PRIMITIVE MUSIC of the WORLD Selected and Edited by Henry Cowell

ETHNIC FOLKWAYS LIBRARY Album # FE 4581 ©1962 by Folkways Records & Service Corp., 121 W. 47th St. NYC USA 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.

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