Cool Stuff: Music of the Americas

 1. Native American Wedding Music & Traditions

As I am in the midst of planning my own wedding, I frequently have the topic of weddings on my mind. After watching the musicians play in a wedding ceremony in "El espiritu del arpa" I was curious about what Native American wedding songs and traditions looked like. The wedding ceremony song that I have linked below is exactly what I anticipated given the traditions of the Native American culture. Weddings are a celebration, so it would only make sense that the Native American people would celebrate as a community and incorporate music and dancing. In the selection below, the music contains many vocables, but it somewhat has a softer timbre than music that may be found at a pow wow. They use a drum and there are metal ideophones in the background potentially from a dancer with either a jingle dress or bells on their ankles. A website I found on wedding traditions mentioned that it was common to use flutes, vocals, and drums. Some of the traditional dances that would accompany the music were the crow hop, shake dance, round dance, or ribbon dance. Finally, from multiple sources, I found that it was common to use a blanket in Cherokee wedding ceremonies. Before exchanging vows, the couple would be individually wrapped in blue blankets to symbolize their individual past lives. The blue blankets would then be removed and the couple would be wrapped together in a single white blanket which they often displayed in their home after the wedding. 

2. The Structure of a Powwow Song

In the video of the Julyamish pow wow, the judges mentioned that the dancers were scored on how well their footsteps were coordinated with the music, and they were penalized for any extra steps beyond when the drumming stopped. I wondered how the dancers were able to able to keep track of the music and know when to stop if the song was so repetitive. I found a video that explains the structure of the pow wow music and the different drum beats that are used.  These songs are very intentional and designed in a way that also helps coordinate with the dancers. First, the different beats were covered. The straight beat is consistent and all of the same tempo and dynamic. Next is the double beat in which the first is accented and the second beat is softer. The pow wow songs are usually structured in groups of four repeating units. Within each unit, it starts with a lead which is usually sung by one of the drummers and is best described as a solo. Having this start helps the dancers keep track of where they are in the song depending on how many leads they have heard. After the lead, the rest of the drummers repeat the lead which is where pow wow music is known for being of a call and response style. Next, the song continues on with more singing and drumming. Finally, a downbeat is given to signify the end of the repeating unit. This unit is repeated a total of four times before the song officially ends. Again, this helps the dancers keep track of the timing of the song, and at the downbeat of the fourth repeating unit is exactly when they know to stop.

3. Cool stuff! -- Eric Maigua

I came across a performer on YouTube who does traditional music from Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. I have seen many musicians on YouTube put together videos of themselves performing different parts of a song and layering the parts into one video. Eric does something similar except he uses instruments from South America to make the music in his own style. Like many YouTubers today, he will record each individual part and put the song together on the computer. In the piece I have linked below he plays the drum, variations the flute (doesn't quite look like the quena), the charango, and the guitar. The song I have below is a version of another song, Kacharpari (Titicaca Rafter), but in addition to adapting other songs, Eric will compose his own music. It was interesting to see what modern music from South America looks like incorporated with today's trends. 

Bibliography 

Native American Wedding Traditions

https://weddings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Native_American_Wedding_Ceremony

https://www.poconorecord.com/lifestyle/20200126/native-american-inspired-wedding-rituals-honor-heritage-family