Dr. Saul's Classroom Site: November 2023

October 30-November 3

From here to Christmas concert we're working on each class' song and act or dance. Where classes are long enough to need another diversion we do some music games such as This Way or Obwisana or there is open ukulele time.

This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Ecuador

Pasillo Music-Alma en los labios-Karla Kanora y El Trío Pambil (3:23) (found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ3GymNM0oQ&list=RDQMUz1dY6TSLSo&start_radio=1) Pasillo music is indigenous to Ecuador. It is the 'national genre' of music. It is usually very slow. This is an old classic piece that goes back to 1919 but performed by a modern group.

Bomba-Dance (2:15) (found at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10anuBUBYLgT0n0SHYb2ddZqLbYP5Xn1R/view?usp=sharing) Bomba is a well-known music and dance form from Ecuador. Here is a nicely high resolution video.

Otavalo Music-Andels Mountains (5:22) (found at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3moeu1Xo0I) Here is some of the music of the Indigenous Otavalo people of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador. If you've been on this tour for a few years with me you'll recognize the instruments and style of the Andes. Here I believe we see an Andean Flute, large cane panpipes and small guitar-like charango.

Da Pawn-Cambio de Tonalidad (5:15) (found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9B_uZAEZ3M) Here is what wiki describes as a modern Indie Rock artist from Ecuador.

November 6-10 (Friday is NID)

This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Kiribati

Folk Music (2:34) (found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49eUs0KjcEw) Folk music in Kiribati was traditionally sung with chanting and body percussion. Today it is often done as a seated chorus with guitars. Here is a fine specimen.

Traditional Dance (4:06) (edited from video found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OaEmAHgHJk) There are a number of traditional dances in Kiribati, including the Standing Dance (Te Kaimatoa). Here is a compilation in good resolution. The videographer noted that it is very difficult to get to Kiribati so tourism isn't as huge as in other Polynesian islands.

Kiribati String Band (4:01) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVn9Jp9FIg8) I found this intriguing video searching for Kiribati music. Some really nice guitar here!

OceanSideBoys-Rosemary (4:13) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMd8tVChYQU) I found this more modern pop group on a channel that had all music from Kiribati. They will be singing in Gilbertese, sometimes known as Kiribates). English is apparently limited to the main urban centres in Kiribati.

November 13-17 (Monday is lieu for Remembrance Day)

This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Armenia

Folk Song-Akh, Nare Nare (3:09) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXj6gsx5E3U) This is a well known Armenian folk song as I found several videos of it online. The instrument here is the oud-another popular instrument across the Middle East into Armenia.

Duduk-Dvivan (Jivan) Gasparyan-They Took My Love Away (6:15) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYmAzwQPfdY) The duduk is an Armenian double reed instrument made from apricot wood. Here is the most famous player in a concert.

Sarina Cross-Armenian Popurri (6:57) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CxypcKWkgM) This one is fun. Lebanese-Armenian singer Sarina Cross has created this modern mashup of traditional Armenian songs.

Dance Ensemble-Kochari in Shushi 'Ninahar' (4:29) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xt11pOA-dg) I love a video that gives us dance, music and landscape from a country!

November20-24

This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Equatorial Guinea

Mvet (6:02) (found at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mvet+equatorial+guinea) The largest ethnic group in Equatorial Guinea are the Fang people, and this is their instrument the mvet-a cross between a harp and a zither.

Traditional Dancing (1:14) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vViu4uU59lo) Here is some traditional dancing I found-looks like a school event.

Eyi Muan Ndong-Nene Bantu (5:48) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBq2UirPs9o&list=RDEMFisXkx94ILSB6nT0-LWmQQ&start_radio=1) Another blog I read that had a section on music of EG spoke specifically about Eyi Muan Ndong's work to popularize traditional folk styles of music. There's nothing really high resolution out there that I could find-but here is a song of his.

Anfibio ft Diddy-Es-Sin Mi (3:46) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTe_StKIRdM) Wiki said there is not a lot of current popular music coming out of Equatorial Guinea (population 1.6 million), but here is one artist whose name kept popping up for me on EG playlists.

November 27-December 1

This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Denmark

Lurs (horns) (2:32) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLjGH_Ml3O0) The bronze age lur of Denmark dates back to 1700-500 BCE or about 4000 years ago.

Ramund (Danish Folk Song) -played by Myrkur (1:42) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF-jgV3EuIY) She is playing this old Danish Folk Song on a nyckelharpa-an instrument usually tied to Sweden but with ancient ties to surrounding countries including Denmark.

Scenes from Copenhagen Jazz Festival (5:17) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pr9SrEMr5A) Jazz has been very popular in Denmark for a long time, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival is considered by many to be one of the most import Jazz Fests in the world.

Emmilie de Forest-Only Teardrops (3:11) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k59E7T0H-Us) 2013 Eurovision winner from Denmark. Denmark has now won Eurovision three times.