7.4: World Music

The use of the phrase “world music” can be a little problematic, but it’s difficult to find a term and doesn’t make it seem like there’s Western European classical music and that all other musical traditions are “other” or lumped into the same category. There is no way to be an expert in all types of music of the world, but some extra effort and study will help you to be more authentic in your teaching and performing of a variety of music.

World Music Pedagogy is becoming popular through summer professional development offerings and a WMP book series. Both initiatives have been led by prolific author Patricia Shehan Campbell, formerly a professor at the University of Washington. The aims of the initiative include global expansion of perspectives on music and culture with a focus on five dimensions of experiencing world music beginning with attentive listening and ending with integrating and creating.

There is much to explore. Prepare to be a lifelong learner! Over 900 languages are spoken on the continent of Africa, so you would probably guess that there is more than one musical tradition as well. Still, it’s not uncommon to see “African folk song” at the beginning of an arrangement (when at the same time we are practically the birth and death dates for all of Bach’s 20 children)! Not only are the characteristics of the music and popular instruments different in Ghana than Ethiopia and Tanzania than Zimbabwe, there
are a number of traditional and contemporary genres within each region. Consider North America; on this continent you might hear folk songs of French Canadians, Mexican mariachi or ranchera, or Jamaican ska. (Actually, Jamaica is just one of 26 Caribbean islands, each of which is an independent country or territory!)

Here are but a (very) few examples of the many possibilities of musical traditions from five different continents:

Africa—West African Highlife

Again, it is impossible to portray all of the rich traditions in even the Western part of this continent. Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria are but three of the countries in this region, each with their own unique music traditions. While much West African music shares a percussive music most commonly played by drums, bells, and rattles, it is more than layered rhythms. Syncopated rhythms layered on top of each other can create very complex polyrhythms (poly meaning many). The djembe is a popular drum and you have probably also seen tubanos in many elementary music classrooms. Other common percussive instruments include the gankogui (a two-toned bell) and the shekere (a gourd rattle). While rhythm is the cornerstone of traditional music, the idea that playing, singing and moving are inseparable from each other is a key philosophical difference.

While it would be unheard of for the audience to be invited to join in at a professional symphony concert, there is less of a delineation between performer and audience. One way in which this might occur would be through call and response in which a leader alternates with the group. Music is largely an aural tradition, meaning it isn’t learned from a score (or maybe hasn’t ever even been written down!) Music is used for entertainment, but has an integral role in societies in many important occasions throughout life and is even used to make work more efficient.

Asia—Japanese and Hindustani (Northern India) Classical Music

Smaller groups are preferred in traditional Japanese music, which commonly has a monophonic (a single musical line) texture, employs the pentatonic (five-note) scale with ornaments (embellishments like trills), limited harmony, melody and timbre are main values, There is little or no improvisation involved.

Popular instruments include the koto, a 13-stringed instrument that is played by sliding, scraping, and striking the strings; the shakuhachi, an end-blown flute; and the shamisen, which often accompanies the flute and is played by plucking its three strings. Learning to play these instruments happens through an apprentice model with the master passing down knowledge to the student.

Historic traditions include gagaku, the oldest documented orchestral music in the world, which was born in the imperial courts of the 9th to 11th centuries and kabuki (opera). Japan has unique pop, rock, and folk traditions as well as taiko drumming, dating back to ancient times and is re-gaining popularity.

In northern India, Ravi Shankar may be one of the most famous virtuoso musicians of all time. He brought the sitar to prominence by playing it on Beatles, Doors, and Rolling Stones albums! The sitar was created in medieval India and was an important instrument in Hindustani classical music.

Representative instruments also include the tambura (also called tanpura), a stringed instrument that creates a drone and supplies harmonic support, and the tabla. a drum used to accompany vocal and instrumental music. The music is characterized by the use of two elements: raga is the melodic element and tala refers to the rhythmic structure.

South America—Brazilian Samba

Samba is one of the most popular music and dance styles to emerge from the South American country of Brazil. Often associated with Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval, it is known for its syncopated rhythms and rocking body movements. Samba employs a battery of percussion instruments, many of which come from African traditions, and lyrics in Portuguese, often in a call and response form. Before it became popular as a ballroom dance in Europe and America in the 1940’s, a form that exemplified its African roots involved more of a group circle or line dance.

In the 1950’s bossa nova was inspired by the samba and, like its predecessor, became popular worldwide, but especially in American jazz. Bossa nova is Portuguese and translates to “new wave” or “new trend.” Perhaps the most famous American popular song in the style was “The Girl from Ipanema,” composed by composer Antõnio Carlos Jobim. Here is a recording by one of the most accomplished musicians in the style, guitarist/singer João Gilberto.

North America—Mexican Mariachi and Texan/Mexican Conjunto

Mariachi traditionally refers to a small group of mostly stringed instruments that originated in Mexico. These include violin, guitar, vihuela, a type of five-stringed guitar, and guitarron, a stringed bass guitar of sorts with no frets. Trumpets were added in the early part of the 10th century. The violins and trumpets often play the melody. Dress often includes trousers and short jackets with ornaments, boots, wide bow ties, and sombreros, the uniform of cowboys of Jalisco (a state in west central Mexico).

To the north, another folk tradition, conjunto, took hold, becoming popular as early as the 1920’s along the border between Mexico and the United States as a way to preserve working-class Mexican culture. It often has a spirited beat to inspire joyful dancing. The prominent instrument, the bajosexto, is a 12-string bass guitar that provides and is used to accompany the accordion. Initially, the repertoire included a lot of waltzes and mazurkas, but more recent performers include drum set and electronic instruments.

Eastern Europe—Russian and Ukrainian Folk

One of the defining features of Eastern European folk music is its strong emphasis on storytelling and passing on cultural traditions aurally. The music often features modal scales, melodic ornamentation, and the use of irregular and asymmetrical meters (like \(7 \atop 8\)or \(9 \atop 8\)). The balalaika, a triangular-shaped string instrument that is played by plucking, is prominent in the folk tradition.

Vocal techniques in Eastern European folk music are diverse. For example, yodeling, a technique that involves rapidly switching between chest and head voice, is common in certain regions. Singers often use ornaments, or embellish melodies with trills, runs, and melismatic (singing one syllable over several notes) passages.

The bottom line: These styles are only the tip of the iceberg. You are going to have to be a lifelong learner and simply put in the time to study the culture, listen to the music, and take advantage of opportunities to learn from culture bearers! Several resources for further study are included below.