Happy Music Friday!
Today we travel to Japan. Japan has a fascinating and multifaceted culture; on the one hand it is steeped in the deepest of traditions dating back thousands of years; on the other it is a society in a continual state of rapid flux, with continually shifting fads and fashions and technological development that constantly pushes back the boundaries of what is possible. It could therefore be said that Japan is a country of stark contradictions and contrasts which makes it so fascinating. In interpersonal relationships, most Japanese tend to avoid open competition and confrontation. Working with others requires self-control, but it carries the rewards of pride in contributing to the group, emotional security, and social identity. Wa (和), the notion of harmony within a group, requires an attitude of cooperation and a recognition of social roles. If each individual in the group understands personal obligations and empathizes with the situations of others, then the group, as a whole, benefits. Decisions are often made only after consulting with everyone in the group. Participation in group activities, whether official or unofficial, is a symbolic statement that an individual wishes to be considered part of the group. Thus, after-work bar hopping provides not only instrumental opportunities for the exchange of information and release of social tensions but also opportunities to express non-verbally a desire for continued affiliation. And now, an example of where old meets modern, a traditional Okinawan song, Asadoya Yunta, versioned by Ryuichi Sakamoto, considered to be one of Japan's most famous living composers. Enjoy the beautiful music, and a great weekend! - Alba Serrano-Miro
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Happy Music Friday!
Today we travel to Brazil, a country with much more to offer than just being the host of the World Cup. Brazil is brilliant mixture of races and ethnicity, resulting in rich diversity. Being the largest country in both South America and the Latin American region, do you know where the name "Brazil comes from? The word "Brazil" comes from brazilwood, a tree that once grew plentifully along the Brazilian coast. In Portuguese, brazilwood is called pau-brasil, with the word brasil commonly given the etymology "red like an ember", formed from Latin brasa ("ember") and the suffix -il (from -iculum or -ilium). As brazilwood produces a deep red dye, it was highly valued by the European cloth industry and was the earliest commercially exploited product from Brazil. Through the 16th century, massive amounts of brazilwood were harvested by indigenous peoples (mostly Tupi) along the Brazilian coast, who sold the timber to European traders (mostly Portuguese, but also French) in return for assorted European consumer goods. The official name of the land, in original Portuguese records, was the "Land of the Holy Cross" (Terra da Santa Cruz), but European sailors and merchants commonly called it simply the "Land of Brazil" (Terra do Brasil) on account of the brazilwood trade. The popular appellation eclipsed and eventually supplanted the official name. Early sailors sometimes also called it the "Land of Parrots" (Terra di Papaga). In the Guarani language, an official language of Paraguay, Brazil is called "Pindorama". This was the name the indigenous population gave to the region, meaning "land of the palm trees". And, the land of great musicians, like Toquinho & Gilberto Gil, here singing together “Tarde em Itapoã”. Enjoy the music, and have a wonderful weekend! It’s Friday, World Music Friday!
Today we want to dance with Argentina, a multicultural country, as varied as the country's geography. Nothing represents this complex intertwining of cultures (African, Indigenous and European) better than Tango, one of the most sensual and passionate dances in the world. It originated on the outskirts of Buenos Aires in the poorer areas. Tango refers to more than just the dance and encompasses the sensuality of the music, rhythms and lyrics. Tango, like football, is seen as strongly representative of the country's national identity, and most Argentinians take pride in their country's multicultural and multi-ethnic identity. Astor Piazzola, an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player and arranger. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music. A virtuoso bandoneonist, he regularly performed his own compositions with a variety of ensembles. Here a composition of his, Libertango. The title merges the words "Libertad" (Spanish for liberty) and "Tango", symbolizing Piazzolla's break from Classical Tango to Tango Nuevo.[1] Enjoy the music! Have a great weekend! - Alba Serrano-Miro |
AuthorUnicultural team and trainers, sharing our views and experiences on everything cultural. Archives
May 2016
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