Brandon Bernäl

Cultural Identity in Music: A Modern Electronic Composition Celebrating Cultural Heritage Brandon Bernäl and Daniel Pardo, D.M.A (Faculty Mentor) Department of Music, Marvin D. and June Samuel Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences Prairie View A & M University

Latin-American music is a manifestation of the cultural merge of European forms and harmony development, with the richness of African and Middle Eastern rhythms and the Far East's melodic treatment. This mixture of cultures resulted in the creation of new sounds and traditions in different geographical regions. This consideration goes beyond boundaries set by countries. In some instances, music styles are shared, as seen in Venezuela and Colombia's plains with Joropo and Musica Llanera, or the Andean music covering the mountain range from Chile and Bolivia, through Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. There are other cases where geographical divisions kept the development of music styles within a specific country, but with branches so distinct that they become recognizable to the trained ear. That is the case of music from Brazil, where within its large territory, Samba and Choro have evolved differently throughout the country. This composition aims to create a work for two instrumental voices, inspired by the joining of musical genres from several regions and countries in Latin America with a modern approach to harmony and sound design. To accomplish this, we use traditional composition and forms and electronic composition practices such as granular synthesis and sampling. This electronic Suite (collection of instrumental pieces) in seven movements (I. Overture, II. En Los Llanos, III. En Las Montañas, IV. En la Selva, V. En Las Islas, VI. En Un Mundo) represents our cultural identity vision beyond geographical and political boundaries, which constitutes a more global artistic oneness approach. For future research regarding Latin American music, an indepth look at regions influenced by these musical styles will be considered, investigating how cultures have either shifted and or inspired innovation for further evolution among Latin American Music.

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