-PROGRAM-
Indonesian (gamelan) Ensemble (MUS 229, MSEN 203-03, Gamelan Raga Kusuma)
Ladrang Wilujeng. Traditional Javanese court music. Wilujeng means “peace” and the work is often performed to ensure a successful concert or ceremony.
Lancaran Penghijauan. Wasitodiningrat, composer. A popular piece composed in the 1980s about Indonesian government reforesting initiatives. Really.
Lancaran Lesung Jemungglung. Nartosabdho, composer. A piece composed for shadow theatre in the 1960s. The vocal line imitates traditional rice pounding rhythms.
Ketawang Subakastawa. Traditional Javanese court music, part of the traditional shadow theatre repertoire.
West African (djembe) Ensemble (MSEN 203-02, Creative Hands Drum Ensemble)
Sunun. A traditional rhythm of the Kassounke of Mali (Kayes Region). Sunun is a popular rhythm played at all popular festivals and important during weddings. This song is named after a female dancer, who was known to be the best Gui dancer.
Yankadi-Makru. A traditional rhythm of the Susu of Southwest Guinea. Yankadi is one of two rhythms “Yankadi Makru” that are played as a courting rhythm. The young people of neighboring villages invite one another to Yankadi festivities. Mostly, the young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five dance. The dance begins slowly with the rhythm Yankadi; girls and boys face each other in two rows and slowly dance towards each other.
Djansa (Dansa, Yansa, Diansa). A traditional rhythm of the Kassounke of Southern Mali. Originally, Djansa was a competition dance for young men. Nowadays, it is a popular rhythm played all over West Africa at various festivals.
Indian Classical Music (MSAP 181)
Raga Yaman, toda (slow) and tan (fast) sections in teental (16 beat) cycle. Darshan Shah (sitar), Harsha Kohale (tabla). Nirmal Bajekal, instructor.
Brazilian Ensemble (MSEN 195)
Medley: Vivo Sonhando, Look to the Sky. Antônio Carlos Jobim. Arranged by Kevin Harding
Corcovado. Jobim. One of Jobim’s best known popular songs.
Esperar pra Ver. Made famous by singer Evinha this tune comes out of the Black Rio social consciousness movement of the 1970s.
Sabiá. Jobim, Chico Buarque. This celebrated ballad was released during Brazil’s military dictatorship. With sly language crafted to elude political censorship, the song describes a bird in a desolate landscape longing to return home.
Taiko Ensemble (MSEN 203-01, River City Taiko)
Renshu. (UR Taiko Ensemble and River City Taiko). “Renshu” or “practice” was initially written as a drill to teach students different techniques for playing taiko. It was created by San Francisco Taiko Dojo, founded in 1968 by Seiichi Tanaka, and the first taiko dojo in North America. Many North American taiko groups play their own version of this song.
Satsuki. (River City Taiko) “Satsuki” is the Japanese word for the month of May. This song was written by Marco Lienhard, director of Taikoza in New York City. This version is played on stands that place the taiko at an angle “naname”.
Nagara Seiryu Nobori-Uchi. (UR Taiko Ensemble and River City Taiko). Often called “Seiryu”, this song is connected to the Nagara River, one of the Kiso Three Rivers running through the Nōbi Plain west of Nagoya. The line of taiko represents the Nagara River. The drummers play while moving along the drums, re-enacting the movement of carp as they move up and then back down the river every year.
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