If you live in the USA, you probably know that your state has a state bird, a state flag and a state flower. But did you know it has a state song as well?
You could probably guess that “Carry Me Back To Old Virginia” written in 1878 by James Allen Bland was the state song of Virginia. But would you expect Yankee Doodle to be the state song of Connecticut? Or Swanee (Way Down Upon The Swanee River) by Stephen Foster to be the Florida state anthem?
Then there are some states, like Tennessee, that are so musically inclined they have multiple tunes as official and unofficial anthems. Tennessee has the Tennessee Waltz, Rocky Top, plus 4 other noteworthy songs associated with their state.
Do you know your state song? Visit this link to find out:
In May of 2015, the enormously talented South African vocal group – the Bala Brothers – will be touring the United States. Undoubtedly a part of each performance will be a song that brought down the house in South Africa, especially at such events as the concert tribute to Nelson Mandela in December 2013, attended by a crowd of over 55,000 fans. The song is called: Something Inside So Strong.
Written by British Singer-songwriter Labi Siffre, the song reached # 4 on the UK music charts and since has been covered by artists as diverse at Kenny Rogers, Eddie Vedder (from Pearl Jam), Pop Idol contestants, Irish folksingers and Odetta. The song won the Ivor Novello Award for “Best Song Musically and Lyrically” and has been used in tributes to Rosa Parks, Amnesty International campaigns and as part of Alice Walker’s film against female genital mutilation: “Warrior Marks”. It’s become a landmark anthem for human rights and dignity both is South Africa and around the world.
When songwriter Labi Siffre was asked about writing “Something Inside So Strong”, he shared the story of how it was inspired by a 1984 TV documentary on apartheid in South Africa that showed soldiers openly firing on black civilians in the street. In 2014, he also discussed how the song reflected his experiences growing up as a gay child and man in England. Clearly the song makes a strong statement about standing up for not only for basic human rights, but also for respect, tolerance and dignity as well.
Something Inside So Strong, Performance by Lira
Here’s a moving rendition of the song performed by South African artist, Lira (Lerato Molapo). An eight time South African Music Award-winner, Lira is from the Daveyton township in Johannesburg’s East Rand. She speaks and sings in four languages and her name translates to “love” in the Sesotho language.
Lyrics
The higher you build your barriers, the taller I become The farther you take my rights away, the faster I will run You can deny me, you can decide to turn your face away No matter ’cause there’s…
Something inside so strong I know that I can make it Though you’re doin’ me wrong, so wrong You thought that my pride was gone, oh no There’s something inside so strong Something inside so strong
The more you refuse to hear my voice, the louder I will sing You hide behind walls of Jericho, you’re lies will come tumbling Deny my place and time, you squander wealth that’s mine
My light will shine so brightly it will blind you Because there’s…
Something inside so strong I know that I can make it Though you’re doin’ me wrong, so wrong You thought that my pride was gone, oh no There’s something inside so strong Something inside so strong
Brothers and sisters, when they insist we’re just not good enough.
Well, we know better, just look ’em in the eyes and say.
“Were gonna do it anyway, were gonna do it anyway… Were gonna do it anyway”
Something inside so strong I know that I can make it Though you’re doin’ me wrong, so wrong You thought that my pride was gone, oh no There’s something inside so strong Something inside so strong
If you’re near the Los Angeles area, you’ll have a rare chance to see some of the world’s most fascinating Pacific Island drums on display as part of an exhibit on the art and culture of Papua, New Guinea. Currently at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California (USA) is an exhibit entitled: Spirits and Headhunters, Art of the Pacific Islandsthat shares impressive cultural artifacts including many that reflect the music and dance of this region.
So what’s so different about drums from New Guinea?
The first thing you might notice is the impressive size of the slit drums featured in this exhibit. In fact, the two large slit drums on display (pictured right and below, left) are each the size and shape of a large canoe! Hollowed out partially inside, both slit drums are struck with beaters, put on a type of cart and moved from place to place while being played. The smaller drum (below) was created and decorated with the motif of a crocodile, who is considered to be an ancestor spirit in the Sepik region. In this area, the drum is played near a river and it is sometimes considered that drum itself is a spirit and that it’s tones reflect the voice of the ancestors or the divine.
In addition to the “horizontal” slit drums, there are also several large standing wood sculptures that resemble 10 – 15 foot totem poles (pictured above left). Remarkably, these are also slit drums and are played with beaters as well, often used as methods of communication between tribes or groups of people.
Of course, there are also the more traditional looking drums like those seen here as well as an example of a finger-drum which which would have had a lizard skin “head” from the Massim culture of the Milne Bay province of Papua, New Guinea. All in all, this relatively small exhibit is an amazingly deep journey into the musical, spiritual and artistic life of this important world culture.
While visiting the foothills of Southern California, I came across a small museum with a presentation of musical instruments from the area’s indigenous Chumash culture. Several of the traditional instruments were very familiar and can be seen in most tribes across the country. Other, however, were were truly unique and beautiful. Here are the seven musical instruments presented on display at the Ojai Valley Museum.
For more information, check out the book on Chumash culture below or visit the museum’s online site, here: http://www.ojaivalleymuseum.org/
Cocoon Rattle
This truly unusual rattle used for ceremonial purposes is made from the cocoon of the Ceanothus Silk Moth (Hyalophora euryalus) and each cocoon is filled with pebbles. The cocoons are then attached to short lengths of reed which are bound together with fiber.
Bear Claw Rattle
The bear claw rattle (seen at the bottom middle section of this picture) was used as part of mourning ceremonies by the Chumash. In this rattle, each claw is strung on a piece of thread or fiber and the fibers are bunched together to make the instrument. Museum notes say that bears teeth can be used in this rattle as well.
Clamshell Rattle
A sturdy clamshell is filled with small noise-makers; such as small pebbles, then mounted on a stick for this decorative rattle (lower right of display).
Shell Rattle
In this traditional rattle holes are drilled in each shell and they are woven together with fiber.
Double Turtle Shell Rattle
Turtle shells are used across the USA as part of Native American ceremonial rattles. Frequently mounted on a stick, turtle shells are also used when tied in bundles and attached to the legs of dancers as part of the Cherokee stomp dance. The Chumash turtle shell rattle here uses two shells mounted on a stick along with beautiful ornamentation. Frame Drum
Almost every Native American tribe uses some form of the frame drum as part of their music and ceremony. The 2-sided, animal skin frame drum on display here measured about 14 – 16” in diameter and was accompanied by a traditional beater.
Bullroarer
A bullroarer is a small piece of wood attached to a piece of string and swung around a large circle. The wooden piece is carved in such way that it creates a buzzing, droning or whirring noise when spun. You can see the Chumash bullroarer in the left half of this picture among other artifacts. It is carved on the edges and decorated with paint and three “X”s.
To learn more about bullroarers in general, check out the post below which also includes a DIY kids bull roarer activity. Resources
California’s Chumash Indians
Published by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Education Center
Available on Amazon, here: http://amzn.com/0945092008
Almost everyone is familiar with a group from Scotland called the Proclaimers. Comprised of twins; Craig and Charlie Reid, they are probably best known for a song with the chorus “I Would Walk 500 Miles” that appeared on their “Sunshine on Leith” album and became popular all over the globe.
Recently, however, this pro-independence musical pair have been back in the spotlight as a song they wrote back in 1988 called “Cap In Hand” has been rising rapidly on the download charts. Activists seeking a Yes-vote for Scottish independence have been behind an enthusiastic social media push to drive the song up the Amazon download chart as a way of voicing their opinion on the referendum.
Although the song speaks about Scotland in particular, the lyrics are oddly reminiscent of any country or group that has risen up and sought self-rule. Among some of the most poignant lyrics are:
We fight – when they ask us We boast – then we cower We beg For a piece of What’s already ours
I can’t understand why you let someone else rule your land, cap in hand I can’t understand why we let someone else rule our land, cap in hand I can’t understand why you let someone else rule your land, cap in hand
Although it’s not clear which way the vote for Scottish independence will go, it is certain that music is allowing people to express their opinions, their frustrations and feel that their voice and point of view are heard.
Here’s a video of Craig and Charlie Reid singing “Cap In Hand”.
Although it’s a truly unique and amazing–sounding instrument, there’s very little information available about the history of gourd water drums. It’s clear that they are used in certain areas in Africa and that they show up in Mayan archives as “bubulek” water drums. In present day Mexico they are called jicara de agua and their history can also be traced to the Yaqui and Yoeme Indigenous people who called these floating gourd water drums, baa wehai.
What, exactly is a gourd water drum? Generally made from 3 sturdy pieces of dried gourds, a small ring holds the larger “gourd bowl”, up-side-down in place. That larger gourd is filled with water. The smaller gourd is placed right-side-up, gently on the water’s surface where it is hit with a stick or tapped with fingers, palms or knuckles to create the unique, deep and resonant sound associated with this instrument.
While checking out LA born drummer and percussionist, Christopher Garcia, we found some really great information on the Yaqui and Yoeme roots of floating gourd water drums. Although several musicologists identify this drum as part of the Yaqui Deer Dance (Mazotiwua), Garcia explains how a special beater is used called a baa jiponia, made from a stick wrapped in a corn husk. He also shares some great pictures and basic information on a related instrument, called hirukiam which consist of a gourd facing down and a rasp laid across it, then scraped. The result is a “natural speaker” and another really unique sound creation. Links to Christopher Garcia’s music and website can be found below.
Sounds Like?
Watch this video from Germany and you’ll be able to both see and hear several techniques for playing the gourd water drum:
Michael Heralda of Aztec Stories Shows You How To Make A Gourd Water Drum
Also a wealth of information on ancient Mexican culture and musical traditions, Michael Heralda has two informative step-by-step videos that show you how to create your own gourd water drums. You’ll notice that his drums not only sound good, but are beautifully decorated. For more information on his music, instruments, stories and other resources, visit the link below.
Here are his two gourd water drum-making videos from Youtube:
As long as there have been wars, there have been sad songs about war – and losing children or loved ones to the devastation of war. However, with the recent protests in Maiden, Ukraine, this old song has taken on a new life, mourning the loss of those killed while unarmed at the recent protests.
“Plyve Kacha” or “Plyve Kacha Po Tysyni” translates literally to “the duckling swims”, but the lyrics are a dialogue between a mother and a son going off to war, according to the BBC’s Irena Taranyuk. She translates two of the most moving lines of the song this way:
“My dear mother, what will happen to me if I die in a foreign land?”
“Well, my dearest, you will be buried by other people.”
Dozens of people were killed by snipers in Maidan on February 18th and 20th, 2014 and were buried and mourned in a mass funeral on February 21st, with this song being used to memorialize their lives.
You can see images of those lost in that conflict in this video along with a version of this poignant song. Lyrics to the song appear below (in Ukrainian).
“Plyve Kacha” (Lyrics in Ukranian)
Plyve kacha po Tysyni, Oy, plyve kacha po Tysyni. Mamko moya, ne lay meni, Mamko moya, ne lay meni.
Zalayesh my v zlu hodynu, Oy, zalayesh my v zlu hodynu. Sam ne znayu, de pohynu, Sam ne znayu, de pohynu.
Pohynu ya v chuzim krayu, Pohynu ya v chuzim krayu. Chto z my bude braty yamu? Chto z my bude braty yamu?
Vyberut mi chuzi lyude, Oy vyberut mi chuzi lyude, Cy ne zal ty, mamko, bude? Oy, cy ne zal ty, mamko, bude?
Oy yak z meni, synku, ne zal? Yak ze meni, synku, ne zal? Ty na moyim sercyu lezav, Ty na moyim sercyu lezav.
Plyve kacha po Tysyni, Oy, plyve kacha po Tysyni. Mamko moya, ne lay meni, Mamko moya, ne lay meni.
Although Earth Day began in the USA in 1970, the idea of loving and caring for our planet is a universal concept. When I was growing up, I remember hearing a Native American group sing the words: “The Earth Is Our Mother, We Must Take Care of Her”. All over the globe, people express their love for “Mother Earth” through music, songs, culture and in so many other meaningful ways.
In 2004, I adapted a new version of the beautiful African-American spiritual: “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands” and added lyrics based on a project done with elementary school students. Since that time, the song has been used in China, Singapore, South America, Scotland and in dozens of other venues across the world. This year, a wonderful bilingual blogger translated the lyrics into Spanish.
Spanish Translation
The Spanish version was written by Cecilia Fencer, head and heart of Spanglish.house.com . She loves diversity and equality. Translating this spiritual to an Earth Day captured her imagination because she believes God made us responsible to take care of his creation.
(Lyrics to the original “We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands” song can be seen below as well as a video of a project using the song in Malaysia.)
Tenemos Todo El Mundo En Nuestras Manos
New version of lyrics in English
c 1994 Daria Marmaluk-Hajioannou
c 2104 Spanish translation Cecelia Fencer
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Debemos reciclar, ahora que podemos. Reducir, reusar y reciclar Reducir y reciclar ahora que podemos. Tenemos al mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos plantas y animales en nuestra tierra, plantas y animales en nuestra tierra. Tenemos plantas y animales en nuestra tierra. Tenemos al mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
Tomemonos de las manos, como hermanos. Tomemonos de las manos como hermanos. Tomemonos de las manos como hermanos, tenemos al mundo en nuestras manos
Encuentra tus sueños y haz lo que puedas, ten tus anhelos y lucha por ellos. Encuentra tus sueños y haz lo que puedas, tenemos al mundo en nuestras manos.
Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos. Tenemos todo el mundo en nuestras manos.
We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands
(Sung To The Tune of: He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands)
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands We’ve got the whole world, in our hands We’ve got the whole world, in our hands We’ve got the whole world in our hands
We should recycle now – all that we can Recycle now – all that we can Recycle now – all that we can We’ve got the whole world in our hands
Be kind to the plants and animals – of our land Be kind to the plants and animals – of our land Be kind to the plants and animals – of our land We’ve got the whole world in our hands
Join hands with sisters and brothers – throughout the land Join hands with sisters and brothers – throughout the land Join hands with sisters and brothers – throughout the land We’ve got the whole world in our hands
Clean up pollution – everywhere we can Clean up pollution – everywhere we can Clean up pollution – everywhere we can We’ve got the whole world in our hands
Dream your bright dream – then do all that you can Dream your bright dream – then do all that you can Dream your dream – then do all that you can We’ve got the whole world in our hands
We’ve got the whole world, in our hands We’ve got the whole world, in our hands We’ve got the whole world, in our hands We’ve got the whole world in our hands
Another folk instrument of Russia, here’s a short post about a beautiful and well-loved instrument that might be heard at the Winter Olympics this year in Sochi.
A balalaika is a three-stringed instrument from Russia that is known and loved all over the world. Although it hails from Russia, you can hear it in many of the regions that made up the former Soviet Union (USSR) and it has also become popular in different countries around the world. If you listen to pop music, you will hear the balalaika mentioned in the Beatles song “Back in the USSR” as well as the Scorpions “Winds of Change”. You can hear Ian Anderson play balalaika on the Jethro Tull album Stand Up and Oleg Bernov plays a huge red electric contrabass balalaika with the popular Russian-American rock band, the Red Elvises.
So what is a balalaika? Well, it actually is a family of stringed instruments that are triangular in shape. They range from the smaller, mandolin-sized prima balalaika to the huge contrabass balalaika which is so large that it needs wooden legs to support it as it stands on the floor. Most often the prima balalaika is heard as the solo instrument and is generally strummed or played with the fingers. The larger balalaikas (listed below in order of size and tone) are generally played with a pick. The largest contrabass balalaika needs a pick so large it may be made from a large piece of leather or even a boot heel – wow!
Types of balalaikas (from smallest and highest in tone to largest and lowest in tone) are:
· Piccolo (rare)
· Prima
· Sekunda
· Alto
· Bass
· Contrabass
Would you like to hear a balalaika played with an orchestra?Check out this version of the popular Russian song – the Volga Boatmen. You will see the large contrabass balalaika right in the center of the orchestra behind the vocalist.
Want To See A Balalaika Dance?
I’ve just finished recording and creating a video animation for the song Tum Balalaika. It’s a Yiddish folksong and the title of the song talks about strumming the balalaika. You can see and hear the song here.
Color A Balalaika And More Fun Things To Do
You can also find a great balalaika coloring page below as well as links to other fun balalaika-related info! What a great way to share beautiful music and learn about the exciting cultures of the world!
Few countries consider music so important that they actually designate a national instrument. Not so in Paraguay, where it’s beautiful and distinctive harp and harp music are considered national treasures and are loved throughout the region and the world.
Although there are many harps found in Europe, South America and across the globe, the Paraguayan harp is distinctively light, weighing only about 8 to 10 pounds. Tuned to a diatonic scale, the Paraguayan harp can have 32, 36, 38, 40, 42 or 46 strings and stands about 4 ½ to 5 feet tall.
But why talk about a Paraguayan harp, when you can listen to one? Here are four videos our favorite Paraguayan harp songs along with a bit of description and explanation.
400 Harps Play The Song “Pajaro Campana”
A classic of Paraguayan folk music, here you see 400 harps (yes, really 400 harps!) perform this beloved song. What is a pajaro campana? Literally a “bell bird”, most people agree that it’s the name for a bird heard around the capital city of Asunción whose call sounds like a bell.
This mega-concert for harps was held at the “Plaza Uruguaya” on July 15, 2012 to mark the 475th anniversary of the capital city of Asunción, Paraguay.
Pajaro Campana (The Bell Bird) Performed By Mariano y Ernesto
Here’s a second version of the same song. This time, you can hear two harps playing together in the form of a duet.
Harpist, Celso Duarte Plays The Song “Iguana “
Videotaped at a family concert in Carnegie Hall Dec 11, 2012, you can hear the distinctive voice of the Paraguayan harp as well as an ensemble of folk musicians playing shekere, quijada, upright bass and even dancing on a wooden box!
Moliendo Café Performed By Nicolas Carter on Paraguyan Harp
Moliendo Café means “grinding coffee” in English. The song was written by composer, Hugo Blanco and has a beautiful and haunting melody. Performed here as an instrumental by harpist, Nicolas Carter, lyrics to the song are below the video clip.
Do you know your state song? Visit this link to find out:
Making Multicultural Music 