PRIMITIVE MUSIC of the WORLD Selected and Edited by Henry Cowell

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PRIMITIVE MUSIC OF THE WORLD Selected and Edited by Henry Cowell

by Henry Cowell Usually, however, there are two, three, four or five different tones used in primitive melodies. Some peoples in different parts of the world live These tones seem to be built up in relation to under more primitive conditions than others, one another in two different ways; the most and in many cases their arts are beginning common is that the tones should be very close points. In the field of the art of sound there is together - a 1/2 step or closer, never more than a whole step. This means that the singer great variety to be found; no two people I s music is alike, and in some cases there is much com tenses or relaxes the vocal cords as little as plexity. In no case is it easy for an outsider to possible; instruments imitate the voice. The imitate, even when it seems very simple. other method of relationship seems to be de rived from instruments, and is the result of While all music may have had outside influence over-blowing on pipes, flutes, etc. From this at one time, we think of music as being primi is de.rived wide leaps, the octave, the fifth tive if no outside influence can be traced, or in and the fourth. These two ways are sometimes some cases where there is some influence from combined (as in cut #2 of flutes from New other primitive sources. Guinea).

Although radio, conventional recordings, mis More rarely one comes across beginnings of sionary-school singing, etc. tend to destroy harmony (a progression of two or more indigeneous music, it is still preserved in sounds together as in cut #3, choral singing many places (our own pueblo Indians, for ex from Malagasy) or counterpoint (two or more ample, preserve it deliberately against all out melodies at the same time, as i:n cut #4, side influences). two flutes from Panama).

In the study of the history of music there has Use of five different tones (a pentatonic scale) been much speculation about when music was brings the tonal usage of some primitive like thousands of years ago. peoples up to that of much folk music the world ovez; and some fine-art music. Now, thanks to records, we can near music played and sung by peoples who live now very much as their ancestors did in early SIDE I, Band 1: Murut Music of North Borneo times, little musical cases in which various sorts of ancient musics have been preserved, Timpun (chant) sung on the lansaran by at least in part, in living form. We can Muruts of the Semambu Tribe study the history of music laterally, as it actually exists now in various stages of Recorded by Ivan Polunin from Ethnic Folk development, instead of speculating about ways Library FE 4459, Murut Music of what it may have been in the past. North Borneo.

Early forms of music always contain rhythm, Men of the Semambu tribe of the Muruts chant from single, steady beats to complex drum together on a single tone. The pitch never ming on several drums. Among undeveloped varies, even when the chant and dance last all peoples rhythms are usually made by stamping, night. The percussion tone is made by the clapping, beating the thighs and later using lansaran. The floor of houses is flexible, clap sticks and finally drums. Cries from the the houses are high up on stilts. The lasaran voice are also used for rhythmical punctuation. is built up under the floor so that when the dancers step hard on the floor, it touches Most primitive music includes melody - a suc the lasaras and makes the percussion sound cession of tones - either sung or on instruments heard in the record. This dance step is imitating the voice. In some rare cases the uniform in rhythm, so that the lasar-an sounds voice (or voices singing together) uses only one an equal beat (beats all about equally loud) tone altogether (as in cut #1 from New Guinea), about what we would write down as a quarter yet this one tone is used expressively in dif note apart, or 1/4 meter. Thus both the ferent styles, as in singing lullabies, love pitch and the meter are as simple as it is songs, war-songs, laments, etc. possible to find. "Description of the monotone chant on the - the beginnings of rhythmical counter lansaran. Timpun, sung on the lansaran point. The drums are joined by a women by Muruts of the Semambu tribe from the and children's chorus, singing together in River on the Indonesian border. The tonal intervals of thirds, four thirds one crashing of the lansaran can be heard most after the other. This beginning of harmony clearly here. The dances will continue is also found in some African tribes. It this monotonous chant without a halt, all is thought that these harmonic choral through the night. " - 1. Polunin singing groups have not been influenced by Western harmony. At one part of this record a man speaks. This combination SIDE I, Band 2: Music of New Guinea of drum rhythm, choral singing and speak ing is common to many African and Malagasy Spirit-Flutes played by two men Wahgi tribes. The final Malagasy cut is of drum and Chimbu melodies ming only.

Recorded by (Rev. ) Louis J. Luzbetak, "Madagascar, lying off the east coast of S. V.D., Ph. D Africa, has a population of approximately four million, the majority of whom are Two men play each a tone, one after the from Malayo-Polynesian and Melanesian other, on a homemade flute. The flutes stock. Their customs are strongly related are of virtually the same pitch, but are to those of the Pacific archipelagoes, as microtonally separated. They continue is the language. Arab influence is pro to play in 4/4 meter, flute # 1 on beats one nounced in the island; Arabs having been and three, flute #2 on beat two, and both present there for some ten or twelve rest on beat four. They are soon joined centuries. The African mainland culture by a man's falsetto voice imitating a bird too has made its mark in subtle ways on cry a minor third below the flutes. Both Malagasy life. Originally brought to the flutes and the singer remain through Madagascar by Arab traders as slaves, out on their respective tones, without the Negroes were freed in 1877. Today change of pitch. the Masombiky people of the interior and the Makao on the western side retain much "The 'Spirit Flutes' used in initiation cere of their African tradition. The east coast monies. Middle Waghi and Chimbu of Africa appears to have been a major melodies. Recorded on a Magnecorder highway for the exchange of culture, with with high fidelity mic rophone. " - Rev. African, Indian, Arab, and Oceanic cultures Luzbetak playing one on the other through the cen turies. The Mahafaly, whose drumming is heard he re, are in the extreme south of SIDE I, Band 3: Music of New Guinea the island. " - From the notes to Folkways FE 4502 African and Afro-American drums. Spirit-Flutes played by four men Waghi and Chimbu melodies

Recorded by (Rev.) Louis J. Luzbetak, SIDE I, Bands 6 and 7: Music of Panama S. V. D., Ph. D. Cuna Indians, flute music played by two men Here there are four men playing flutes (all homemade), each playing only his one tone Recorded by Prof. Clyde Keeler as his turn for it comes. Flutes numbers # 1 and #2 are in medium low register, . Two players on homemade alto flutes im about a half-step apart, and at first they provise polyphony together. Each flute alternate. Later they are joined by another has several contiguous tones of breathy flute a minor third below flute #2, and the quality. The flutes are a fourth of fifth final flute is a fifth below this. In one pas apart, and the result reminds one of the sage the two highest flutes alternate, but period, tenth century or so, when in the with the medium-range flute coming in history of Western fine-art music organum between. was developing into early counterpoint.

See note above for Side I, Band 2. SIDE I, Band 4: Pygmies of the Ituri Forest

SIDE I, Bands 4 and 5: Music of Malagasy Elephant-Hunting Song

Band 4: a. Drumming for a ceremony Recorded by Colin M. Turnbull and Francis b. Singing for dancing S. Chapman from Ethnic Folkways Library FE 4483, Music of the Ituri Forest. Band 5: Drumming for Dancing Two groups of singers are divided antiphonal Recorded by William H. Willis, Jr. and ly, so that each group may be heard separate Gates Davison ly. The first group sings on G, A, B, and D; the second group (below) on D, E, overlapping on G and A. Although these groups sing Drums alone in fast 3/8 dance rhythms, separately, they frequently overlap, making joined by other drums in counter rhythms 2 counterpoint. The tone-quality is clear, the pitch very mouthpiece and producing either a single acc urate along overtone ratios. tone (by overblowing) or a tone a fourth below. He plays rhythmically, but the "Voices, split stick. BaMbuti. The real rhythm is not synchronized with either Pygmy music is only heard in the forest. the clapsticks or the singers; so he produces They have distinct types of song for dis not counter-rhythm, which must be coor tinct activities. A Hunting Song can be dinated, but heterorhythm, which is acci distinguished by scale and tec hnique from dental. Everyone agrees, however, on the a Honey Song, or from the songs of the silence at the end of verses, which are Elima or the Molima - the religious so similar, although some may be more rapid cieties of women and men. than othe r s .

Hunting songs may be sung when setting out A literal translation of texts is not usually in the morning , but more often in the evening, available, but here there is such a transla after a meal around the camp fire. The men tion. As is often the case, the text is not all eat together while the women and c hildren very helpful to outsiders: "Cloud wind eat outside their beehive-shaped huts. The blowing along that we very sorry here. forest all around is dark and silent, except for (stop) We people belonging that country we the crickets and frogs, and an occasional dis people song song. Song-song wind comes tant growl of some animal looking for a meal. up own five clouds. Flower set along on The circular camp is lit by a large fire in the water. " center, and a number of smaller fires, one outside each hut. The group of men in the "Portions of the Cloud chant in the Riredjing center are the main singers, but sometimes o language of far north-east Arnhem Land. the solo or even the chorus is passed around It is about the clouds which come from the the circle of huts in canon form - one group island of the Dead away to the east. The wind taking over a measure before the other finishes. blows them along, sometimes as fine flakes, Clapped sticks are used for accompaniment - sometimes like the seed which appears when either split at the end, or unsplit -- giving a grass or a flower-bud opens, and sometimes harder, hollow sound. as though they are sitting on the sea. It blows them around both sides of Bremer Is In this elephant-hunting song split sticks are. land, and after beating the water into waves, used to mark the time, and only the group of reaches the Riredjingo people, who came men and boys around the main fire sing. A from the place of the Cloud, and now feel couple of chords start them off, but then there sorrow for their old-time leader. is, as usual, a long warming-up period. The solo is taken up by two young hunters, over Most of the many verses end with a short lapping, taking over from each other the story recitative, that is, the singing continues of the hunt. The chorus, very hesitant and un without sticks or didjeridu. This usually certain to begin with, slowly gets under way, gives the key words of the verse. It is using the peculiar hooting tec hnique in which a feature of several types of chants in each singer has one particular note which he Arnhem Land. In the singing, too, it will hoots at the appropriate moment. Sometimes be noticed that in many instances no effort a singer will have two notes, and in this way is made to prevent the didjeridu and sticks a harmonic as well as a melodic pattern is from drowning out the voice. The latter passed around the circle. provides the authoritative background, and is essential, but can be sotto voce. This As the chorus takes shape the soloist tells his adds to the difficulty of following the words . simple story, occasionally breaking off to tell The general text commences: the others that they are putting up a pretty poor show, and he stands up and begins to dance . The chorus and the split stick continue without bulong-or dauwudon narong dang-urn change now, and the soloist, instead of singing, cloud (wind) blowing along that dances in the firelight and mimes the story of the elephant hunt. He ends this act with a ngalin bugu wema-linggan series of yodels of satisfaction." - Colin M. we very sorry here (stop) Turnbull jurong-ain nining-oin djinagoi we people belonging (that) country SIDE I, Band 9: Music of Australia ngali jurong-o djaruna bailma Cloud Chant from North-East Arnhem Land we people song song with Didjeridu, recorded by A. P. Elkin, from Ethnic Folkways Library FE 4439, laiang-ani burung-gali wata Tribal Music of Australia 'song' 'song' wind

narung-an ngaling-go bulbulwa A group of men sing together using a scale comes up own five clouds embracing only a few tones, in that manner, often found among primitive peoples, of morogan-ba njinan narong half-singing, half speaking. Rhythm is flower ---osetT along aided by clapsticks. The didjeridu, a wooden or bamboo long pipe is heard below ngoili gapul from time to time, the player using a 3 on water." - A. P . Elkin SIDE II, Bands 1, 2, 3: Ainu Music of SIDE II, Bands 6 and 7: Music from Malaya North Japan Temiar Dream Songs Recorded and annotated by Drs. Kyojiro Kondo and W.A. Murphy, J.D. Band 6: Alus (Spirit of the Tiger)

A man partly sings, partly speaks. A drum Band 7: Nose Flute Melody is heard, once a measure or so, a woman cries an occasional punctuation. In the Recorded by D. H. Noone for the Malaya Broad second song the style is very similar, but casting System, December, 1941, from Ethnic the sound varies back and forth from low to Folkways Library, FE 4460, Temiar Dream high. Sometimes the tones are of indefinite Songs from Malaya and the American Museum pitch, but conjunct. of Natural History in New York.

In the third song there is a male solo with a Band 6: chorus answering, mostly disjunct (partly on the first, fourth and fifth tones of our The Temiars of Malaya are famous for their scale). The tone quality is constricted, as trance music. One tribe member, a man, though the singer had a string tight about the submits to being put into a trance, produced throat. The Ainu are not like the Japanese by the other members singing, often with a we know, but belong to a tribe found by the single ground-bass tone, as well as the present Japanese when they came to Hokkaedo other tones of the trance-inducing tune. In Island. The constricted-throat tone quality, this record the man in trance dreams and however, may be found in traditional music sings in first person for the spirit of the all over Japan. tiger" we tigers are amazed and not a little frightened of the power of your people -- Band 1: you fell even the biggest trees. We leave you in peace and give you this song as a "A Hero Narrative poem. About a handsome token. " young man who lost his parents when he was a baby. He grows up, becomes a hero in battle and finds a beautiful girl. They marry "The hala Alus in the Ulu Nenggiri in Kelantan and he brings her back to his village where dreamed this song when he and his group were they live in happiness. During the song the felling trees and making a clearing for cultiva Ainus sit around a night time bonfire while tion. The spirit of the tiger gave him a song they are singing, and if the sun rises before because 'we tigers here are amazed and not a the song ends, the Ainus stop singing. " little frightened of the power of your people - - Dr. Murphy you fell even the biggest trees. We leave you in peace and give you this song as a token. ,II Band 2: D. H. Noone

"Another type of Hero Narrative poem. About Band 7: a young girl, daughter of a god, who comes down from the sky to become a human being. The next cut, also of Temiar Malayan music, This is a fairy princess type of tale, very is of the nose flute. Breath for the simple similar to the 'Sleeping Beauty' story." melody of the flute alone is supplied by the - Dr. Murphy nostrel, which must have a special nose piece fitting into the tone-producing part of Band 3: the flute.

"An Ainu drinking song sung at the climax SIDE II, Band 5: Music of the Eskimos of the 'Bear-Killing' ceremony. The Ainu chieftains dance and sing in a manner Girl's Game (Baker Lake) mimicking the wounded bear. Holding Angutnak and Matee short sticks or staffs banging them on the ground in tempo to the music. " Recorded by Laura Boulton, from Ethnic - Dr. Murphy Folkways Library FE 4444, Eskimo Music of Alaska and Hudson Bay

SIDE II, Band 4: Music of Malagasy Eskimo girls of Baker Lake playa secret game with the large tin pan of the prospector. Men's Chorus - Ceremonial Song One girl gives the rhythm by breathing hard in and out against the pan while another Recorded by William H. Willis, Jr. and whispers rhythmically and somewhat tonally Gates Davison. against the pan, telling about me one whom she loves. The pan resonates everything; Men's chorus in two-part counterpoint, with and while the pan is a fairly new addition, boys voices on high slower tones, making a the whispering game seems to be an old tra third par.t. The men's rapid rhythm is dition. emphasized by small drums and clapsticks. A minor pentatihic (five-tone) scale is used. "Eskimo children have innumerable games, D, F, G, A, C. some of them very ingenious. They have a native game with a little ball of sealskin; they see Notes to Side I, Bands 4 and 5 4 play at imitating the grownups -- hunting, fish- ing, archery, "graves" (when they put stones prospective husbands. The girls, often around the body of a child lying down), family with coaching and urging from their mothers, life (when they represent father, mother, and choose their partners for the dance from babies); they imitate the sounds of tools, like among the eligible young men, and it is the saw and the drill; they act out folk tales customary for the man to pay the girl for about animals. One of the cleverest games in the dance. The songs for this dance are volves putting the bones of animals together short and after a few repetitions it is usual in their proper places. for some leader to start another song. Thus the songs enchain themselves into fortuitous In the game in this recording two girls, about cycles which are not fixed and in which there 15 years old, placed a kettle-resonator on is no organic relationship between songs, the ground, bent down and whispered words the Squaw Dance, because of its social and into it. Their rhythmic aspirated breathing secular character, offers song-makers an imitated tools they had heard at the Hudson's opportunity in creative activity and original Bay trading post. " ity which is denied them in most of the cere - Laura Boulton monial music where great stress is pl~ed on accuracy of performance of chants as they were received from the gods. " SIDE III, Bands 1 and 2: Music of the - Willard Rhodes Navajo Indians

Band 1: Navajo Night Chant SIDE III, Band 3: Music of the Black Caribs of Honduras Band 2: Navajo Enemy Way Dance Ahorohani (work Song) - Women Singing Recorded by Willard Rhodes, from Ethnic Folkways Library, FE 4420, Music of the Recorded and annotated by Doris Stone, American Indians of the Southwest. from Ethnic Folkways Library, FE 4435, The Black Caribs of Honduras Navajo Night Chant The Black Caribs of Honduras are a mixture, A falsetto song on a five-tone scale, followed developing from the late seventeenth century by Navajo Enemy Way Song, sung by two men when they first became known, to the nine together, with tomtom on each beat, accented teenth century. There are two kinds of equally in 1"/4. There is a change in tempo Indians, negroes, and white men from Spain, later. France and England. They moved from St. Vincent and other smaller islands to the Band 1: coast of Honduras.

"The Yeibichai Songs, generally regarded as The present record is a working song in the most characteristic and attractive of which the melody is bounced about among Navajo Music, are unique in style. They are a number of women, who are building a readily recognized by their most obvious house. The thought of the words is that feature, the manner of singing, a technique "that man" (presumably a husband or lover), which alternates between the normal singing is not good to me, and doesn't want to build voice and an incredibly high falsetto or em a house. I have no brother or uncle (to ploys exclusively the falsetto as in the build for me, so we build ourselves). I example offered here. Other distinctive won't be good (to "that man "). stylistic features are the florid, melismatic character of the melodies which adhere in "AHOROHANI. Women singing. This is a their outline to the tones of the major Punta used as an ahorohani or working song, triad, the upward leaping intervals of a sixth in this case for house-building. Recorded or an octave, the formalized introduction at Cristales (Trujillo), Honduras. and coda with their insistent repetition of the tonic tone, the melodic weight given to the Marudunbadiwa luma dominant tone, certain rhythmic subtleties, No show we will to him and the accompaniment of the gourd rattle. " (We will not show him) - Willard Rhodes Maredutunu Mabunaditimuna Band 2: Not good with me Not build--he like house "The Enemy Way or War Dance, a chant (He's not good to me) He doesn't like to whose original function was the purification build a house} of those who had been defiled by contact Mati Mayoritetima with the enemy, is practiced today as a No brother No uncle I have curative ceremony for those whose sickness (I have no brother nor uncle) is believed to result from contact with non Navajos. The chief attraction of the cere Lun labunu muna mdny is the girls' dance, more commonly To build house known as the Squaw Dance. This dance serves a social function not unlike that 01" Maredutunu eieri luma the Debutante Ball or "coming-out" party Not good with me man for that in white society, for it is here that girls (I won't be good (for that man). " of marriageable age are brought to meet 5 - Doris Stone SIDE III, Band 4: Songs of Assam Band 6: a) Man Singing a love song (Kiriman ay kiriman) Abor Song No.3, Recorded in Mebo, b) Woman Singing a Lullaby Abor Hills, Assam, by the Dept. of (Sangel sa wata babae) Anthropology, Government of India Band 7: a) Flute Solo (Luntang) Assam is a small country which is north-east b) Drum Music (Tangkel) of India. The music, however, is quite separate from that of India, and sounds al Recorded and annotated by Jose Maceda, from most African in nature. Ethnic Folkways Library, FE 4536, The Music of the Magindanao in the Philippines. This record is of a ceremonial description of the Creation. It is sung by a male solo Although main parts of the Philippines have ist, answered by a male chorus, with a produced Western-style folk and fine-art 1/ 4 metal jangle. Along a minor five-tone music for hundreds of years, some of the scale (D, F, G, A, C) the following words far islands retain primitive ways of living are sung: "Long long ago Sedi was our first and music-making. This record shows (a) mother and it is she who started making all a man's love-song, (b) a woman singing a things for us. The entire world got liff! lullaby, (c) a flute playing alone, and (d) through her. This very ground of the village three high tuned drums in syncopated dance where we are living was previously without music. any green color. Then Sedi brought color from very high mountains and gave it to our "The Magindanao are a group of Moslems, pop earth and thus all tree leaves etc. have be ularly referred to in the Philippines as come green now". "Moros", a term first used by Spain in her contacts with the Islamic civilizations of North Africa. They live on the island of Min SIDE III, Band 5: Lappish Joik Songs from danao which is the biggest island (36,906 Northern Norway square miles, about the size of the state of Indiana) in the southern part of the Philippines. a) Song About a Man They inhabit the southwestern part of the is b) Song About a Cow land, at the mouth and up the Cotabato or Pulangi river of Cotabato province. This Recorded by Wolfgang Laade and Dieter river overflows almost yearly, and inundates Christensen in Finnmark, Norway, 1955, large tracks of coconut plantations, forests, from Ethnic Folkways Library, FM 4007, clearings, farm land, and swamps. There are Lappish Joik Songs from Northern Norway. altogether eight groups of Moslems on Min danao and the adjacent Sulu archipelago total Lapplanders' are famous for their "joiks", ling about 3.7 per cent of the entire Philippine songs without words which are made up to population. The Magindanao alone number describe a single living object - a person or about 155,162. an animal. It is said that they have no in struments (they had formerly a tambourine The musical instruments of the Magindanao like drum, but this is now obsolete), no are gongs, boat lutes, drums, ring and lip dances, and no choral singing. valley flutes, jew's harps, bamboo zithers, suspended percussion beams, scrapers, and Joiks are short and individual. Without slit drums. Vocal music is made up of epics, using words, they deliniate the character religious chants, love songs, lullabies, child of the person or animal sung about. vendor's tunes, and a virtuoso type of whist ling. " On this record, the first joik is sung by a - Jose Maceda man about a man. The second joik is sung by a woman about a cow.

a) "Daniel Aslaksen Sara: SIDE IV, Band 1: Folk Music of the Western Masculine melody, about 65 years old. Congo The melody is built on only three tones of the pentatonic scale." a) Bapende Chorus - Wolfgang Laslit drum is used - this is a or bamboo strips mounted on a flat piece of single drum which is made from a slit hollow wood, which is sometimes hollowed to form log, with the lips about a minor third apart in a sound chamber. The keys are plucked with pitch. Cut b shows a rapid and intricate dance the thumbs -- and the instrument is therefore rhythm. Cut c is of the talking drum. The on occasion referred to by non-Africans as a dialect is inflected, and the drum simply imi "thumb piano." Sometimes the sansa is tates the ups and downs of speech of the words played against a gourd or calabash, which pro which would have the given meaning. vides a sound chamber. In the West Congo the sansa is frequently played when one is alone, a) BAPENDE WORK SONG: "Male voices. usually in the evening. The player sings or This song is sung during a building of a hums to himself, accompanying himself on the house for the Chief. The Bapende men sansa. The sansa is also used to break the cut down the trees in the forest and carry monotony when one is walking on long trips. the timbers to the village. There they dig holes in the earth in which they set the up b) BAPENDE XYLOPHONE: "The Bapende rights. The various timbers are tied to xylophone is typical of We-st Africa. It gether with vines, and the roof is covered consists of a number of flat wooden pieces with dry straw. This ends the work of the mounted in parallel. These pieces are beaten men. Then the women take over. They with sticks with gummed heads. Underneath plaster the outside of the walls with mud. each key is a hollowed gourd which acts as When the mud is dry the walls are solid an individual sounding chamber. The gourds and strong. are of different size, according to the tone of the wooden keys. On some occasions two The people of the village are under the men will sit on opposite sides of the xylophone command of the Chief, who is the judge in to play together. More often each man plays differences arising among the villagers. a separate instrument. " The Chief determines when there shall - Rev. Verwilghen be a communal hunt and in the name of the clan holds the land which is the com mon property of all. And he is responsible SIDE IV, Band 3: East Indian Music in for maintaining the peace and supporting Trinidad the traditions of the ancestors." - Rev. Verwilghen Religious Music, recorded by Babs Brown

b) BAMBALA DRUMMING: "Single drum. Living in the island of Trinidad are a large This is the beginning portion of a drumming group descended from people from India. session. Later other drums join in. " Through many generations this group has - Rev. Verwilghen preserved its own music, which, of course, is unlike that of the other peoples of Trini c) BAMBALA TALKING DRUM: "This is dad. The tone-quality of the voices is the Chief playing upon his little slit-log Indian, and so are the drums and the rhy signal drum to close the day's tribunal. thms on them. The drum tones are actually stylized simu lation of words, which are understood by This music, however, unlike that of any those of the tribe who hear. " other part of this collection, seems to - Rev. Verwilghen have deteriorated from music which was once far more highly cultivated. It con tains vestiges of raga, a highly organized SIDE IV, Band 2: Folk Music of the Western melodic system of India, and of tala, the Congo Indian rhythmic cultivated way; but in spite of flashes of dexterity on the tabla drum, a) Sansa and Chorus, Bapende the man who sings solo, the men who sing b) Xylophone played by two men, Bapende in chorus in answer, and the player on the two tuned drums have allowed their Recorded by Rev. Leo A. Verwilghen, from version of Indian music to slide from its Ethnic Folkways Library, FE 4427, Folk original great culture to a folk music Music of the Western Congo. bordering on the primitive.

On cut (a) the voices give rhythmical verse "Reflecting facets of East Indian Life in and answer, while the instrument known as Trinidad. " a sansa is played. The sansa is played all - Babs Brown over middle and southern Africa. It consists of little metal or bamboo strips standing out in different tuned lengths from a bar and SIDE IV, Bands 4, 5, 6: Music of Turkmen bridge. These ringing plucked thorns are played by the thumbs of both hands. The Band 4: Male Solo final cut is of a xylophone - tuned hard-wood Band 5: Flute Solo blocks set over resonating gourds. Here two Band 6: Male Solo players divide the instrument, and play three or four tones each, in improvised counterpoint. The music of Turkmen has much variety, and has been subjected to many outside influences; a) BAPENDE SANSAS: "Two sansas. The so in spite of the simple lives of the people sansa is an instrument known throughout the 7 who made these records it might be more appropriate to classify the result as folk sprinkled liberally throughout this collec rather than primitive music. tion.

In the first cut a tenor sings high, using a full mode, and singing some glottal trills SIDE IV, Band 10: Music of the Andes characteristic of old Persian music. The second cut is of a mountain flute alone. Boru Flute Solo This sort of homemade flute with a few holes may be found the world over among peoples Recorded by William E. Carter on The Island who are developing from primitive toward of the Sun folk music. The third cut is of another lower man's voice in the same general style as the An Indean Indian plays the boru flute, with a first tenor. low, slightly breathy tone a little like an Irish "potato" (ocarina). The scale used is five-tone, the same one used by small flutes SInE IV, Band 7: Music of Ceylon (guenas) and voices in the Andes since pre Columbian times. Vedda Tribe

Ceremonial Song SIDE IV, Band 11: Music of New Zealand

The Veddas of Ceylon have some of the world's Maori Song with Chorus - Haka of Wairangi most primitive music, which was among the first to be recorded and studied by the world Recorded by New Zealand Broadcasting famous musicologist Dr. Erich von Hornbostel. Service in cooperation with the Maori Affairs Dept. The present cut shows a drum playing dance rhythms, which change quite often as the All through the world there are examples of nature of the dance changes. With the drum drumming and other percussion music with (one can hardly tell which is more important) rhythm but no melody. Much rarer are is a male voice singing melodies using only a examples of choral speaking with rhythm few tones, in the style, known all over the but no melody except the natural inflexions world in primitive music, in which the tone of speech. The Maoris of New Zealand, quality includes some timbre of speech as however, are famous for many such examples. well as change of pitch on tones. Although The music is rich with feeling, and well the melodies use but few tones, however, varied. they change as the rhythms change.

In the present record, Haka of Wairangi, a SIDE IV, Band 8: Music of Angola solo man speaks in rhythm and somewhat exaggerated inflexion, answered by a chorus Festivity which speaks together in rhythm. There is alternation of solo and chorus. The chorus Recorded by Dr. A. Laszlo sometimes punctuates with rhythmical yells. A drumming percussion sound is added, and Among primitive peoples there are many occa rises with the speakers toward the final climax. sions in which everyone joins in singing, danc ing, drumming, and having a good time in "HAKA OF WAIRANGI. A haka composed general. People join in when they feel like it, many years ago by four brothers, including and drop out when they are tired, only to come one by the name of Wairangi. Wairangi's back in when they feel rested. The festive wife was held captive in a Maori village, occasion goes on and on - all day, perhaps all and the four brothers and their followers night. made a seemingly peaceable visit in an en deavour to have her released. During the night this haka was composed, and on the The present record is taken from the middle of such a festivity. following morning it was performed on the tribal marae, or courtyard, for the approval of the villagers. It was led by each brother in turn, and towards the end of the haka certain words were used as a signal to the SIDE IV, Band 9: Music of Panama haka certain words were used as a signal to the visitors, who thereupon sprang up and Male Solo successfully fell upon their hosts. This was regarded as a just retribution, as the villagers Recorded by Prof. Clyde Keeler had planned a treacherous attack on Wairangi and his people. " Here a man with primitive tone sings a - Ulric Williams melody consisting of only two tones, a galf-step apart. This is the next step from the first cut heard in this album, in which only one tone is sung. Melodies LnIIO IN U.S.A. ~15. of only one or only two tones are hard to find, and the conditions under which they appear are disappearing rapidly. Melodies using three or more tones, however, are B