“Ode to Joy” by Beethoven and “I Hate” by Overkill
An orchestra is a large acoustic ensemble commonly found in choral music. The orchestra choir is prominent in the song “Ode to Joy.” From a musical standpoint, the young Orchestra’s growth and cohesion were aided by the ensemble for the song performed during the maiden children’s performance (Bakan, 2019). Drums were employed in “I Hate” and “Ode To Joy” to celebrate ceremonial occasions and traditions within the society, acting as a unifying force (Bakan, 2019). On the contrary, Overkill utilizes heavy metal and loud, furious noises, reminiscing about African cultural history.
“Rabbit Dance” by Am. Plains Indians and “Gamelan Belegnjur” by Sang Hyan Guru
Indonesian music often employs horns and drums as its primary melodic instruments. “Gamelan Belegnjur” symbolizes a local art form rather than the Hindu-Buddhist civilization that predominated Indonesia in its historical writings (Bakan, 2019). However, in the North American Indian dance known as “Rabbit Dance,” spouses move in a circle shape while holding hands (Bakan, 2019). With the possession of similar instruments, the two songs are both Indian dancing traditions.
“Uptight” by Stevie Wonder and “Ready for It” by Taylor Swift
The drums and horns are essential in a song because they represent the moods and feelings of the listeners, and their beat keeps dancers together. These musical instruments, featured in both songs, reflect people’s sense of humor, resulting in harmony and cultural significance (Nnamani, 2019). However, the distinction between R&B in Stevie Wonder’s song and pop in Taylor Swift’s song lies in the fact that R&B is primarily intended for the African American community. In contrast, pop is often a type of popular music that attracts predominantly White audiences.
“Eagle Dance” by Northern Arapaho and “Don’t Worry Be Happy” by McFerrin
The ceremonial song “Eagle Dance” is popular among Native American Indians because it incorporates rhythmic elements and references the eagle’s life cycle. While “Don’t Worry Be Happy” focuses more on the complex and interesting nexus of music and mind, it is a timeless oracle of mental health research (Popova, n.d.). However, both songs have upbeat melodies, with inspirational music in McFerrin’s song and masculine vocal and rhythmic vocables in “Eagle Dance” (Bakan, 2019). Such instruments represent harmonious coexistence within a musiculture society.
“Pain Killer” by Rob Walfard and “The Thrush Anin The Straw” by Séamus Ennis
“The Thrush Anin The Straw” and “Pain Killer” are two songs that represent traditional and mostly rural music that was initially passed down through families and other small social groups. Irish tin whistles are associated with the song “The Thrush Anin The Straw,” where uilleann pipe playing takes precedence over the thrash metal employed in the song “Painkiller,” which is linked to Native American culture (Iyengar, 2017). They feature strong drum beats and folk-like, cheerful instruments, respectively.
“Gahu” by African Indigenous People and “Oye Como Va” by Tito Puente
A classic example of Latin rock fusion is the Cuban cha-cha “Oye Como Va,” which fuses a hard-driving Latin rhythm with piercing rock ‘n’ roll. In this song, the entire audience stands up from their seats at once and moves to the rhythm of the cha-cha-cha, representing the culture of Latin America (Bakan, 2019). This is comparable to the Gahu dance, in which men and women execute a circular dance to an African rhythm. Consequently, despite the two songs’ representation of two distinct cultures — Latino and African — the dance ensembles were identical.
Estampes No.1 Pagodes by Debussy and China Love by Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson incorporates traditional Oriental textures, such as chimes and tablas. Its lyrics mostly explore passion, romance, and sex, but also touch on betrayal and treachery. Pagodes, from Estampes 1, is reminiscent of Indonesian gamelan music, heavily employing pentatonic scales and traditional Indonesian melodies (Heister, 2021). Both sculptures feature Asian-inspired details, including temples with small bases and elaborate roofs that often curve upward. Both art pieces are impressionistic in this sense, focusing on texture.
“Love You To” by George Harrison and “India” by John Coltrane
The sitar and tabla are two Indian instruments featured in the song “Love You To.” Indian classical music had a substantial effect on the Beatles’ song. The piece mimics the khyal vocal tradition of Hindustani classical music while adhering to the pitches of the Dorian mode’s counterpart in India (Bakan, 2019). Similarly, the jazz improvisation piece “India” incorporates Indian themes, leading to Indian classical music (Bakan, 2019). Coltrane utilizes a saxophone, whereas Harrison uses a sitar and a tabla to represent the Indian equivalent of the Dorian mode.
“The Dingle Set” by the Chieftains and “Linin Track” by Lead Belly
Three Irish folk songs are combined to form “The Dingle Set.” It may be categorized as Neo-traditional or contemporary music since it brings back the sense of traditional music (Bakan, 2019). However, “Linin Track” depicts an African American culture using labor-related concepts resembling forks. As a result, both songs incorporate traditional instruments, albeit depicting different cultures — Irish and African American — with tin whistle and blues vocal in “The Dingle Set” and “Linin Track,” respectively.
“Mondeou” by B. Traore and “Unomathemba” by Lady Smith Black Mambazo
Isicathamiya, a singing style from the South African Zulus, is used in the South African song “Unomathemba.” It is renowned for its intricate harmonies and the chorales’ coordinated dancing movements (Bakan, 2019). Guitar and harmonica solos from “Mondeou” are similar to the “Unomathemba” disposition. In contrast to “Unomathemba,” this employs a choir that consists of two or more autonomous vocal lines and has a long history in European church music. “Mondeou” forms the basis of Malian culture and contains pentatonic patterns found in West Africa’s Mande cultural area.
“La Calandria” by Linda Ronstadt and “Babalu” by Margarita Lecuona
A dirty limerick performed by a mariachi, a tiny Mexican musical group comprising predominantly stringed instruments, is titled “La Calandria.” The rhythm section is the chorus, the guitarrón is the bottom, and the violins are the leading voices (Astorga de Ita, 2022). However, “Babal” is a well-known Afro-Cuban song first penned in Spanish Creole. Both songs use horns, a brass instrument with a mellow, resonant sound.
“Rosette” by Souhail Kaspar and “Alla Hai” by Hossam Ramzy
“Rosette” accentuates the fundamental rhythmic patterns common to Arabic music and captures the essence of the traditional Arabic performance. This resembles “Alla Hai,” which depicts Arabic and Islamic culture using local drums, percussion, and strings (Bakan, 2019). Both songs feature the intricate playing style of tabla, which includes using many fingers and palms in varied arrangements to produce a broad range of unique sounds and rhythms.
Lesson 2 –Basic Phrases by H. Raymond and Desert Capriccio by Tan Dun
The flute is used in Lesson 2-Basic Phrases and Desert Capriccio, which are inspired by Chinese ethnic culture. Most Chinese folk music and other orchestras feature flutes. Lesson 2-Basic Phrases is a piece of traditional Chinese music that is predominantly heterophonic, meaning that the same melody is repeated in different versions (Bakan, 2019). On the other hand, Desert Capriccio employs the erhu, a Chinese fiddle that can be heard in small ensembles and huge orchestras. Both traditional and modern musical arrangements incorporate the erhu.
References
Astorga de Ita, D. (2022). Musical hydropoetics: Fluvial inhabitings, son jarocho, and anthroposcenes. GeoHumanities, 1(1), 1-22. Web.
Bakan, M.B. (2019). World music: Traditions and transformation. (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Iyengar, K. (2017). An air bag of music. The Hindu. Web.
Nnamani, S. N. (2019). The importance of music in the cultural policy of Nigeria: A focus on selected Igbo folk songs. International Journal of English Literature and Social Sciences, 4(1), 1-11. Web.
Popova, M. (n.d.). Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”: A neuropsychology reading. The Marginalian. Web.
Heister, H. (2021). Music and fuzzy logic. Springer.