Music and Us

I had to do a deep dive in my Spotify playlists for this assignment. I am excited to share the songs I found in the random playlists I had saved from when I was developing my music taste.

The first song I'm adding to the playlist is Malice Mizer's "Baroque". They are a V-Kei rock band that's based in Japan, and they are most definitely not traditional music artists. In Asia. V-Kei is used to classify Japanese artists who dress extravagantly as a part of their image/aesthetic. Their concerts looked like theater sets, they utilized silent theater in their shows, and they dressed in gothic historic clothing. This song samples Beethoven's "Fur Elise", and some of their songs include a pipe organ as a drone. This video includes photos of their performances and the band members in their attire. I just recently discovered Malice Mizer, so I hope that if someone knows more about them then they could recommend me some songs since their albums are a bit difficult to find.  

Malice Mizer - Baroque

For my next song, I figured it'd be easier to find traditional music. As I was looking, I found one that I recognized almost immediately. This song is called Son de La Negra, and it's jokingly referred to as "Mexico's second national anthem." Mariachi Bands are a very traditional thing in Mexico, so I figured I'd use the most commonly played Mariachi song in this assignment. I do hope you enjoy it as much as I have. 

Son De La Negra

This is my third selection and personal favorite of the ones that I wanted to share with you. It is more of a modern song compared to Traditional Mexican music, but it is a very beloved song that many people around North America hold near and dear to their hearts. Amor Eterno is a song that was written by singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel in 1990, but it was later recorded by Rocio Durcal in 1994. This song is about struggling with loss, and it's said the song was written for Rocio Durcal since she had lost a child in an accident in Acapulco, Mexico.

Rocio Durcal - Amor Eterno

The last song I decided to go with is a traditional Chinese opera performance of a song called "Thirteen Masters in Tongzhi and Guangxu times". In traditional Chinese opera, it's common to share a story through the music and gestures as they do in Indian Music. The reason behind the opera singers attire is to foreshadow the fate of the characters they play in these stories they sing about. I loved watching these opera singers sing about silly things like bragging about wealth and minor misfortunes.

Thirteen Masters in Tongzhi and Guangxu times

Going through these playlists, I realized that my taste has evolved so much through the years and how I don't stop disliking music no matter how many times I listen to it. Throughout this class, I've learned about the different music in cultures and what makes each one so unique. I'm so glad to have expanded my music tastes early so I could enjoy the content shared in class with a more educated perspective. Thank you for reading my blog and enjoying this music with me.

 

Bonus: this is a funny Chinese opera performance about a man who steals watermelons. I recommend watching the full way through for the silly story line.

Music & Rituals

The thing about rituals is that I can't remember them till I go through them again. That's why the majority of these "rituals" take place during the winter season. I don't really call these activities rituals; I see them as more of a tradition.

To start, Christmas is a big thing in my family. Though we do not host any large parties or have family come over, Christmas in my family is an opportunity to be openly nostalgic. My parents would share stories of their Christmases when they were younger; to be frank, they did not sound super fun.  I believe this is why they would go out of their way to ensure each Christmas was memorable and full of happy moments.

When I was younger, my dad was very adamant about attending our church's Christmas service. The mass was held in the evening of Christmas eve, and after there would always be music blasting and warm food served. Occasionally, there would be some traditional dancers dancing to some random music I didn't know the lyrics to. However, there was always one song I could count on being played: "El Burrito Sabanero." Whether it was at these gatherings or even some strangers blasting radio, I would always hear "El Burrito Sabanero" somewhere in someway at Christmas time. The song is about the journey to see Jesus after he is born in Bethlehem. I always was and still am very happy to hear this song play at Christmas time.

Another thing I look forward to at Christmas time is my dad wanting to watch the movie "Home Alone." With the movie comes the Home Alone soundtrack with that catchy little tune they always play at the beginning and end of the movie. My dad loves that movie, so even if I don't feel like watching it with him, I can always hear it clearly no matter what room I'm in. The movie isn't my favorite, but I do enjoy seeing my dad happy.

The last ritual I could remember that doesn't take place in winter is high school graduations. At most high schools in America, the graduating class walks out to the song of Pomp and Circumstance. Funny thing is that most people don't even know the name; it's commonly just called "that one graduation song". At my high school, the graduating class walked out to the song which was being played by the underclassmen. I remember my friend who was the marching band's drum major tell everyone to walk slowly to mess with the students who had to play.