sound voices

This weekend I boarded a bus to New York City (consequently leaving a Caribbean Carnival parade going on right outside my door) to take part in the world premiere of A Melancholy Beauty, an oratorio commissioned to commemorate the story of how the Bulgarian people rose up against their government to save 49,000 members of their Jewish population during the Holocaust. The number of musicians involved in the production was massive — over 300 people spanning across four choirs, three vocal soloists, a symphony orchestra, and Bulgarian folk singers and instrumentalists from the Philip Kutev National Folklore Ensemble.

With such a large production, there was a lot of wait time until it was our turn to play, so gadulka player Hristina Beleva and tambura player Petar Milanov entertained us backstage with a combination of folk and jazz tunes from their repertoire.

Conversations with members of the Koutev ensemble were of varying success, given that I don’t know a single word of Bulgarian, but the tambura player let me try out his instrument (or, more accurately, he enthusiastically thrust it into my hands, exclaiming, “here, try it!”). It was fun, but let’s just say that it’s a good thing people hire me to play the viola and not the tambura.

Hi! This blog has been in hibernation for about a year now, and I figured that the Summer Solstice is as good a time as any to wake it back up. Today is also National Aboriginal Day in Canada, celebrating the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. In honor of their rich culture, here’s a small sampling of their musical heritage:

First up is a Round Dance Song from the Northern Cree. The way these guys use their voices is amazing, and in case you need help with the translation, they start singing in English at around 1:30.

Speaking of using the human voice in a unique way, another common tradition is throat singing. As described in the video, the women would use this type of singing as a game to amuse themselves while the men were off hunting. The two women face each other and see who can go the longest without laughing.

You can hear and read about more Inuit music (including an Inuktitut language version of 99 Red Balloons), at this comprehensive Inuit Circumpolar Music blog.

Another primary aboriginal group contributing to Canada’s traditional music are the Métis, a group whose origins can be traced back the marriages between European fur traders and First Nations and Inuit women. The Métis fiddlers have a very percussive and rhythmic style of playing, and fiddlers often use involved patterns of foot tapping to accompany their tunes.

Click here to hear the song without commentary.