Indonesian Gendhing Gamelan
The gamelan music of Indonesia is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Made up mainly of percussive instruments, gamelan orchestras may include xylophones, gongs, metalophones, voices and flutes. This piece has been included because of the article about the Cia-Cia language from Indonesia.
Hangul – Orchestra Fratiler Advahov
Although this piece relates to the CIA-Cia language article too, in this case Hangul does not mean the writing system of Korea. Instead it is a Romanian word (that Google translates as “The Hangar”) because the band, the Advahov Brothers, that plays it is from Moldova. Unofficially the language of the country is known as “Moldovan”; officially it is Romanian.
Indonesia – Gato Barbiere
Gato (“Cat”) Barbiere was an Argentinian saxophonist who passed away in 2023. He achieved fame in the 1970s and became known for his score for the film Last Tango in Paris by Bertolucci. He was also the inspiration for Zoot in the Muppet’s fictional band Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.
Brisbane Harbour – Dreadnoughts
Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, the Dreadnoughts are a six piece band, known for merging folk music with street punk. Brisbane is the site for the recently-ended Iris van Herpen show.
Evolution – Mo’Kalamity
Mo’Kalamity is a Cape Verdean musician who grew up in France and now lives in Paris. She works with her band, the Wizards, to create albums that fuse reggae, Afro-American and Caribbean elements. This track, and the next-to-last, were chosen because they are both called Evolution, the subject of the first article in this week’s blog.
Fashion! – Lady Gaga
Chosen because it is called Fashion (the subject of the article about Iris van Herpen) Lady Gaga, an American singer and global music phenomenon, is known for her fashion and style. Perhaps her most famous outfit was the Meat Dress made from raw beef…
Evolution – Ablaye Cissoko
Senegalese kora player, Ablaye Cissoko was born into a family of griots and has worked around the world through his Mandika culture and traditions. The musician is the subject of a documentary, made in 2011, about his life and work.
Requiem (composed by Gabriel Fauré) Op.48 VIII – In Paradisum – Laurence Equilbey
For the final article on the blog, Gabriel Fauré‘s Requiem, conducted by Laurence Equilbey, is a fitting ending. The French composer used the traditional shortened version of the Catholic Mass for this piece but this part – In Paradisum – is added from the Order of Burial, not the traditional Mass. The Latin translates as “into Paradise” and marks the leaving of the church and the start of the journey to the burial ground.
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