In the video called Ondekoza (Taiko Drummers of Mt. Fuji), my first impression of the performance was that it seemed to be a traditional drumming ensemble by just looking at the Japanese drums, and the traditional clothing of the players. However, the drumming style of the video was a slightly strange, because usually ancient and traditional music would consider focusing on Japanese traditional values, religion, stories, or ethnicity. Nevertheless, there was a one scene where a drum player wearing an underwear showing his hips was playing the big drum when suddenly another a man came out with a European bottle of wine or Champagne and was drinking and spitting around on the other drummer’s back. It was very foreign and odd that both men represent something not Japanese like the man came out with a European bottle and the other drummer wearing an underwear that show his hips in a Japanese setting. To figure if the Ondekoza performance is a traditional concert, I had to read an article called “Drumming from Screen to Stage: Ondekoza's Ōdaiko and the Reimaging of …show more content…
One of them was Honma Masahiko, a local historian and teacher on the island of Sabo which he helped Den to grasp some ideas and thoughts by a different performance in the region- Sabo Ondeko (demon drumming) which inspired Den to create the ensemble Ondekoza. Another person was Miyamoto Tsuneichi who was a native ethnologist and inspired Den through a book called “The People Who Live on the Sea” which is about the Japanese culture and its people. Miyamoto later financially helped to organize Den’s Ondekoza and building a Summer School of learning the Odaiko on the island of Sabo in 1970. Later on, the ensemble Ondekoza was aided and documented by another Den’s older friend name Shinoda Masahiro, who became the first director documenting
“Stripping the Emperor: The Africanist Presence in American Concert Dance”, and excerpt from Moving History/Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader, was written by Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Gottschild is a well-known author, dance historian, performer, and choreographer as well as a professor of dance studies at Temple University. She has also written multiple books including The Black Dancer Body, Waltzing in the Dark, and Digging. In her article “Stripping the Emperor: The Africanist Presence in American Concert Dance”, Gottschild explores the similarities and differences in the characteristics of Africanist and European technique, and how they draw from each other.
And I had to think, as they danced and sang, what would an American culture show look like? And then, what would a white American culture show look like? You could, to some extent, put on a black American culture show with rap, jazz, and blues. And you could, in some sense, do a Hispanic American culture show using the sort of Passion play we saw in the video (though that might be in bad taste; although the Indian dances and the Japanese taiko drums were originally religious, too). But it would seem more pretentious and racist than anything to start putting together a European American culture show with traditional music like Beethoven or whoever. And maypoles and whatever festivals were held in the Old Country haven’t got any connection to modern Americans. Religious traditions are really no good, we’ve got Gregorian chant, not dancing. But I really think “white” culture is ultimately indistinguishable in that sense. Maybe you could point to certain outlooks on life (the boogeyman individualism) but there’s nothing that presents a visible connection in the same
Given that this “visit” was more like a virtual experience, I was still able to access a couple of my senses, just as if I was at the actual exhibition. Through the use of anecdotes and detailed images, I am able to see all of the personal experiences an individual had while practicing a particular dance and what it meant to them. In this exhibition, there are ten different dances displayed, including the: Yup´ik Yurapiaq and the Quyana (Thank You) Song Dance, Yakama Girl’s Fancy Shawl Dance, Cubeo Óyne Dance, Yoreme Pajko’ora Dance, Mapuche Mütrüm Purun, Tlingit Ku.éex ' Entrance Dance, Lakota Men’s Northern Traditional Dance, Seminole Stomp Dance, Hopi Butterfly Dance, and finally, Quechua Danza de Tijeras (Scissor Dance). All parts of the exhibit were insightful, but the two that sparked my interest the most were the Yup´ik Yurapiaq and the Quyana (Thank You) Song Dance and the Quechua Danza de Tijeras (Scissor Dance).
In the beginning, many native americans were killed, while Omaamikwe was guided by a spirit. Protecting Omaamikwe was the spirit’s task and succeeded. Then, after some time a drum came to Omaamikwe which was the big drum. Omaamikwe was instructed on all the songs and eventually the big drum society was formed. Today the big drum is a powwow drum which is very social to the people. The drum’s purpose is to bring people together at a powwow. Which is a gathering of people to celebrate their heritage. The arrival of the drum allowed people to communicate with spirits and was vital to their own spirituality. Such vitals were pleasure, healing, hunting, war, and ceremony to ensure the spirits were with them. A sound of thunder comes from the drum
Once we arrived at the event, Dawn Hemmingway started by making a few opening statements. Dawn’s opening statements were then followed by members of the Khast’an Drummers. There were four Lheidli T’enneh peoples drumming in total and they performed multiple songs. These songs had various different meanings and incorporated their values and culture. The general theme of their songs had quite somber and touching meanings due to the matter at hand. This was the first time I had witnessed the Lheidli T’enneh people perform. It was a very special moment for me, I felt honored to have witnessed them share their culture with everyone in the room.
This is a performance that is intentionally popular that has a sentimental value. The audience for this performance has a small market by the cause of favor and approval by their audience. The market is small because this is not a normally tradition so only a certain audience would know about it.
The stage travels, and outbursts, many swirling, dazzling colors, followed by a stampede of footwork accompanying the sound of the mariachi. Envision it. Mesmerizing isn't it?
The most interesting part that I found was the dancing part. The Native Indian are always good at express their emotion through the dancing. Every tribe has they own way to express the reverence for natural, the delight of hunting and the desire of victory. These wonderful conversations between the Manitou and people, has formed the special art in the Native American. Certainly, there are music accompany with dances, and the instrument are contain spiritual symbol as well. For instance, drum plays an important role in the Powwow. The article “Without the drum, there would be no Powwow” mention that “ Our drum has character, we have that powwow spirit, and people dance.” Drum is not only represent the core of Native people faith, but also is the heartbeat of the creator. Powwow drum are often make by circle, because circle stands for lifecycle. People surrounding and beat the drum, like the life turning and returning.
They dance to the sound of the drums and sing topical songs more often than not rather obscene” (gurtong.net).
In chapter ten, author Bruno Nettle takes the reader to the town of Browning, Montana, where he is about to witness a modern Native American ceremony. As he observes, he notices that only one-half of the people there are actual Native Americans. The rest are are white tourists and innocent observers just like himself. Eventually, somewhere around eighteen singing groups appear from different tribes and reservations. They will be summoning the dancers into what is known as the grand entry. Nettle notices that the overall style of the music remains the same among all of the different groups, or `drums.' People are able to interact by taking pictures, video and tape recording what goes on. In that
The drums are a vital aspect to the Native American culture; they understand the drum to be more than an instrument. In a web article written by Elisa Throp entitled, “The importance of drums to Native American culture”, Elisa says, “It is a Voice. It is a Heartbeat. It is a prayer to the Great Spirit. The Native American Drum is all of these things, and more.” The drums are what the
The concert I attended was called the Faculty and Student Recital, which took place in the Cisco Auditorium on April 11, 2017. The music that was on the program was mostly what is called “classical” music, as well as a Chinese Folk Song, an electronic composition, and variations on an Indian Tala. In the classical pieces, the instruments that were used were the violin, the piano, the cello, and the oboe. In the electronic composition, the computer was used to make music. In the Chinese Folk Song, the piccolo was used to imitate the unique timbre of a Chinese flute. In the Indian tala, drums from Ghana were used to imitate the rhythm and sound of Indian drums. The piano, the violin, the cello, and the piccolo all originate
In specifically, the community ceremonies on battles warriors where everyone comes together to watch the biggest fight of the year. As the author describes on Okonkwo's defeat of Amalinze the Cat, a great wrestler who was unbeaten for seven years, the music of the community illustrates the unity between their harmonic songs, “The drums beat and the flutes sang and the spectators held their breath” (Achebe, 1 pg). Achebe points out the excitement Umuofia experiences because the competition of the two warriors develops a commotion among the crowd due to the winning of Okonkwo. Thus, throughout the fight, the instruments perfectly portray the community’s atmosphere between these warriors. Their dynamic culture brings both the unity of villages and the combination of a woodwind and percussion instrument.
The concert started with Tim Sanchez playing the Oxycotten on the Marimba. Not only was this instrument a first time experience for me but the dynamics
A cultural event that I have attended in the past that has had a memorable affect on my life was a Native American Powwow. This event takes place every year, Thanksgiving weekend in Tucson, AZ. I arrived in the late afternoon, as the sun was going down. I remember seeing many different types of people, from tourists to the different Native American performers. The physical setting of this particular celebration was outside, and based around, one main circle. Drums were beating so loud, you could feel the pound inside your chest. Different activities were going on all around, such as dancers, vendors, and a huge variety of foods to choose from. The circular dancing arena is known as the arbor, this area is blessed before any of the events