The Linguist - Spring 2020 by North London Collegiate School

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Spring 2020

editorial Hey everyone! The theme for our Spring Term's The Linguist is Music! We were able to research different aspects of cultures that have evolved to create the music we celebrate around the world. Covering a wide range of countries with many languages, we hope we are able to interest you in the diverse and unique world we live in today. This has been one of our favourite issues to write about so far and hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did writing it. By the end of this issue we are certain you will learn something new and might even be inspired to go listen to some of the music yourself. Enjoy! Issy Viviano and Priyanka Shah, Editors in Chief

Contents: Section 1: Women & Music Priyanka Shah, 'Balance ton Quoi' et le mouvement #BalanceTonPorc

Jermaine Chong, 中国当代音

中的女性

Tami Schwarzmann, Jennifer López

Section 2: Music: a cultural product Maia Dixit, El Flamenco

p 10

Emilie Jung-Andersson, Kulturskolan

p 12

Artemiz Van den Broucke, Интервидение... враг Евровидения?

p 14

Aimee Shah, La música española según regiones

p 16

Isabelle Lever, Musik in Deutschland während des Kalten Krieges

p 18

Matilde Vaz, Fado

p 20

Isabel Viviano, Deutsche Volksmusik

p 22

Section 3: Composers Emilie Jung-Andersson, Ennio Morricone

p 24

Larissa Giles, Bach Brawls

p 26

Chief Editors: Priyanka Shah and Isabel Viviano Front cover: Emilie Jung-Andersson (NLCS London) Back cover: Minsung Kang (NLCS Jeju)

La relation entre la chanson d’Angèle 'Balance ton Quoi' et le mouvement #BalanceTonPorc

Angèle est une chanteuse belge, connue pour ses chansons féministes comme Balance ton quoi. Ce qui inspire vraiment son attitude féministe, c’est le clip de cette chanson, qui ridiculise la vision chauvine de la supériorité masculine. Angèle crée cela d’une manière qui reconnaît comment les femmes sont dégradées dans le monde du travail, et même dans l’industrie de la musique. Le fait qu’elle apparaisse tour à tour comme un juge dans un tribunal, ou comme une instructrice à la ‘Anti Sexism Academy’, permet d’avoir de l’humour contre le sexisme. Cette chanson Balance ton quoi est venue du mouvement #BalanceTonPorc, qui se traduit par 'dénoncer votre cochon'. Ce mouvement est l’équivalent Français du mouvement #MeToo anglais, qui est utilisé pour condamner le harcèlement sexuel et les agressions. Fait intéressant, le concept de porcs étant renvoyé aux hommes, va à l’encontre de ce qui s’est passé tout au long de l’histoire. En effet, tout au long du XXe siècle, les références porcines sont restées liées au désir sexuel et aux hommes qui convoitaient les femmes, par exemple dans le film 'La traversée de Paris', l’acteur Jean Gabin dit : "Il y a un cochon endormi dans le cœur de chaque homme". Cependant, plus tard, le mot ‘porc’ a été transféré aux hommes, en particulier à travers l’expression commune ‘porc chauviniste masculin’. Cette idée est alors devenue la raison du nom de ce mouvement, qui est ce dont Angèle s’est inspirée pour sa chanson. J’espère que cela vous incitera à écouter de la musique française, et peut-être même Angèle!

The relationship between Angèle’s song 'Balance ton Quoi' and the movement #BalanceTonPorc

Angele is a Belgian singer, who is known for her feminist songs such as Balance ton quoi. What really inspires her feminist attitude is the music video for this song, which puts down the chauvinistic view of male superiority. Angele creates this in a way that recognises how women are degraded in the world of work, and even in the music industry. The fact that she appears in turn as a judge in a court, or as a teacher at the "Anti Sexism Academy,” allows there to be humour against sexism. This song Balance ton quoi came from the #BalanceTonPorc movement, which translates into ‘denounce your pig.’ This movement is the French equivalent of the English #MeToo movement, which is used to condemn sexual harassment and assault. Interestingly, the concept of pigs being referred to men, goes against what happened throughout history. This is because throughout the 20th century, pig and porcine references remained linked to sexual desire and of men lusting after women, for example in the film ‘La traversée de Paris’ the actor Jean Gabin says: “There is a pig asleep in every man’s heart”. However, later on, the word ‘pig’ got transferred to men, especially through the common phrase “male chauvinistic pig.” This idea then became the reason for the name for this movement, which is what Angele took inspiration from for her song. I hope this inspires you to listen to some French music, and maybe even Angèle!

中国当代音

中的女性

以前，中国音中女性的形象与她在社会中的地位有着内在的系。然而，女主的起使得种象比以前不那么明了。尽管公众度生了化，但代中国音仍然存在“悖性身份”。意味着，尽管当代音中的女性比以往任何候都有更大的能，但性定型念并没有完全消失。女音家的外表受到男性人的格控制。同，当代歌曲的歌仍然将它表欲望的听象，反映了中国帝王妓女性建构的史做法。另一方面，音中的女性气也曾被用来表政治言。例如，在 2008 年 5 月，以柔和，浪漫的歌声着称的歌手穆蓉萱用自己的歌曲代表了中国民族主西方媒体的怒。但是，尽管音界的女性广受誉，并且有取得巨大成功的余地，但与男性相比，她仍然没有自由地作自己想要的音。在中国，音的流派被分与性有关的，和金属是男性，流行是女性。种思定使女性很与唱片公司，因他被告知她 “不男性化”。然而，女歌手琦因其“坏女孩”的形象而遭到共党的眉，如今，她在中国以反抗性刻板印象而广人知，并因此得了更大的支持者。尽管当今中国仍然存在固有的定型念，但公众性不平等意的度肯定已生了极化。

Women in contemporary Chinese music

The portrayal of women in Chinese music has previously been intrinsically linked to their position in society; however, the rise of feminism has made this less apparent than before. Despite this shift in public attitude, there is still a ‘paradoxical identity’ in modern Chinese music. This implies, that while women in contemporary music have become more empowered than ever before, the gender stereotyping has not completely disappeared. The physical appearances of female musicians are heavily regulated by their male agents. Similarly, contemporary song lyrics still present them as obedient objects of desire, which mirrors the historical practices of gender construction among imperial Chinese courtesans. On the other hand, femininity in music has also been previously used to make political statements. For example, in May 2008, singer Mu Rong Xuan, known for her softer, more romantic way of singing, represented Chinese nationalistic outrage against the Western media with her songs. But although women in music are well regarded and have the leeway to become very successful, they are still not as free to make the kind of music they want to in comparison to their male counterparts. In China, genres of music are segregated into subgroups related to gender, in that rock and metal are for men, and pop is for women. This mind-set makes it difficult for female rock groups to get signed to labels, because they are told that they are ‘not masculine enough’. However, Luo Qi, a female rock singer, who was frowned upon by the Communist Party because of her ‘bad girl’ image, is now known all over China for defying gender stereotypes, and has gained a bigger fanbase because of this. Despite the inherent stereotyping that still exists in China today, there has definitely been a positive shift in public attitude towards the awareness of gender inequality.

Jennifer López Jennifer López nació en 1969 en Nueva York. El sueño americano se ha cumplido sobradamente con ella tanto por su triunfo en la pantalla con su papel protagonista en la película Selena como por sus logros musicales. Mientras estrellas como Taylor Swift y Katie Perry orientaban los temas de su música hacía los problemas del corazón, Jennifer creo su marca personal basándose en propia identidad. Ella se define a sí misma como mujer latina, puesto que sus padres son de ascendencia puertorriqueña. Sus orígenes tienen gran importancia en su música, son buenos ejemplos su éxito 'Jenny From the Block' de 2002. Con su sencillo más reciente 'Ain't Your Mama' lanzado en 2016, consolidó y aún continúa consolidando su cultura como parte integral de su música. Con el tema 'Ain't Your Mama', Jennifer defiende la imagen de la mujer hispana poderosa, fuerte e independiente frente a su oponente masculino. A pesar de en esta canción no usa el español, como ya lo había hecho anteriormente, por ejemplo, en su tema 'Dinero', el hecho de que la canción esta puesta en la boca de una mujer “orgullosamente latina” ya hace que sea potente en sí misma. Por lo tanto, es evidente que la música de Jennifer rinde homenaje a su origen español y que a la vez es un producto de sus raíces hispanas. La propia Jennifer ratifica todo esto, ya que en una entrevista de 2017 Jennifer dice que 'volver a mis raíces tiene un significado que va más allá de las palabras'.

Jennifer López Jennifer Lopez was born in1969 in New York City. The American dream paid true to her with both onscreen successes following her starring role in the film Selena and musical accomplishment. Whilst stars such as Taylor Swift and Katie Perry devoting their musical attention towards heart break, Jennifer founded her brand on her identity. Classifying herself as a Latina woman, as she had parents of Puerto Rican descent, her origins play great significance in her music, for example, as seen in her 2002 hit ‘Jenny From the Block’. Her more recent single, ‘Ain’t Your Mama’ released in 2016, cemented and continues to cement her culture as an integral part of her music. What’s more is that in ‘Ain’t Your Mama’, Jennifer redefines the position of the Hispanic woman as powerful, strong and independent of their male counter part. Even though she doesn’t use Spanish in her song as she does in e.g. ‘Dinero’, the fact that the song comes from the mouth of a proudly Latina woman is powerful in itself. Therefore, it is evident that Jennifer’s music pays tribute to, and is a result of, her Spanish background. Jennifer takes ownership of this as in a 2017 interview Jennifer says ‘to come back to my roots has a significance that goes beyond words’.

El Flamenco El Flamenco es un género musical tradicional español que se manifiesta a través de la canción, el baile y la música instrumental. Sus raíces exactas son un poco misteriosas puesto que mucho de lo que se sabe del flamenco se ha transmitido a través de narraciones orales como podrían ser los cuentos familiares. Se piensa que se originó en Andalucía, y que es el resultado de la adaptación y mezcla de varias influencias; árabes, cristianas, judías y gitanas. Todos estos pueblos en algún momento, se establecieron en España trayendo su propia cultura musical la cual moldeó la ya existe en España y terminó conformando este famoso género musical Los inmigrantes llegaron con sus propios instrumentos musicales, tales como panderetas, campanas y castañuelas de madera, a la vez que un repertorio extenso de canciones y bailes. Esta interacción entre diferentes culturas, se prolongó a lo largo de siglos y es lo que finalmente produjo esta la manifestación artística única conocida hoy en día como el Flamenco. Hay cuatro manifestaciones principales del flamenco; “el cante’ (voz o canción), ‘ el baile’, ‘el toque’ (guitarra), y ‘el jaleo’, este último es un término que refiere a los aplausos de manos, los taconeos y los gritos de ánimo. La canción, o ‘cante’, es la parte de más tradición dentro del flamenco, y siempre acompaña a la baile. Hay tres tipos de canciones flamencas o “compases” – “el cante jondo’, ‘el cante intermedio/flamenco’ y ‘el cante chico’. Cada estilo de cante expresa diferentes tipos de emociones; el ‘cante jondo’ trata de los temas de la desesperación, la angustia y la muerte. Sin embargo, otras los otros dos cantes son más desenfadados y tienen un ritmo menos complejo, a menudo incluyendo elementos de otros estilos de música española, como el fandango. Estos últimos evocan emociones como el amor o la alegría, y se hicieron más populares a principios del siglo XX.

Flamenco

Flamenco is a Spanish musical tradition in the form of song, dance and instrumental. Much about what is known about flamenco is due to oral story telling in families, hence its exact roots are slightly mysterious. It is thought to have originated in Andalusia, but adapted by a mixture of influences from Arabs, Christians, Jews and Gypsies, who at some point all settled in Spain. When they were in Spain, their own cultural music shaped this very famous Spanish tradition. The migrants brought with them musical instruments, such as tambourines, bells, and wooden castanets, and an extensive repertoire of songs and dances. This interaction between different cultures, which lasted centuries, is what has produced the unique art form known as flamenco today. There are four main elements to the flamenco – ‘cante’ (voice or song), ‘baile’ (dance), ‘toque’ (guitar) and the ‘jaleo’, which is a term given to refer to the hand clapping, foot stomping and shouts of encouragement. The song, or ‘cante’, is the main part of the flamenco tradition, and always accompanies the traditional dance. There are three types of flamenco songs – ‘cante jondo’ (‘deep song’), ‘cante intermedio/flamenco’ (‘intermediate song’) and ‘cante chico’ (‘light song’). Each style of song expresses different types of emotions – the ‘cante jondo’ deals with themes of despair, anguish and death. However, the other two songs are much more light-hearted and have a less complex rhythm, often including elements of other Spanish music styles, such as the fandango. They evoke emotions such as love and joy, and became more popular in the early Twentieth Century.

Kulturskolan i Sverige

Har du någonsin undrat varfoer det finns så många svenska pop-artister? : Under 70-talet regerade ABBA; Robyn och The Cardigans tog 90-talet; och nuförtiden finns det inte en GenZer som inte har hört talas om Avicii, Zara Larsson eller Tove Lo. Musik är en av de storsta exporterna fran Sverige, och tillgängligheten av Kulturskolan är en av många förklarningar till detta fenomen. En organisation som tillåter barn att lära sig musik, dans, konst och film efter skoldagen är slut, kallas för Kulturskolan. Kulturskolan var etablerad i 1940, och finns nu i 278 av landets 290 kommuner (2009) för att förse en kulturell utbildning till barn, oberoende av ekonomisk eller social bakgrund. Avgifterna varierar sig fran kommun till kommun, men i Stockholm, till exempel, betalar man 300-750 kronor per termin för en kurs (som man väljer ur musik, dans, teater och konst). I Örebro betalar man 250 kronor per termin. Varje kommun finansierar Kulturskolan från deras egna budget. Det finns ingen central regerings finansiering. Trots detta sa har det förblivit en mycket prisvärd rikstäckande aktivitet. Kulturskolorna startades av regeringen i hoppet att barn kan utveckla sina kulturella och personliga identitet, oavsett om de vill bedriva konstnärliga karriärer i framtiden samt deras förmåga att betala. Fran och med nu är totala antalet av elever som är inskrivna på Kulturskolan 363,000 utav 4.6 million barnen som bor i Sverige, och för hoppningvis kommer detta att fortsätta att växa.

Sweden’s ‘School of Culture’

Have you ever wondered why there are so many Swedish pop artists? : ABBA ruled the 70s, Robyn and The Cardigans took the 90s, and these days it is hard to find a Gen-Zer who hasn’t heard of Avicii, Zara Larsson or Tove Lo. Music is one of Sweden’s biggest exports, and the availability of Kulturskolan (“The School of Culture”) is one of the many reasons for this phenomenon. Kulturskolan is an organisation which allows children to learn music, dance, art and film after school. This system was established in 1940, and now exists in 278 out of Sweden’s 290 municipalities (2009), with the intention of providing children with a cultural education, regardless of their economic or social backgrounds. The fees vary from one municipality to another, but in Stockholm, for example, one pays 300-750 Swedish Krona (around £24-£59) per term (20 weeks) for a course in either music, dance, theatre or art. In Örebro, one pays 250 Swedish Krona (around £20) per term. Each municipality funds Kulturskolan from their own budget- There is no central government funding. Despite this, it has proved a very affordable activity nationwide. Kulturskolan was started by the government in the hopes that children would be able to develop their cultural and personal identities, regardless of whether they want to pursue artistic careers in the future, as well as their financial circumstances. As of now, there are a total of 363,000 children enrolled in Kulturskolan out of the 4.6 million that live in Sweden; hopefully this number will only continue to grow.

Интервидение... враг Евровидения? Любить его или ненавидеть его все знают это - музыкальный конкурс : песни Евровидения (извините, чтобы напомнить вам плохие воспоминания, когда мы получали последние места!). Но знаете ли вы, что в Советском Союзе и в Восточноевропейских странах у был свой конкурс? Он назывался "Интервидения„ и был создан в 1977 году в Сопоте, Польша. Он был создан после того, как популярность "Евровидения„ распространилась на западе но странысоциалистический хотели отделиться от Запада. Восток против Запада "Интервидения„ была очень уникальным, и, я надеюсь что вы согласитесь с этим. Лучшая часть Интервидения была ее система скоринга. Если вам нравилась песня, вы включали свет во всех комнатах в вашем доме. Если вы ненавидели песню, вы выключали все. Почему? В коммунистических странах было трудно попытаться получить домашний телефон. Вы должны дать взятку или вы должны ждать в течение многих лет. Победителем стал человек, который вызвал самый большой прилив электричества. Восток и запад вместе Несмотря на «холодную войну», первой победительницей конкурса была Helena Vondráčková с песней, которая похожа на ABBA. Это свидетельствует, что в то время между Востоком и Западом существовал небольшой культурный разрыв. К сожалению, "Интервидения„ быстро потеряло интерес. Это может быть связано с независимостью Польши (солидарности), но и качество камеры и звука было, плохо и русские предпочитали смотреть фигурное катание . Попытка возрождения В 2009 году российский лидер Владимир Путин предложил возродить конкурс “Интервидения„ , выключи Россию, Китай и Центральную Азию. Конкурс планировалось начать в октябре 2014 года, из-за агрессии России из-за «морального упадка Запада», и особенно из-за победительницы Евровидения 2014 года, Conchita Wurst в платье женщины, конкурс отменил. Кроме того, на западе посчитали, что возрождение такого конкурса это часть «более широкой культурной дипломатии» Владимира Путина.

Intervision: the enemy of Eurovision?

Love it or hate it we all know the music competition the Eurovision Song Contest (sorry if this triggers bad memories concerning when we achieved last place!). But did you know that in the Soviet Union they had their own singing competition? It was called "Int ervision" and it was established in 1977 in Sopot, Poland. Intervision was created after the popularity of Eurovision spread across the Soviet Satellite states/ Iron Curtain, against the USSR’s wishes to separate from the West. East vs West "Intervision" was very unique, perhaps even quirky, and regarding this I hope you will agree with me, the best part of Intervision was its scoring system. It follows: if you liked the song, you switched on all the lights in your house. If you hated the song, you turned them all off. Why? Well in communist countries it was difficult to try to get a landline telephone. You had to join a bribery system or you would be forced to stay on a waiting list for years. Amusingly, the winner was the singer who caused the biggest power surge. East and West together Despite the Cold War ensuing, the first winner of the competition was Helena Vondráčková who sang a song which has been noted as remarkably similar to the style of ABBA. This provides evidence that at that time there was only a small cultural gap between East and West. Unfortunately, "Intervision" quickly lost the interest of its Soviet audience. Some believe this was due to the independence of Poland gained by the solidarity movement, but the combination of the poor quality of the camera and sound that the Russians prefered to watch figure skating with is also a safe bet. Attempted revival In 2009 the Russian leader Vladamir Putin proposed the revival of the competition “Intervision” that would include Russia, China and Central Asian post-Soviet states. The contest was planned to start again in October 2014 due to Russian anger at the "moral decay of the West" especially due to the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest winner Conchita Wurst. Moreover, the revival is seen as part of Vladimir Putin's "broader cultural diplomacy agenda".

La música española según las regiones En la última década ha habido un aumento en lo que se conoce como “música española” en toda la zona Oeste del mundo. Esto se refleja en un mayor uso de la lengua española dentro de la Cultura Pop como vemos en la popular canción de Luis Fonsi 'Despacito'. Se cree equivocadamente que el principal estilo de la música que reina en España es el flamenco y su uso de la guitarra. Sin embargo, la música española varía a lo largo de todo el país dependiendo de las regiones o áreas. En el País Vasco, la música tiene un estilo más distintivo puesto que se había creado para preservar su independencia. La música vasca, y en general la mayoría de la música del país se preservo durante la dictadura de Franco a través de reuniones clandestinas y otras medidas secretas, logrando mantenerse fuerte. En esta zona, la música se basa principalmente en el sonido del acordeón y se acompaña de numeroso baile. Otra de las áreas clave de la distinción musical es en Valencia, donde surgió” el bacalao”. Este estilo nace durante la década de 1980 y se extiende por numerosos clubes y bares. Aunque este tipo de música se ha extinguido recientemente, todavía pervive el intento de conservarla, algunos de los clubes de esta región que se dedican a “pinchar “de nuevo esta música tan popular. “La Jota” surgió en Aragón e incluye instrumentos como castañuelas, guitarras, bandurrias, panderetas y flautas. Además, en Aragón podemos ver un tipo específico de gaita llamada “sin gasa de boto” que se utiliza regularmente en la música más tradicional. Aunque la Jota tiene sus raíces en Aragón, también se puede escuchar en la zona Extremadura, donde convive junto con la música portuguesa. En general, sólo con mirar algunas zonas de España se puede ver la clara distinción que existe entre la música de todo el país y cómo cada tipo de música tiene un significado diferente. Aunque cada área todavía tiene su propio tipo de música, debido a la influencia cada vez mayor de la industria de la music pop, estos tipos tradicionales de música están empezando a desaparecer.

Spanish music according to the regions Over the past decade, there has been a rise in the what is known as Spanish music across the western world. This can be seen through the increased use of the Spanish language within pop culture for example Louis Fonsiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Despacitoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. However a common misconception is that the main style of music across the whole of Spain is flamenco and the use of the guitar. Instead, Spanish music varies across the whole country, with different regions or areas having a distinct style of music. In the Basque country, they have their own more distinctive style of music which had been created in order to preserve their independence. Although their music, and in general most music across the country, during the dictatorship of Franco, through underground meetings and other secretive measures, their music managed to stay strong. In this area, their music is mainly based around the accordion and is accompanied by lots of dancing. Another key areas of musical distinction is in Valencia where bacalao emerged. It emerged during the 1980s and was used in many clubs and bars. Although this type of music has died down recently, there is still an aim to preserve it as seen by specific clubs in this region dedicating themselves to restoring this once popular music. Jota emerged in Aragon and includes the castanets, guitar, bandurria, tambourines and flutes. Additionally seen in Aragon is a specific type of bagpipes called a gaita de boto which is regularly seen in their more traditional music. Although jota has its roots in Aragon, it has also been seen to be used in the Extremadura area alongside the Portuguese music seen there. Overall, through just looking at a few areas in Spain where the music differs, you can see the clear distinction of the music across the country and how each type of music has a different meaning. Although each areas still has their own distinct type of music, due to the ever increasing influence of the pop industry, these traditional types of music are beginning to die down.

Musik in Deutschland während des Kalten Krieges Nach dem Zweiten Welten Krieg wurden viele Länder in einen weiteren Krieg verwickelt – den Kalten Krieg – und er fand von etwa 1947 bis 1991 statt. Es war eine Zeit von steigenden geopolitischen Spannungen – Deutschland wurde in Ost und West geteilt. Der Westen war mit Amerika und Großbritannien verbündet, während der Osten mit der Sowjetunion verbunden war. Beide Seite dachten, dass die andere einen Atomkrieg planten, also gab es eine KONSTANTE Bedrohung für die Bürger – die Atomkrieggefahr. Die Berliner Mauer ist vielleicht das berühmteste Bild des Kalten Kriegs. Obwohl sie nur 1961, viele Jahre nach dem Anfang des Kalten Krieg gebaut wurde, war sie eine physikalische Repräsentation der Teilung zwischen Ost- und West Deutschland, und die zerbrechenden internationalen Beziehungen. Viele Musiker weltweit versuchten auf diese Politik mit ihrer Musik zu reagieren, wie „The Beatles“ und Bob Dylan. In diesem Artikel werde ich untersuchen, wie die Deutsche Musik ein Produkt ihrer Umgebung wurde, und wie Musik von dem Krieg betroffen wurde. ‚99 Luftballons‘ ist ein Popsong aus dem Jahre 1983, und die englische Version des Songs entwickelte sich ebenfalls zu einem internationalen Hit. Die Idee zum Lied kam den Band-Gitarristen Carlo Karges, der sich fragte, was wohl geschähe, wenn einige Ballons über die Grenze nach Ost-Berlin treiben. In diesem Lied zeigt die Band ihre Angst vor der Zukunft, wenn die Weltmächte weiterhin feindselig bleiben, und wenn die Leute so schnelle Schlussfolgerungen ziehen, um militärische Ziele zu erreichen. Es ist interessant, dass oberflächlich betrachtet das Lied frivol und fantastisch zu sein scheint, aber es ist ziemlich ähnlich dem realen Wettrüsten. Das Lied ist an sich eine kleine Friedensbewegung. Wahrend fortschrittliche Lieder wie dieses in West- Deutschland, England und Amerika geschrieben wurden, gab es in Ost-Deutschland eine sehr andere Atmosphäre. Der Staat hatte Angst, dass westliche Musik und Kultur traditionelle Deutsche Kultur infiltrieren würden. Um diesem zu widerstehen, versuchte die DDR ihre Bürger aufzuhalten, westliche Musik, die manchmal auf dem Radio gespielt wurde, zu hören. Dieser Versuch der Zensur von Musik illustriert, wie unterdrückend die DDR war.

Music in Germany during the Cold War

Not long after the end of the Second World War, many countries were embroiled in yet another war – The Cold War – which took place between the years. It was a time of growing geopolitical tension – Germany was divided into East and West, the West being allied with America and Britain, whilst the East were affiliates of the Soviet Union in Russia. Both sides had the belief that the other was planning a nuclear war, and so there was a constant pressure hanging over the citizens – the threat of an atomic war. Perhaps the most wellknown image of the cold war is the Berlin Wall. Although only erected part way into the war, it was a physical representation of the divide in Germany and the world. Many artists worldwide responded to this political turmoil with their music, including the Beatles and Bob Dylan. In this article I will take a look at how German music became a product of its environment, and how music was effected by the war. One of the most famous songs written during the Cold War, is the song ’99 Luftballons’ by the band Nena. In English the song was translated to ‘99 Red Balloons’ and you can see these balloons on the amazing German noticeboard outside the MFL department. The song was written in 1983 and it shortly became an international hit. The idea for the song came from the band guitarist Carlo Karges, who wondered what would happen if balloons were allowed to drift over into East Germany. It talks about how the 99 balloons which had drifted into the sky were mistaken for UFOS, leading a general to shoot at them. Neighbouring states “don’t get it” and feel “got at”. This is used as an excuse for forces to extend their military sphere of power and start a 99 year war. The consequence of this war is the end of humanity. In this song, the band are clearly showing their fears for the future of the world if military powers continue to be hostile, and if people are so quick to reach conclusions about military plans. It is interesting that on the surface the song seems to be fantastical and frivolous, but actually bears quite a close resemblance to the race for arms that was occurring during the cold war. While progressive songs like this were being written in West Germany, America and England, in the East, the state was afraid that Western music and culture would ‘infiltrate’ what was seen as ‘traditionally German’. In order to oppose this, the GDR tried to stop its citizens from listening to the western music that was sometimes played on the radio. This attempted censorship of music illustrates the more oppressive nature of the state.

Lisboa, menina e moça Lisboa, Menina e Moça é o nome de uma das músicas de fado mais famosas de sempre. O fado é um estilo musical português que pode ser associado com restaurantes ou bares. Poderá ter originado nos anos 1820, porém pode ter sido mais cedo. O Fado é frequentemente caracterizado pelos suas melodias e letras lamentosas; é reconhecido pela sua natureza expressiva e os seus tons melancólicos. Temas populares incluem as dificuldades e realidades do dia-a-dia dos mais pobres, guarnecido com sentimentos de resignação e esperança que haja uma solução para os tormentos que a vida traz. Estes sentimentos podem ser capturados, embora vagamente, pela palavra saudade – que carrega vivências de uma perda permanente e irreparável com consequências eternas. Interessantemente, as influências do Fado parecem ter-se estendido pelo mundo. A natureza imperialista da Idade dos Descobrimentos permitiu a certos aspetos do Fado a estarem presentes noutras culturas: por exemplo a Morna de Cabo Verde pode ser historicamente ligada ao Fado, contudo, também manteve a sua herança rítmica; ou até a Modinha brasileira ou a Kroncong da Indonésia, que contêm uma conexão com o proletariado marítimo português. O Fado tem dois estilos principais: o Fado de Lisboa e o de Coimbra. O Fado de Lisboa enraíza-se na marginalidade – muitas vezes encontrado em áreas frequentadas por marinheiros e prostitutas. A sua popularidade continua de vento em popa – mesmo apesar da censura da Ditadura Nacional (que mais tarde renomeou-se Estado Novo) em 1926, que causou mudanças copiosas a indústria do entretimento. Por causa do uso extenso do radio, Fado infiltrou-se nas casas das pessoas por todo o Portugal. Por outro lado, o Fado Coimbrense partilha ligações com as tradições académicas da universidade de Coimbra. Os fadistas e os músicos geralmente vestem trajes tradicionais académicos e cantam à noite no centro da cidade ou nas ruas. Algumas das maiores diferenças são que o estilo Coimbrense é só cantado por homens e normalmente as suas letras são mais direcionadas a encontrar esperança nos problemas diários, todavia, o estilo Lisboeta não depende no sexo do/s fadista/s e sugere rendição aos tormentos em vez de ver o lado bom das situações. Adicionalmente, o Fado de Lisboa depende mais em improvisação, e não em prática rigorosa.

Lisbon, girl, maiden

Lisbon, girl, maiden is the name of one of the most popular Fado songs of all time. Fado is a genre of Portuguese music and singing which could possibly be associated with restaurants or pubs, and is said to have originated in the 1820s, however it is possible for it to have emerged earlier. Fado is a form of music which is often characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics; it’s known for its expressive nature and melancholic tones. Popular motifs include the hardships and realities of the everyday life of the poor, doused with sentiments of both resignation and hopefulness that a solution for the torments that life brings will appear. These may be encapsulated, although loosely, by the Portuguese word “saudade” – which doesn’t quite have a translation, however roughly connotes longing, or a feeling of permanent, irreparable loss and its eternal consequences. Interestingly, Fado’s influences seem to have had quite a large breadth across the globe. The imperialistic nature of the Age of Discovery, enabled certain features of Fado to be present in other cultures: an example would be Morna from Cape Verde, which may be historically linked to Fado, however keeping its rhythmic heritage; or maybe even the Brazilian Modinha or the Indonesian Kroncong, which bear a connection to the maritime Portuguese proletariat. It’s possible to be said that Fado has two main styles: Lisbon-Fado and Coimbra-Fado. Lisbon-Fado roots itself in marginality – frequently finding itself in areas often attended by sailors and prostitutes. Its popularity remains today – despite the censorship of the Ditadura Nacional (which later became the Estado Novo) in 1926 which caused major changes to the entertaining industry. Due to radio, Fado nestled its way inside people’s homes across Portugal. On the other hand, Coimbra-Fado shares links with academic traditions of the University of Coimbra. The singers and players usually wear traditional academic attire and sing at night time in the city square or in the streets. Some of the main differences are that Coimbra-style is only sung by males and often is about finding hope in everyday struggles, while Lisbon-style isn’t dependent on gender and often suggests surrender to hardships rather than seeing silver linings, thus often appeals to the working class. Furthermore, Lisbon-style relies on improvisation instead of rehearsing before performances.

Deutsche Volksmusik Deutschland hat viele Regionen mit unterschiedlicher Volks- und Tanzgeschichte, zum Teil aufgrund seiner früheren Trennung in verschiedene Provinzen bis Ende des 19ten Jahrhunderts. Die deutsche Volksmusik galt bis vor kurzem als relativ uncool. Volksmusik war jedoch schon immer beliebt, vor allem in der DDR, wo sie als Symbol der Nationalität und des Stolzes galt und als Propagandainstrument benutzt wurde. In Ost- und Westdeutschland wurden den Schülern Volkslieder beigebracht, die fast keine Ähnlichkeit mit der traditionellen deutschen Volksmusik des 19. Jahrhunderts und früher hatten. Sie waren beliebte Lieder, glücklich und optimistisch. Doch nach den Wurzeln der amerikanischen und britischen Volkskünstler und ihrer musikalischen Revolution gegen verschiedene Politik ihrer jeweiligen Regierungen übernahmen viele deutsche Volksmusikkünstler die gleiche Führung. Sie fingen auch an, über realistischere Themen zu schreiben, über Freude und Traurigkeit, sowie Leidenschaft. In der strengeren DDR begann diese Revolution erst in den 1970er Jahren, und noch immer waren die revolutionären Worte kodiert. Die bekannteste deutsche Volksmusik außerhalb Deutschlands ist Bayern. Jodeln ist eines der bekanntesten Klischees deutscher Volkskünstler, findet sich aber heute nur noch in bestimmten Teilen Süddeutschlands. Zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts kam in Europa aufgrund der industriellen Revolution, die zur Popularität der bayerischen Volksmusik führte, die Angst vor dem Verlust von Traditionen und Kultur. So ist die bayerische Volksmusik, die wir heute hören, nicht die gleiche wie die des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts, die sich auf die Bewahrung der Tradition konzentrierte. Während des Zweiten Weltkrieges führte die Jugend der oberen Mittelschicht gegen Hitlers Herrschaft Swingtänze auf, die den Nazis besonders anstößig waren. Joseph Goebells engagierte schließlich arbeitslose Musiker, um modifizierte Versionen von Swing-Tänzen als Nazi-Propaganda zu verwenden, um diese Jugendlichen zu überzeugen, sich den Reihen der Nazis anzuschließen. Die deutsche Volksmusik hat eine bewegte Geschichte. Wir alle kennen Jodeln und verbinden es alle mit Deutschland. Noch heute beliebt, ist es eine der bekanntesten europäischen Formen der Volksmusik. Unabhängig davon, ob man deutsche Volksmusik liebt oder nicht, ist seine Popularität und Entwicklung im Laufe der Jahre nicht zu leugnen.

German Folk Music Germany has many regions with different folk and dance history, in part due to its former separation into various provinces and not having been a united country until the late 1800s. German folk music was considered to be relatively uncool until recently. However, folk music has always been popular, especially in East Germany where it was seen as being a symbol of nationality and pride and used as a tool for propaganda. In East and West Germany, schoolchildren were taught folk songs called “volkslieder”, which bore nearly no resemblance to the traditional German Folk Music of the 19th century and earlier. They were popular songs, happy and optimistic. However, following in the roots of the American and British folk artists and their musical revolution against various policies of their respective governments, many German Folk Music artists took the same lead. They also began writing about more realistic topics, of joy and sadness, as well as passion. In the stricter East Germany, this revolution didn’t begin until the 1970s, and still the revolutionary words were coded. The most famous German folk music outside of Germany is Bavaria. Yodelling is one of the most famous stereotypes of German folk artists, but is only found in certain parts of southern Germany today. In the beginning of the 20th century in Europe, there came to be a fear of loss of traditions and of culture, due to the industrial revolution, which led to the popularity of Bavarian Folk music. Thus, the Bavarian Folk music we hear today is not the same as that of the early 20th century, which was focused on safeguarding tradition. During the Second World War, the upper middle class youth against Hitler’s rule performed Swing dances, which were particularly offensive to the Nazis. Joseph Goebells eventually hired jobless musicians to use modified versions of Swing dances as Nazi propaganda in order to try and persuade these youths to join the ranks of the Nazis. German Folk music has a vibrant history. We all know yodelling and we all associate it with Germany. Still popular even today, it is one of the most widely known European forms of Folk music. Regardless of whether or not one enjoys German Folk music, there is no denying its popularity and evolution over the years.

Le colonne sonore di Ennio Morricone Nessuno è sicuro di quante colonne sonore ha scritto Ennio Morricone. La maggior parte della gente dice circa 400-500. Alcune delle sue colonne sonore più eccezionali erano scritto per film come: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Cinema Paradiso e The Hateful Eight (per cui ha vinto l’Oscar per la Migliore Colonna Sonora Originale). Morricone continua essere molto influente, e ha stabilito le prospettive di molti musicisti, compreso Hans Zimmer. Morricone ha uno stile distintamente giocoso e sperimentale che viene eseguito attraverso il suo approccio unico alla musica- usa spesso i suoni che non sono tradizionali nelle colonne sonori. Per esempio, ha usato gli ululati di coyote, le fruste e le chitarre di surf in alcune opere. Forse la sua partecipazione nel “Gruppo di Improvvisazione di Nuova Consonanza” (fondato in 1964) ha ispirato questi metodi- era un gruppo in cui le musiciste registrati usando i suoni non-musicali durante le improvvisazioni. Il fascino del lavoro di Ennio Morricone deriva dalla sua determinazione non lasciare l’immaginazione e non “diventare alto”. La gente dice che ognuno senti la propria storia nella sua musica, e che i messaggi sono “di solito molto umile e personale”. Continua a spingere i confini della musica tradizionale nei film e è diventato una presenza riverita nel mondo del cinema e della musica.

The film scores of Ennio Morricone

No-one is sure how many film scores Ennio Morricone has written. Most say around 400-500. Some of his most outstanding scores were written for The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Cinema Paradiso and The Hateful Eight (for which he won the Oscar for Best Original Score). Greatly influential, Morricone has shaped the perspectives of many musicians scoring films, including Hans Zimmer. Morricone has a distinctly playful and experimental style, which is executed through his unique approach to music- he often utilises sounds which are not traditionally used in film scores. For example, he has used a coyote’s howls, cracking whips and surf guitars in certain works. Perhaps this was informed by his participation in the “Gruppo di Improvvisazione di Nuova Consonanza” founded in 1964- this was a group comprised of musicians who often recorded using non-musical sounds during improvisations. The charm of Ennio Morricone’s work stems from his determination not to lose a sense of imagination and not to “grow old”. People say that everyone hears their own story in his music, and that the messages within them are “usually very humble and personal.” He continues to push the boundaries of traditional film music and has become a greatly revered presence in the world of cinema and of music.

Bach’s Brawls

Bach ist für seine Sonaten und Suiten, besonders seine Violin Sonaten und Caritas und seine sechs Cello Suiten bekannt, aber ein Element seiner Musik, das nicht so bekannt ist, sind seine Streite mit Studenten. Was Bach unbekannt war, war die Tatsache, dass seine erste Stelle als Kirchenorganist in einer Kirche im Arnstadt beinhaltet, dass er einen Studentenchor und ein Student-Ensemble unterrichten musste, obwohl es nichts über eine Lehrtätigkeit im Vertrag gab. Aufgrund ihrer musikalischen Fehler und ihrer Unfähigkeit, den Anweisungen Bachs zu folgen, brach Chaos aus. Außerdem war Bach jünger als die meisten seiner Studenten und deshalb war es schwierig für ihn, eine Autoritätsfigur zu sein. Die Beziehung ist zunehmend schlechter geworden und im Nu wurde die Beziehung zwischen Bach und seinem Studenten Johann Geyersbach gewalttätig. Eines Abends kam Bach mit seiner Cousine Barbara Catharina auf den Marktplatz, wo er eine Gruppe von Studenten gesehen hat. Einer dieser Gruppe war Geyersbach, den Bach einen “Zimpfelfaggotist” gennant hatte und aufgrund dieser Beleidigung wollte Geyersbach Bach konfrontieren. Als Bach und Barbara Catharina über den Marktplatz gelaufen sind, hat Geyersbach sie eingeholt und er schwang einen großen Stock. Im folgenden gab es eine heftige Auseinandersetzung zwischen Bach und Geyersbach darum, ob Bach Geyersbach wirklich beleidigt hat und ob es möglich war, Beweise dafür zu erhalten. Geyersbach beschloss, dass keine Unterschied zwischen einer Beleidigung gegen ihn und seinem Fagott gab. Plötzlich entwickelt der Streit mit Wörtern zu Gewalt als Geyersbach schrie: “Du Mistkerl!” und dann hat er mit seinem Stock Bach immer wieder geschlagen. Nichtsdestotrotz hatte Bach einen Finnendolch, weil er oft viele Streitereien hatte und deswegen schlug Geyersbach Bach zu Boden. Die Schlägerei herrschte, bis das Paar von anderen Studenten getrennt wurde, aber niemand war schwer verletzt. Dieser Streit hatte keine deutliche negative Auswirkung auf die Karriere von Bach und es ist sehr wahrscheinlich, dass Geyersbach wirklich ein “ „Zimpfelfaggotist“ war - es gibt einen Grund dafür, warum wir nichts über sein Fagottspielen hören.

Bach’s Brawls Bach is well known for his Sonatas and Suites, in particular his Violin Sonatas and Caritas and his six Cello suites but an element of his music, which is not so well known, is his arguments with students. Unbeknownst to Bach, his first job as a Church Organist in a church in Arnstadt required him to teach a student choir even though there was no mention of teaching in his contract. Due to their musical mistakes and their inability to follow Bach’s instructions, chaos ensured. In addition to this, Bach was younger than most of his students so it was difficult for him to be an authority figure. Their relationship deteriorated and in an instant, the relationship between Bach and his student Johann Geyersbach became violent. One night, Bach came into the town square with his cousin Barbara Catharina and saw a group of students. One of these students was Geyersbach, whom Bach called a “nanny-goat-bassoonist” and as a result of this insult, Geyersbach wanted to confront Bach. When Bach and Barbara were walking through the Town Square, Geyersbach caught up to them and brandished a large stick. What followed was a serious argument between Bach and Geyersbach about whether Bach had really insulted Geyersbach and whether is was possible to prove whether Bach had insulted him. Geyersbach concluded that there was no distinction between himself and his bassoon. Suddenly the argument changed from words to physical violence as Geyersbach shouted “You dirty dog!” and then repeatedly beat Bach with the stick. Nevertheless, Bach had a pocketknife because he had many arguments and because of the pocket knife, Geyersbach struck Bach to the ground. The brawl continued until the pair were separated by other students but nobody was seriously hurt. This argument had no negative effects on Bach’s carrier and it is extremely possible that Geyersbach really was a “nanny-goat-bassoonist” - there is a reason why we do not hear about his bassoon playing!