One song that is closely associated with my ethnicity is the Hebrew song of “Hatikvah,” meaning “hope.” Hatikvah was written as a poem in the 19th century by poet Naftali Herz Imber, and is therefore associated with the Romantic period. This song is the official national anthem for the State of Israel, as well as the anthem of the Zonist movement, and it’s all about the longing of the Jewish people to return to their homeland. The song was originally written in Romania, however, only the first line from the original poem was kept for what today is the national anthem for the Jewish people. The state of Israel was established in 1948, and this was a huge milestone for the Jewish people as they had no homeland to go to at that time. During WWII, many Jews had no place to go to, as most countries didn’t want them in their land. The Bible established Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, and this song talks about their hope that was not lost for over 2,000 years. The song emphasises the dream of the Jewish people to be a free nation in their own homeland. One musical characteristic that stood out to me was definitely the tempo, as the song is very slow and holds a mystical tune, including a lot of disjunct throughout the song. These characteristics make the song more meaningful and is appropriate for an anthem expressing deep longing. I wouldn’t say this song became part of pop culture that we have today, as Jewish people who are specifically living in the land of Israel have modern, secular Hebrew pop music. This piece is very much still tied to my ethnicity, as it is and always will be the national anthem of my people, expressing our desire to all unite in our home land.

My mother is Brazilian and I grew up listening to all types of genres of Brazilian music. One of my favorites is Sertanejo, I call this the broken heart genre. The instruments used are usually an acoustic guitar, the accordion, sometimes keyboard/synth and a drum set. It falls in what into the category of modern-day pop/country. They became pretty popular in the 90s-2000s, its popularity now rises as a majority of the Brazilian population enjoys this music, it is commonly played on the radio and Brazilian novelas. It is very versatile, Sertanejo can sound like so many genres and even be mixed at the same time while still falling into the category of the genre. Typically you wouldn’t think an accordion would be heard in day to day pop music but it falls so perfectly into this genre. This music is for everyone, everyone feels heartbreak, everyone has feelings and can relate to the lyrics in this genre. It’s the “In your bag” music of Brazil but still manages to be boppy. Sometimes it even reaches out outside of the Brazilian language. A popular one I know a lot of Americans know is “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” by Michel Teló. But, my current favorite is Tijolão by Jorge & Mateus. 

The genre of music I chose was Klezmer music. Klezmer music originated from the kabbalists of Israel in the 16th or 17th century. The Klezmer musical genre was created by Jews in a village in Czarist Russia (“Shalom Aleichem”). The Jews there had a hard life. They were not doing well financially or physically due to anti-semitism. They decided to create songs discussing God and His love to help with their pain. The specific song of the Klezmer genre that I chose was “Shalom Aleichem”. This song is definitely tied to my ethnicity. The Sabbath is a very spiritual and precious time for the Jews. Every Saturday is a day of rest for all of the Jews. It is a time to thank God and take a break from work and the outside world. This song, “Shalom Aleichem” is sung every Friday evening, which is the start of the Sabbath,by every Jew. It is a song sung around the table with friends and family. This song uses a lot of beautiful instruments that are very soft sounding. It sounds like there are flutes and guitars primarily being played. In addition, there is a great consonant harmony. The flutes are playing beautifully while the guitar is strumming. The two instruments harmonizing together gives it a pleasing and beautiful melody.

“Shalom Aleichem”. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shalom-aleichem/

The genre I’ve chosen is trot music, which is the one of the oldest (if not the oldest) form of popular South Korean music. It was developed presumably around the early years of the 1900’s, or during World War 2. The word “Trot” is taken from the English word “Foxtrot”, although the genres are different as the foxtrot is a waltz dance. The genre was influenced mainly by Korean music, with American, European, and Japanese touches. The fact that it’s a genre of traditional S. Korean music means it’s tied to me through my ancestry and heritage, but the truth is, I don’t feel much of a connection to it, it’s mostly enjoyed by those who are middle aged. However, there are newer/younger singers of trot that are spiking numbers higher for the younger generation as well, as they learn to enjoy something their grandparents do, with a new spin on the traditional, even EDM is used in some songs. Also, there is the added benefit of understanding the language, because even though I learned it as a second language, it helps me to listen to Korean songs easily, without the language barrier that some might have when not knowing the language.

A younger singer(compared to those who usually perform in the genre) is Hong Jin Young, as linked below, who in the early 2000’s-2010’s(current), is someone who has helped bring more around more of a engaging way to introduce a broad audience to the genre. A well known characteristic of the genre is the usage of duple meter, a soloist(usually accompanied by backup dancers, sometimes very rarely two people in a duet), and a specific characteristic called “꺾기” (Kkeok-ki) within the classical music theory it’s described as the gruppetto ornament (or the initial original note, a note that’s lower in pitch, one higher, and one in vibrato). To explain it more simply, a single word in the song could be stretched out to accommodate for the ornament. The songs usually use an accompaniment of instruments, but in modern times, it’s changed to adapt into what the wider audience might enjoy, such as using guitars, orchestras, the occasional electronic element to mix it up now and then.

To receive participation points for this unit, please leave a comment on this post with your responses to the questions asked in the lecture videos for Music and Ethnicity. Like with blog posts, you are also expected to leave a substantial comment in response to one of your classmates. You can access the lecture videos on this Youtube playlist or from the course schedule. Lecture videos are uploaded on Wednesday evenings.

Participation comments are due by Wednesday 4/8 at 11:59pm.

I personally think that I would be most comfortable in a symphony orchestra concert because throughout my four years in high school my choir sang behind an orchestra for our closing act every winter concert. This being, I am very fond of the orchestra sound and the way the instruments in unison resonate through the auditorium. The song is beautiful, and I feel like the music tells a story and like most other performers the expression and passion on the instrumentalist faces are very engaging. Also, not only the expression of the instrumentalist but the conductors body language says a lot about how the performance will play out. Because watching the conductor put his all and truly feel the music is very interesting to watch. 

On the other hand, a performance I would be least comfortable attending (although I am open to almost all types of music) would be Hindustani classical performance. My reason behind this is because although the unique instruments and sounds can be beautiful, I think that I would get bored easily. I probably would not be able to sit through hours of his type of music because I find less of an emotional connection than I do with a symphony orchestra. 

To receive participation points for this unit, please leave a comment on this post with your responses to the questions asked in the lecture videos for Music and Dance. Like with blog posts, you are also expected to leave a substantial comment in response to one of your classmates. You can access the lecture videos on this Youtube playlist or from the course schedule. Lecture videos are uploaded on Wednesday evenings.

Participation comments are due by Wednesday 4/1 at 11:59pm.