Carnival Music in Trinidad - Week 2

Violence in Carnival

Throughout the history of Carnival, there has been an aspect to this festive time and celebration that has a dark past.  Most of the performers who make up Carnival are the steel band players.  When the steel bands were first organized, the bands were designated by the area of the Hill the band members lived in.  These bands that were formed were more like gangs.  They were similar to gangs because one band never affiliated with another and the bands were extremely violent towards each other. In the 1950’s, the bands were extremely rooted in the streets and were “uncontrollable and symbolic of disorder” (Steumpfle).  This chaos and violence is truly shown through the character Fisheye in Earl Lovelace’s The Dragon Can’t Dance.  This character was involved in the steel bands around the 1950’s when violence was a large part of life in the poor communities of the Port of Spain.  The novel states that those were the “war days” and all of the members of the band were warriors.  With these titles in place, there is already a sense of violence and hate associated.  There were many different gangs depending on what part of the Hill one associated with. Their battles were not only with their drums during Carnival, but also with car brakes, knives, clubs, or whatever trash was lying around to fight with, as the character Fisheye explains.  This violence and war continued for many years.  Yet, in the mid-1960’s, the steel bands decided that a truce was in order.  So multiple organizations were created to maintain that peace between the steel bands all throughout the Hill.  This truce also allowed groups to form such as TASPO, which is the Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra.  Specifically the first orchestra formed, had band members from all over the Hill, there were members from the Invaders, Casablanca’s, Crossfire’s and many more steel bands.  This new social structure of the steel bands reflects what many people see of Carnival today.  

While steel bands are more cooperative today than they were in the 1950’s, there are still traces of this violent past in Trinidad. Barbara Ehrenreich has studied festival traditions that entail street dancing. She described her experience attending Carnival in an article: “Banners flying over downtown streets advised, for safety's sake, to ‘stay with your lime,’ your lime being the friends you came with. Newspapers offered front-page reports of bitter rivalries in the pre-carnival soca music competition.” These pieces of information show that there is still violence in Carnival. In fact, one activity almost appears to promote violence. Ehnrenreich described that, “When a Blue Devil approached and stabbed his finger at you, you had to give him a Trinidadian dollar (worth 16 U.S. cents), or he would pull you up against his freshly painted body.” This aggressive, hostile, tradition of Carnival shows that while some performers aim to release stress by partying and dancing, others find this an appropriate time to riot and be violent. Throughout history, European cultures have feared large gatherings of people, because they often lead to violent ends. This is why in 1884, the British government banned drums in Trinidad.  In its place, tamboo bamboo was created. Kalenda stick fighting often accompanied tamboo bamboo. Nowadays, tamboo bamboo is accompanied by dancing. Here is a video on the art of tamboo bamboo:

People who are wealthy have tried to make Carnival a more respectable, safer tradition and festival. “According to the historian (and soca star) Hollis Liverpool, "pretty mas grew out of the upper classes' efforts to tamp down the African-derived aspects of traditional mas, which they saw as vulgar and unruly” (Ehnrenreich). It is interesting to note that the many beautiful traditions of carnival came about over or during hostile moments of Trinidadian history.
 

Logan Kropp researched and wrote of the Blue Devils and the history of Europeans in Trinidad. 

Sierra Marsh researched and wrote on The Dragon Can’t Dance and the history of the rivalries. 

 

Works Cited

Dudley, Shannon. Carnival Music in Trinidad: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New York: Oxford UP, 2004. Print.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. "Up Close at Trinidad's Carnival." Smithsonian Magazine. Smithsonian Institution, Feb. 2009. Web. July 2015.

Lovelace, Earl. The Dragon Can't Dance: A Novel. New York: Persea, 1998. Print.

Nanthie, Daina. Finding an 'Equal' Place: How the Designation of the Steelpan as the National Instrument Heightened Identity Relations in Trinidad and Tobago. p. 85. Florida State University, Oct. 23, 2015. Print. 

Stuempfle, Stephen. The Steelband Movement: The Forging of a National Art in Trinidad and Tobago. p. 109. University of Pennsylvania. Oct. 23, 2015. Print.

Carnival Music in Trinidad - Week 1

Singing Sandra and The Mighty Sparrow

Calypsonians serve many purposes in Carnival Trinidadian music. Primarily, Calypsonians are the “lead singers” of the music. They are the singing soloists that lead a calypso band. In the 19^th century, they were called chantwells. Over time, chantwells evolved into Calypsonians. This multimedia essay will look over the career of two influential Calypsonians: the Mighty Sparrow and Singing Sandra. Both artists contributed greatly to the musical community of Trinidad.
 
Women in Calypso seemed to be taboo for a period of time in the country Trinidad and Tobago.  For almost 75 years, it was a social norm for women not to participate in Calypsonian music.  However, in 1978, the performer Calypso Rose was able to sing and she was crowned Calypso Monarch, breaking many of the gender social norms in the 1970’s in what had been a male dominated art form. 

Yet, not until 21 years later was there another woman crowned Calypso Monarch.  In 1999, Singing Sandra won the title with her song “Voices”.  This song describes in great detail about the hard and poor lives that many Trinidadians lead. Much of Singing Sandra’s music is like this, where the song describes intense scenes of wrongful doings done by Trinidadians or how difficult life is for people on The Hill, a poor area in the Port of Spain. Since many of her songs describe political or social issues, many Trinidadians embrace her music with a passion because their culture loves logogenic music. 

One of her other famous and realistic songs is “Die with My Dignity” which she wrote in 1999.  Here she is singing it on television for Fathers Day in Trinidad:

Here are the lyrics to the song.

This song is truly brutal in its honesty of Trinidadian life for women.  She speaks of how hard it is to find a job and how men only want women for their bodies.  Singing Sandra is not afraid to tell the truth and she does it in a way that Trinidadians welcome.

One author speaks of women performing in Calypso in general: “Through their songs, calypso women are tapping into and shaping an emergent women’s consciousness. This is oral feminism in the making” (Mohair).  Many Calypsonians are unafraid to say what they think or feel, but women in Calypso especially express their feelings on sexism and everyday life that they face in their poverty.  Singing Sandra’s music particularly displays this poetic voice of every day common folk.  Which is really what Calypsonian music is all about, is it not?

Slinger Francisco, or more popularly known as “The Mighty Sparrow,” is a popular Calypsonian in Trinidad for his ability to appeal to a large group of people. Many consider him “The King of the Calypso World.” Not only have his songs appealed to seated audiences in the tents of the Calypso Monarch competition, but also appealed to those dancing on Carnival day. The Road March award is given to the best dancing song on Carnival Day. In 1956, the Mighty Sparrow won the Calypso Monarch and Road March titles for his song, “Jean and Dinah.”  The Mighty Sparrow came out with this song when he was only 20 years old. Here is the song that made him famous:

The Mighty Sparrow started singing as a young boy, where he started in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church choir. In that, he sang harmonic songs and Gregorian chants, which would influence his composing and singing style later on. This experience has helped him stand apart from other Calypsonians, because, “Unlike most Calypsonians, Sparrow is known for his rich and nuanced singing voice…” (Dudley 27). Here is an example of the Mighty Sparrow’s rich singing voice. “Only A Fool” is a slow song about the pains of heartbreak:

Other influences of the Mighty Sparrow included American jazz artists such as Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole. In his life, he helped create the Carnival Development Committee. The purpose of this committee was, “…to assist Calypsonians, steel band men and [masquerade] men” (“Biography”). The Mighty Sparrow’s songs combine social and political commentary with humor and a “dance-able melody” (Dudley 28). Because of this combination, the Mighty Sparrow is an artist that appeals to many Trinidadians.

Both of these artists will be remembered for their efforts and contributions to the Trinidadian culture. Singing Sandra will be remembered for being one of the first female Calypsonian artists. Other female Calypsonians will look up to her as an inspiration and a role model. The Mighty Sparrow will be remembered for his ability to appeal to large amounts of people. Very rarely is it that a Calypsonian can appeal to audiences in the streets and in the performing tents. Their contributions will be remembered and noted as long as the boisterous and beautiful Carnival celebrates in Trinidad.

Sierra Marsh wrote about Singing Sandra. Logan Kropp wrote about the Mighty Sparrow.

Works Cited
 

Mohair, Cynthia. The Rise of Calypso Feminism: Gender and Musical Politics in the Calypso. Vol. 20, No. 3, Gender and Sexuality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Print. 

Dudley, Shannon. Carnival Music in Trinidad: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New York: Oxford UP, 2004. Print.

"Biography." The Mighty Sparrow. Mighty Sparrow Calypso Foundation, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.

Week Five - Thinking about Structuring

Dance and Music

According to Bonnie C. Wade in her book, Thinking Musically, “So very often, music and movement are inextricably interrelated” (Wade 154). Many different cultures incorporate forms of movement into their musical lives. These patterns of movement can serve many purposes, from telling a story, to keeping the instrumentals together. This multimedia essay will explore different types of movement and dance that accompany music and how they serve the culture they originate from.

Ballet dance is an art form, depicting stories correlating with accompanying music. It has been known to exist since the early Italian Renaissance courts in the 15th century.  Later, the French courts took a liking to the new art form and started to set up schools in Paris. However, ballets were not completely their own shows as we know them today. They would usually be included in operas, until around the 19th century when they started creating whole ballets that ran as their own shows.  This change happened in the Romantic Era, when many of the most successful ballets where created.  This is also when the stereotypical look of a ballerina was created; with pointe shoes, tutus, and a calf length skirt with a lot of tulle attached.

During the Romantic Era, ideas of fantasy and whimsical creatures were most prevalent in ballet.  Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky took those ideas and made incredibly successful pieces of music with them, such as his four most famous ballets: "The Nutcracker", "Swan Lake", "Romeo and Juliet", and "Sleeping Beauty".  During this time, the Russians made a name for themselves in ballet. They developed the Classical technique, including pointe, high extensions, and big full movements.  This technique correlated properly with what composers like Tchaikovsky were making.  Here is a recording of the Balcony scene in his “Romeo and Juliet.” Just as with the scene from the play, the two characters are seeing each other for the second time.

https://youtu.be/A0RsOmLwcX8?t=5m15s

In this video the music starts out with Romeo and Juliet laying eyes on each other and a tune starts to play as if it is their own song.  With the music and the dance combined, the audience gets a sense of longing from Romeo as Juliet is still on the balcony. Then, as they finally meet, the dynamics of the music change and the orchestra becomes louder.  At this time, the characters both become in sync as well, but then suddenly when they look at each other and they profess their love, the music becomes tender and light.  Then, as the two delight in each other’s company, the music becomes loud, full, and happy. On a sadder note, Tchaikovsky’s other ballet, “Swan Lake,” has a dance called the Dying Swan. 

 

In this video, the tormented mortal swan is dancing gracefully with a mournful cello playing with piano accompaniment.  However, with only a sorrowful cello playing, it makes the moment more powerful than a whole orchestra playing fortissimo.  The desolate music is paired with a dancer displaying an elegant death.  The lone cello expresses the swan’s death, and the swan reflects that mournful death in her dance. In many different shows and many different ballets, the music reveals the dancers and the dancers reveal the music.

One ballet that is different and unique from Tchaikovsky’s classical ballets is Stravinsky’s neo-classical ballet “Rite of Spring.” This ballet is meant to be an allegory for life in Russia. Stravinsky’s music uses odd rhythms and dissonant chords. The original ballet uses harsh, jerky choreography. In the climax of the piece, the “Chosen One” dances to death in a sacrifice, which consists of lots of jumping. It is a physically demanding piece of choreography that breaks the typical style of ballet that was seen in ballets such as Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet.

Another form of dance that came from the 15^th century is Topeng, which comes from Indonesia, primarily Bali and Java. The dance is often performed to gamelan music. The dancer wear intricately designed masks and costumes. The dance tells an ancient traditional story. Four or five dancers will work together to tell the story, using many masks to perform different roles. Different colored masks meant different things. For example, red masks defined a strong character. Storytellers wear half-masks so that they have room to talk. Sometimes, the dancers cue the instrumentalists when to speed up, slow down, play louder or softer. Quick decrescendos in the music that are cued by the Topeng dancer are called angsels. Near the end of this video, the dancer cues the gamelan players with his hands to speed up:

Dance is used in many cultures to express the emotions and stories that are inside of music. Dance expresses the meaning of music in a view able format.

Sierra Marsh wrote the information on ballet. Logan Kropp wrote the introduction, information on “Rite of Spring” and Topeng music, and the conclusion.

Works Cited

"History of Dance Masks - Topeng Dance." History. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. 
 

"Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre." A Brief History of Ballet. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. 

"Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre." Types and Styles of Ballet. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. 
 

Poznansky, Alexander. "Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Russian Composer." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. 

Schwarm, Betsy. "The Rite of Spring | Ballet by Stravinsky." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. 
 

"Topeng Dance." BaliTrips.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015. 

Wade, Bonnie C. Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New York: Oxford UP, 2004. Print. 

Week Four - Thinking about Pitch

Vocal Overtones

When we hear a pitch, we often hear or focus on the pitch that is played or sung, known as the “fundamental tone.” Yet, there are many other pitches that “ring” over the fundamental tone, called overtones. Sometimes, these overtones are focused so that one note is heard over the others, producing an almost whistling tone. It seems that two notes are being sung or played at the same time. This article will focus on overtones that are created by the human voice. It is worth noting that instruments can create overtones as well. Overtones are used throughout the world more often than people may first believe. People will integrate throat singing or overtones into their culture and make it part of their way of life.

The overtone scale is made up twelve tones.

There are numerous types of throat singing or overtone singing throughout the world.  Many people only believe throat singing to be found in Central Asia, however, there are the Inuit people of northwestern Alaska and Canada who perform throat singing as well.  When throat singing properly, it is successful at creating numerous harmonies all at once with the voice.  Throat singing is a very special skill that contains specific techniques that are taught.  It involves specific ways one must set the tongue, jaw, larynx, and lips to create the ideal sound and capability of creating the right timbre and harmonies.  Throat singing also has a drone-like quality to it, which means, “a widespread manner of performing a single melody with a pitched but non melodic part it is put over- a sustained tone” (Wade 129).  Cultures such as the nomadic Tuvans and Mongolians, make overtone singing an essential part of their lives.  The Republic of Tuva is located in rural Russia and northwest of Mongolia. As a result, the two cultures are closely related in many of their traditions and ways of life.  Tuvans call their throat singing Khöömei, which uses a circular breathing motion similar to the way the didjeridoo is played by the Aborigines of Australia.  This type of breathing allows the performers to sustain notes for long periods of time.  There is an apprenticeship system established in their culture where children start learning the art at a fairly young age.  As a result, the men who learn to sing this way truly are masters in their craft.  The men then incorporate aspects of their lifestyle into their music.  Their culture is extremely centered on nature and their relationship with nature so the songs created will reflect this connection.  The Tuvans will imitate sounds around them such as, mountains, river, and animals while they sing.  So some songs might sound higher in pitch if they are referring to birds singing or lower in pitch if they are singing about the strength and power of the mountains.  Here is also a video of Huun Huur Tu which is a professional throat singing group out of the Republic of Tuva:

https://youtu.be/i0djHJBAP3U?t=16m23s

Mongolians are very similar to Tuvan throat singing , however, many of the Mongolians techniques are acutely different.  Some tribes, such as the Bait in Mongolia, use a style called “the root of the tongue” which makes the sound farther back in the mouth. This is unlike the Khalkha tribe, who make a more nasal or glottal sound.  Here is a video of the highly trained Mongolian throat singer Batzorig Vaanching playing his horse hair fiddle:

While Tuvans and Mongolians techniques are different, throat singing is an enormous part of both of cultures.

Western culture has created their own type of throat singing that is different from Mongolian or Tuvan throat singing. Instead of affecting the timbre or adding tension to the throat, singers use their natural, healthy singing voice and adjust how they shape the vowel to create overtones. One common way to start singing overtones is to slowly transition from the vowel “oh” to the vowel “ee,”or any other two vowels. Here is a video of a Western overtone singer exhibiting her talent:

Sometimes, artists who are able to overtone sing will perform together, such as David Hykes and the Harmonic Choir. David Hykes was one of the first Western artists to pioneer overtone singing. Here is an example:

Other forms of choral music use overtone singing. One popular song is Sarah Hopkins’ “Past Life Melodies.” It is based off of the traditional aboriginal music of Australia. Here is a recording of the male choir Chanticleer singing this song. The overtones come in about halfway through the song:

Another type of overtone is created when choirs sing exactly in tune. For example, in Whitacre’s “When David Heard,” the choir sings exactly in tune so that it seems like the sopranos are singing a high C the first two times they sing “O, my son.” The third and fourth time they sing it, they sing a high C to give a sense of resolution. Listen to the segment of the song here:

https://youtu.be/G2ZKKXCuaYc?t=9m46s

As shown, singers use overtones in a variety of ways, in many cultures. Overtones are arguably one of the most fascinating aspects of the human voice.

Logan Kropp completed the research and writing on western overtones while Sierra Marsh completed the research on Mongolian and Tuvan throat singing.  

Works Cited

Hinds, Stuart. "How To Teach Overtone Singing To Your Choir." Choral Journal 51.3 (2010): 34-43. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Oct. 2015.

"Khusugtun." Khusugtun. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.

Pegg, Carole. "Throat-Singing." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.

"Throat Singing." Smithsonian Folkways. Smithsonian Institution, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.