melley’s jazz band recently performed at the annual Multicultural Dinner, hosted
by Boston METCO parents and held at Chenery Middle School in his district.
Melley feels that jazz music is a prime example of multiculturalism (read: multiple
cultures) in one art form.
“The music that our jazz band was playing was, at its core, the definition of
multiculturalism,” he said. “Jazz comes from the African-American tradition. It
came out of the blues, which came from the Spirituals. It takes Western harmony
and puts it with African rhythm. It’s a great combination.”
Samuel Hankins, band director at Edison Middle School in Champaign, Ill., also
uses the jazz idiom to introduce the study of different cultures into his band
program.
“I might do some Caribbean tunes in my concert bands, but I pretty much stick
with the basics,” he said. “The jazz bands are a different story. I teach a lot of
different styles, a wide variety.”
Hankins often relies on Latin and Salsa arrangements to give his students an
appreciation and awareness of the different cultures.
“It’s a different style from playing traditional Western music,” he said. “We’re so
geared to the rock and funk styles; going into Latin is a different feel.”
To make it easier, Hankins plays recordings, both CDs and videos, of the different
genres for his students. The experience, he said, gives them a better
understanding of where jazz and swing comes from.
“If they understand it, they can play the music a little better,” he said.
Multicultural Music in the Classroom
It’s also important to remember that the study of multicultural music should not
be limited to any one ethnic group. The folk music of any country, be it Western
European, North American, Middle Eastern and so on, has a rich cultural history.
For instance, at a recent concert, Melley’s Belmont High School band performed
selections from France, America, England, Norway, Czechoslovakia and Latin
America.
“It’s always good when you can bring cultures together,” Melley said. “And the
arts are the best way to do it. I go back to Duke Ellington’s band. He was one of
the first band leaders not to care what you looked like. You could be a man or a
woman, black, white or Latin, and it didn’t matter as long as you were playing
serious music that everyone could respect.”
Dawn Allcot, the former editor of the former news magazine, Band & Orchestra
Product News, is a full-time freelance writer covering the music and audiovisual
industries. She is also the Broadway correspondent for N2Arts.com, a Web site
for adolescents passionate about the performing arts.
Source: Dawn Allcot
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horizons.html
! See if you can do this
ACTIVITIES:
1.
Make a reaction paper on the readings Folk Traditions”
“Multicultural Music.” To be be submitted on October 29, 2020.
2.
Research on the following countries mentioned below in terms
of their cultural musical heritage focusing on vocal and
instrumental music. Describe the distinguishing sound
and characteristics of each country. Compare the music of the
countries mentioned to Philippine music. To be submitted on
November 5, 2020
1. India
2. Indonesia
3. Malaysia
4. China
5. Japan
6 Africa
7. Thailand
8. Latin American
