This month we'll be doing Métis music including playing the spoons and jigging in class. Older students will do some of the Métis lessons and start working on either the song Best Day of My Life or Ho Hey-depending on how their class voted.
April 7-April 10
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Qatar
Ardah Dance (1:06) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ilUn6BUey8) Ardah is a sword dance in Qatar where rows of dancers move with percussion.
Fijiri-Dana Al Fardan (7:39) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuDtY9gM6lE&list=RDPuDtY9gM6lE&start_radio=1) Fijiri music is the music of the pearl fishers of the Gulf. We've seen their music when we traveled to other Gulf states. This is a symphonic piece written by prominent female Qatari composer Dana Al Fardan done with the Qatari Symphonic.
Fahad Al Kubaisi-Al Mustahter (4:09) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_WEJJcKBDE&list=RDEMw81haXxBm7e8wFKdhHltOw&index=4) Khaliji Music is popular in the Gulf region and Al Kubaisi is a well known Qatari artist.
Sahera-Sandstorm (2:51) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfaNJaDOscs&list=RDjfaNJaDOscs&start_radio=1) Sahera is a prominent pop artist from Qatar. This is one of her well known tunes.
April 13-April 17
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Palestine
Dabke Music-Dabke Palestino (5:51) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2pX-ivw_5A&list=RDu2pX-ivw_5A&start_radio=1) Dabke music is celebratory group dance music often used at festivals, celebrations, weddings and graduations. This is a song but out by a Chilean based charity supporting Palestinian children.
Mawwǎl-folk song-olives (3:01) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSbWdm635tQ&list=PLsE7jdQqVQM2ACsQwtB-NVi2NGBdBi7aZ&index=4) Mawwǎl is a genre of vocal music. This is a song to olives and the land.
Mohammed Assaf-Dammi Falastini (4:41) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEBILiIGNZo&list=RDTEBILiIGNZo&start_radio=1) kMohammed Assaf is a hugely popular Palestinian pop star and likely the best selling Palestinian musician of all time. This song is his anthem to Palestine 'My blood is Palestinian'. Assaf grew up in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza.
Dana Salah-Ya Tal3een (2:51) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BvbuPwOWMs&list=RD4BvbuPwOWMs&start_radio=1) Salah started her career under the name King Deco in Brooklyn NY but returned to Jordan to embrace her Palestinian roots and blends traditional Middle Eastern sounds with global pop. This is an old Palestinian song from Galilee sung by women visiting their men in prisons.
April 20-April 24
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Israel
Yeminite Songs-Lord of the World (7:04) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BJoKXNTo3g&list=PLM4Pn3Wx4bzQyJ5qpQ_ceAIuR41mc93SN&index=1f) Traditional Yemenite music in Hebrew comes from the 16th century originating with Jewish people in Yemen.
Shoshana Damari-Anemones (4:46) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHq3bb4J1Ww&list=RDEMP7uxAyzPGI6lbQRr8c0NDg&index=4) Before the state of Israel was declared cabarets were very popular amongst both the Palestinian and Jewish inhabitants. Shoshana Damari's career was launched from these cabarets and she is an early influential singer. Her style and the timbre of her voice remind me of famous singers like Edith Piaf from France.
Chava Alberstein-Live-Secred Garden (2:58) (edited from film found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e30Q_CEDSps&list=RDe30Q_CEDSps&start_radio=1) Chava is prominent in the wave of Israeli musicians who turned to folk music in the 60's. Wiki noted that her music was styled on artists like American Judy Collins and Canadian Joni Mitchell. She has recorded over 60 albums.
Noa and Mira Awad-Shalom Shalom (5:09) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iukOKO-6R0&list=PLzGz19rjUPN6YDxWkCdSY0xj0c5XM4qEY&index=11) I found this in a playlist of Yemenite songs but it's noted to be a song about coexistence and peace sung by to well known singers in Israel. Mira Awad represented Israel in Eurovision 2009.
April 27-May 1
This Week's Music Around the World-Traditional and Contemporary Music-Fiji
Laga Vucu (4:14) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5pzCFFF_GY) A traditional style song. Traditional songs are known as vucu ni vanua.
Fiji School Bamboo Band (2:56) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93bEEbgxXik) Traditional bamboo bands in Fiji and around Melanesia and Polynesia feature tubes of different sizes struck over the end to produce notes. While looking at a previous tour country I read it was traditionally a block of wood used to strike but American soldiers showed up during World War Two with flip flop sandals and the people learned when these were used to strike it was a more satisfying sound.
Lali drums (1:05) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeCVca5Tp64&list=PL6j9_bOTAVLsgxFfUIZ8d95W_sIGiAIcR&index=2) These are the large slit drums or lali used for ceremony-usually canoe shaped. There are smaller slit drums or lali ni meke used in other music. Sound from the large lali could travel over 15km.
Vaisa Vulakoro-A Si’a Dina Arai (Live) (4:38) (found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLeGtan_AyI&list=RDiLeGtan_AyI&start_radio=1) Vulakoro is a well loved Fijian singer known as the Queen of Vude. Vude is traditional Fijian music sung in Fijian often celebrating love, community and nature.