South East Asia Music History - Essay Example

Name : xxxxxxxxxxx Institution : xxxxxxxxxxx Course : xxxxxxxxxxx Title : South East Asia Music History Tutor : xxxxxxxxxxx @2010 South East Asia Music History Introduction Music in South East Asia is generally varied as the various cultural and ethnic divisions present in this region. The history of music in South East Asia is characterized by distinctive cultural and ethnic divisions. Music in South East Asia can be viewed in various dimensions in regards to the geographic region, the genre of the music and the ethnic group in discussion among many other factors. Despite the fact that music in South East Asia has some similarities, the boundaries of culture, land and language enforces remarkable differences in the music styles chosen by people. This paper seeks to provide an incisive and comprehensive outlook of South East Asia music history. It will depict the varied characteristics of upland and lowlands music cultures in regards to the region, culture and various musical elements. This paper will as well present the similarities and differences of the uplands and lowlands music cultures in South East Asia. South East Asia as a music region South East Asia as a subcontinent is too large to be viewed as a holistic region, it is therefore necessary to divide it into the mainland and the Island regions. The mainland consists of countries such as Burma, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia among many other nations. Whereas Island regions are made up of countries such as Indonesia, Philippines and Brunei. Other than Singapore all South East Asia regions have lowland plains. The manner in which the lands are shape considerably determines musical productions (Miller & Andrew 2008). Given the fact the each country in South East Asia exhibits diversity in population and culture, music instruments and styles used in musical production also differ from one region to the other. Moreover, seasons also determine musical elements in a particular region, for instance during rainy seasons in Buddhist countries such as Thailand, Burma and Cambodia musical activities ceased. This is mainly because the rainy seasons coincides with the Buddhist season of withdrawal. Music in South East Asia originated from the villages whereby villagers carried out their usual work routines. In mainland regions few music performers supported themselves through their talents music was played and sung by anyone with medium talent. Throughout South East Asia the theme of courtship permeated village music performances (Terry & Sean 1998: pp 2-16). Personally, I think the musical genre of South East Asia epitomizes the classical category. Music cultures in South East Asia have common factors for instance, musical instruments play a key role in composition and performance of music. Some of these musical instruments are highly decorated and intricate and thus they require effective technical skills. On the other hand, due to cultural differences affected by local geography and the isolation upland tribes affected the choice of instrumentation and music style that the upland and lowlands music cultures employ. Moreover, given the fact that rice is a common food commodity in both the uplands and lowlands areas the cultivation and consumption of rice influenced and determined the music composition of both the populates of the uplands and lowland areas. Nevertheless, there exist an interaction and musical communication between the populates of the uplands and lowlands areas this interaction has greatly contributed to the evident similarities found in the music cultures of the uplands and lowlands areas. Upland music culture Populates of the upland region include people from Laos, Hmong and Temiar, these groups of people make up the upland music culture of Southeast Asia. The culture of the upland people of Southeast Asia is intricate in nature since they combine the elements of the plains and the mountain. These people preferred traditional songs with simple musical elements. Music and their lifestyles were correlated thus there were no professional music performers. The structure of their music was generally monophonic, it was characterized by predominate five –tone scales with a fourth nucleus. The improvisation of their music occurred in the variations of several repeated phrases. The upland people enjoyed and were accustomed to dancing with the accompaniment of simple instrumentals Wheeler (1992:64). Music culture of Temiar The music culture of the Temiar people is considered as classical characterized by highly organized musical elements. Its organization is characterized by duple metrical arrangements that are articulated by cymbals which have constantly alternating ching chap however other pieces exclusively utilize the ching. The Temiar music culture incorporates the use of drums that are often played in regular cyclic patterns with fewer variations. As a result, the cycles make up a rigid and clear matrix that the Thai composers and performers can play. Individual instruments such as the mahori and the piphat fundamentally feature in most of the musical compositions of the Temiar people. However, in order to listen to these instruments one needs to clearly record the composition with a microphone since the focus lies in high tune instruments such as the higher fiddle(saw duang) and the higher xylophone(ranat ek). In the music compositions the fiddle often played a melodic form whereas the xylophone played the variation of the fiddle moving in even and constant octaves. These octaves symbolized the articulation of phrases and random peregrination of tone (Wong & Lysloff 1998). Music culture of Hmong The Hmong classical music such as the hsainwain ensembles a unique style and rhythm. In most cases, music compositions exhibit shifts in joy full rhythms, disjunction of melodic styles and changes in timbre and texture, however the Hmong music exhibits unpredictable shifts in style, its melody is composed. In Hmong music the coherent intact of melody version is not played, fixed structures are employed by the performers. These structures are characterized by melodic rearrangements, beat displacement, and octave displacements. Music culture of the Laos Components of Lao music exhibit predominant genres that have closely bound lyrics. Lao music is distinguished through its dialects and language. Performers of Lao music sing and dance in suggestive horseplay. The main instrument used by the Lao people in musical performances is the “khene free –reed” mouth organ. This instrument produces vertical sonorities unlike the normal chords, these elements cannot function in the western harmonic sense however they produce varying degrees of relaxation and tension thus giving a complete homorhythmic sound. Instruments such as the fiddle (saw pip) and the plucked lute (phin) are as incorporated in some musical compositions in amongst the Lao people. Basically, the Lao music culture is distinguishable through its rhythm and melody. For instance the “Khap ngeum style” exhibit speech like rhythm sounds. Other styles of Lao music have catchy rhythms which are reinforced by small metal cymbals and drums. A number of Lao music styles particularly the “lam tang vay” and the “lam salavance” are often manipulated to produce danceable rhythms. Lowland music culture of South East Asia The populates of the lowland Southeast Asia make up the musical culture in the lowland. Their style of music has been described as sonorous due to the fact that their music is performed by instruments made of bronze such as the gongs. Most of the music in the lowlands is played using stratified bronze ensembles. In Indonesia these instruments are referred to as gamelans whereas in whereas in the southern Philippines they are referred to as the “Kulintang.” The influences of European style orchestras are illuminated in the style of lowland musical culture. For instance, some music compositions of South East Asia are characterized by solo instrumental performance, European style orchestras, and indigenous vocal associations. In regards to the structure and sound of the gong ensemble of the musical culture in the lowlands, the gong ensemble is made up of small, tuned, horizontal bossed kettle pots. Other major components of the ensemble include, drums shaped like barrels or cones and xylophones made up of metallophones or bamboos. These gong chimes are in most cases regarded as stratified due to their musical texture. Lowlands populates recognized good music as the ensemblence of rhythmic coherence, improvisational virtuosity, performance dynamic balance, and improvisational appropriateness characterized by seamless transition of rhythms from one section to another (Becker 1998:54). Music culture of Javanese The music culture of the Javanese exemplifies artistic history, character, and cultural diversity. Their music is often times accompanied by theatre and dance for example the music performances of Java, Flores, Bali and Sumatra. Key Javanese musical compositions include the Tembang Sunda, Kecapi, and Gamelan among many others. The Tembang Sunda is also referred to as cianjuran, it is generally a form of sung poetry that came about during the colonial era “kabupaten” of cianjur. The instruments used to perform this composition include, the bamboo flute, the kacapi Indung, the rebab in salendro compositions and the kacapi rincik. The most prominent and most performed style of Javanese music is the gamelan and ensemble tuned percussion musical devices such as the gongs, metallophone drums, bamboo flutes, and spike fiddles. The musical culture of the Javanese is rooted in religious practices of Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism (Spiller 2004). Music culture of Balinese The Balinese music culture can be traced back from the ancient Khmer Empire. The music culture of the Balinese populates was highly influenced by the ancient religious practices of Hinduism. In some regions this music culture epitomizes common ancient myths and stories. Some music compositions are accompanied by pinpeat orchestras in the likes of bronze gong, bamboo xylophone, fiddles, flutes and different kinds of drums (Phim & Thompson 1999:304). The Balinese pinpeat is a traditional composition that was mainly performed in feast days in pagodas. The pinpeat was in most cases made up of percussion devices such as the bamboo xylophone and the sampho, a two sided drum among many other instruments. Unlike the classical Javanese music, the Balinese music is simple and easy to follow. This is mainly because Balinese music incorporates basic melody rather than an elaborate melody played through the double-reed oboe (sralai), it also requires less individual virtuosity Shapiro (1995:23). Similarities and differences between Uplands and Lowland music cultures Both musical cultures of the uplands and lowlands regions epitomize a classical fusion of music characterized by well organized music elements, styles and melodies. The music of both regions depicts rich cultural aspects that illuminate the overall lifestyle and culture of the people of South East Asia. Generally, the music culture of both the upland and the lowland people of South East Asia constitutes of strong emphasis of beat patterns that are applicable to all musical compositions. In both musical cultures of the uplands and lowland regions, musical instruments play an imperative role in composition and performance of music. Most of the musical instruments are highly decorated and intricate and thus they require effective technical skills. In most cases, the repertory is extensive, requiring constant practice and focus for the musician since they have to memorize and practice intricate music elements. It is also worth noting that in both the uplands and lowlands regions common instruments such as the gongs, multiple xylophones, a gong chime, a set of drums, metallophones, wind instruments and stringed instruments are commonly used in during the initial compositions and performances (James 1967). The composition and performance of music in both the uplands and lowland areas was highly determined by a particular season, occasion, ritual or ceremony. The kind of music composition to be performed was attuned to the current season, time, ritual and occasion. For instance, during the harvest seasons the musical compositions were aligned to the nature of the harvest. During the rice harvest seasons the themes of the of the performed music compositions was determined by how the harvest was, For instance if the harvest was plentiful the rhythm and style of the music composition would be one that is joyous and melodic. In addition, musical cultures of both the uplands and lowland regions constitute of some level of western influences. For example, the music cultures of the Laos depict a western harmonic sense characterized by well arranged rhythmic and melodic structures evident in western music. On the other hand, influences of European style orchestras are illuminated in the style of lowland musical culture. For instance, some music compositions of South East Asia are characterized by solo instrumental performance, European style orchestras, and indigenous vocal associations. Evidently, there exists great disparity between the music cultures in the uplands and lowlands region. The music culture in the upland region exemplifies distinct feature in the arrangement of rhythm, melody, and tone variations. The music in the upland can be termed as more intricate as compared to the music culture in the lowland areas. For instance, the organization of upland music composition is characterized by duple metrical arrangements. The structure of their music is generally monophonic, it was characterized by predominate five –tone scales with a fourth nucleus. On the other hand, the lowland music culture has a more plain structural arrangement that is enhanced through the accompaniment of instruments such as bronze gong, bamboo xylophone, fiddles, flutes and different kinds of drums (Kartomi 1998:96). Moreover, the music culture in the uplands is highly influenced by the economic activities, cultural and religious practices of the people in the upland areas. For instance, the people in the uplands were rice farmers, they also domesticated animals thus their musical compositions and performances were determined by their means of livelihood. Furthermore, the musical culture of the populates of the upland areas were influenced by religious and cultural aspects of Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. On the other hand, the economic activities of the lowland people revolved around hunting and gathering thus their music compositions and performances were influenced by the escapades of hunting and gathering. Other than influences of culture and religion, the musical culture in the lowland areas is mainly influenced by the western music culture (Randel 2003:57). Conclusion By examining the music cultures of the uplands and lowlands of the Southeast Asia, we are able to get a holistic picture of the overall music culture of Southeast Asia. Generally, the music culture of Southeast Asia is characterized by distinct musical elements exhibited through a classical fusion and well organized music elements, styles and melodies. Musical instruments play a key role in composition and performance of music. Some of these musical instruments are highly decorated and intricate and thus they require effective technical skills. In most cases, the repertory is extensive, requiring constant practice and focus for the musician since they have to memorize and practice intricate music elements. Music cultures in both the uplands and lowlands exhibit certain similarities and differences. The similarities and differences embedded in these music cultures revolve around the socio-economic activities regional and cultural aspects Wolters (1999: 32). Bibliography Becker, J, 1998, Traditional music in modern java: Gamelan in a changing society, University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu Shapiro, p 54-103 James, R, 1967, Theatre in South East Asia, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, p 86-110. Kartomi, M, 1998, Musical Strata in Sumatra, Java and Bali, University press of California, Berkeley, p 96-104. Miller, T & Andrew, S, 2008, World Music: A global Journey, Lonely Planet Publications, New York, p112. p 304-316. Phim, T& Thompson, A, 1999, Dance in Cambodia, Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur, Randel, D, 2003, The Harvard dictionary of music, Society for Asian Music, Indiana, p 57. Shapiro, T, 1995, The Dancer in Cambodia, Asian Art, and Culture 8(1):9:23 Spiller, H, 2004, Gamelan: the traditional sounds of Indonesia, ABC Publishers, New York, p 112- 149. Terry, E& Sean, W, 1998, Southeast Asian Music: An Overview. In Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Vol 4, Garland Publishers, London, pp 2-16. Wheeler, T, 1992, Southeast Asia on a shoestring, Lonely Planet Publications, New York, p 64. Wolters, O, 1999, History, Culture and region in Southeast Asian perspectives, SEAP publications, New York, p 32-49. Wong, D& Lysloff, R, 1998, Popular music and cultural politics: In the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Miller & Williams Publishers, London p 206-219. Read More