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Music Around the World

8/17/2020

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by Teen Volunteer Alex 
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Hi, I am Alex, a team leader of the Marmalade Library Teen Squad team. This is my fourth year volunteering at the library. 

I worked on a project on music around the world in order to introduce young people to world music and how to use the excellent resources from the library to look for CDs that demonstrate the beautiful world around us. This is important for the community in Salt Lake City since it’s very diverse. Therefore, young people will have a better opportunity to learn about mother cultures and improve their imagination and creative minds. 
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Everyone is exposed to music in different ways. Babies might listen to music from mothers singing, and teens might get to listen to music that is recommended to them by others. I started playing piano at 5 years old. I eventually moved to take lessons from the U of U , school of music from first grade until now. Every Year, I participated in a Monster Concert that raised money that went toward free piano lessons for others. 

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(Picture of Monster Concert, University of Utah piano department, March 2019. Photo courtesy of Alex’s family)


I concentrated on looking at these 4 areas around the world including Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe for my music. I chose these areas because Salt Lake City is a diverse community with several ethnicities in the population including Asian, African, Hispanic, and White. Diversity helps us to increase friendliness, helpfulness and social acceptance to different cultures and people around us.   

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(A mariachi plays guitar and sings. Photo titled ”Mariachi" by Greg Robbins is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Latin American Music 
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Latin American music, musical traditions of Mexico, Central America, and the portions of South America and the Caribbean colonized by the Spanish and the Portuguese. “These traditions reflect the distinctive mixtures of Native American, African, and European influences that have shifted throughout the region over time.” (Britannica.com). For example, Argentina is best known for the tango. Brazil is famous for samba. Music in Mexico is well known for the Mariachi bands with trumpets, violins and guitars. 

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(Image is featured on YouTube video: Harry Belafonte- Jamaica Farewell)
YouTube video: Harry Belafonte- Jamaica Farewell

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Several CDs in the Salt Lake City library represented Latin American Music. For example, Latin Playground: CD j World Spanish, is a good example of Bossa Nova and Mambo. Some instruments you can hear in this CD are trumpets, drums, guitars, and the rare cowbell. When hearing these songs, your spirit will be uplifted by the fast and lively tempo especially when you are in a downtime.
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Music CD cover, Latin Playground, 2002
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A young man plays the cowbell. Photo titled "More Cowbell!" by Will Spaetzel is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
African Music 
African music is based upon oral tradition. Drum ensembles are led by the master drummer and set tempos, dynamics, and also decides on changes in the music. Some common instruments used in these are a Dunun(drum), Kora (string instrument that uses a large gourd, and Oud (North African lute). (wikipedia). 
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A still from YouTube video: Les Wanyika: Sina Makosa
YouTube video:  Les Wanyika: Sina Makosa)

We found several CDs in the library that represent modern African music now. For example, African Beat, call number: CD Q AFRICA AB P2 is a great, upbeat CD with exotic and comfortable rhythms. When listening to this CD, I felt calm and relaxed as the music flowed over me like a river in the background of a group of several drums. 
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(Image is featured on YouTube video “African Royalty” Free music by Mike Jacoby)
YouTube video “African Royalty” Free music by Mike Jacoby)

East Asian Music 
East Asian Music is usually based on a 5 note scale rather than a 7 note scale as seen in the West. The instruments used in these songs all play a different melody, so the notes played are never similar. Instruments also never provide background melodies, so there is only one instrument playing at a time. Some instruments used are koto, 13-stringed zither with movable bridges, is a basic instrument for Japanese music, Kokyu, a stringed instrument played with a bow, is also popular for East Asian music. 
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Cover of Music CD Buddha Bar XVII, 2015, YouTube video
YouTube video of Buddha Bar XVII, 2015

Since the origin of these songs are so diverse, I will talk about the Chinese, and Japanese songs. Huanzhu ge ge yin yue quan ji lu, call number: Chinese CD L HUAN HGG H57, is a Chinese CD that gives me a comforting feeling as the music went on. I recommend listening before going to bed as the songs are slow and have a warming tone to relax the mind. 
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Marvelous / Mísia, with a call number: Japanese CD MA MISI MAR M22, is a Japanese CD that gives me a soothing feeling as some songs are accompanied by an orchestra. The singer, Misia, sings with an orchestra most of the time, and it gives us a Western feeling. This is why music around the world has no boundary no matter where it originated, either from the East or West. There are always some common features which can be found between them. 
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Cover of Music CD titled Marvelous (2001) by artist Mísia
European Music 
What sets European Music apart from the others is that it has started from Ancient times and reflected the different periods of music from the Baroque Period to the Renaissance. Teens can look for classical music in all libraries with a lot of choices from Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. Modern western music is also found in the library collection. 
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(Image: a still from YouTube video of Lara Fabian - La Différence (official music video)
YouTube video of Lara Fabian - La Différence (official music video

For example, the Italy international experience, call number: CD Q ITALY ITA M09, will give you a sense of melancholy. I especially recommend The WoodPecker Song which is more upbeat and has a very special pattern of tapping sounds. Several new instruments can be heard in this song like a xylophone, drums, and guitars. In order to make the recurring patterns of the woodpecker, claves are used to make a special clicking sound. If you listen to it, I’m sure you will be surprised at natural sounds and the wonderful techniques used. 
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An example of claves. Photo titled "Birthday present" by cams-not-in-lux is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

As you see, the library is a great place for books and CDs or any resource we need in order to explore the world around us. Furthermore, music around the world is an important aspect of other cultures, and it gives us a better understanding of the diversity in our Salt Lake community. By listening to these CDs, this can give you a sense of how music's difference in our diversified population is. Secondly, world music will introduce you to other cultures around the world and show you how music can tell us about any culture without even using any word. Lastly, if you’re into music like us, learning about other music types, genres, or structures can improve your comprehension and improve your musical knowledge. 


A possible list of world music CDs and where to find them in the library 
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Caribbean music 
Bossa Nova Around the World: CD MJ Various BN P06 
Caribbean Playground: CD j World Caribbea 
Jose-Luis Orozco canta De colores: Spanish CD j World Orozco 

African music 
The Rough Guide to the Best African Music you’ve never heard: CD Q AFRICA RGB R12 
Africa Today [sound recording]: best of contemporary African folk music: CD Q 
AFRICA AT A38 
My Africa/ Elemotho: CD Q AFRICA ELEM E32 


Asian music
India [sound recording]: CD Q INDIA IND P88 
Asian playground: CD j World Asian 
Buddha-Bard. XVII / by DJ Ravin: CD MN Various BUD G77 

European music 
Italy internationale experience: CD Q ITALY ITA M09 
La différence [sound recording] / Salif Keïta: CD Q MALI KEIT K86 Viaggio musicale: musica italiana del Seicento/ Il Giardino Armonice: CD F Various VM E36
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