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Ruphus -> RE: How much do you really enjoy cante flamenco? (Nov. 20 2010 12:18:37)
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I should had read the whole thread first in order to not beat dead horses, but the thread is too long while I can´t wait to rid myself of a topic so interesting to me, yet so rarely seen discussed.
First of all, hat off to the original poster for being so brave and straight forward!
Oriental and all in all Asian music with some exceptions, to my experience especially with some of Indian music and Jewish ( Klezmer ), is a not too rich musical field to start with.
In detail the Indian sitar as an instrument can be quite colorful; next some of the Arabian music like of Libanese and Maroccan can be nicely rhythmic; and Klezmer music to me after flamenco and Irish folk comes in as the most diverse and colourful folk music internationally, with rich melodies of African chorusses as fourth in line.
But aside of the exceptions within Asian music, what will be found being a melodical wise rather anemic and beat wise over-crowded sound production with commonly very limited musical means. With those engaged overly in place at that.
For oriental style that will specifically be tremolo. Tremolo from start to end, especially with the vocals.
Hence, something in systematically and harmocally structured music only used in place, in oriental music will be used throughout. And while it being of the oldest genres around, hardly any further development has occured in thousands of years. Still those same simplicistc structures of ancient times.
No Oriental Beethovens or Chopins around who would had ever freshed-up and expanded the melodic repertoir.
What popular Persian music is concerned no own developmet has happened in New Age, other than first copying and implementing elemtens of French chansons, later on structures of western Seventies charts and since a while now imitating out of all rap music, mostly tracked by Persian hipsters around Los Angeles.
What means with melodies of original character is concerned, however merely instrumental arrangements have changed to a degree. With first of all introduction of drums and synthesizers and secondly the Spanish guitar. ( Iranians love the Spanish guitar since they - like the rest of the world - discovered it around 40 years ago and there exists a number of Iranian musicians who play it pretty well.) The use of these instruments simultaneously contributed to a bit more variety in terms of accent of rhythm and melody, but the anemia especially in the way of singing remained. ( Except of the rap fraction, where the staccato simply won´t allow ever stretched tremolo.)
And the singing after all is the predominat factor with that music. For the average Oriental and specially Iranian because of the religious tradition of abdication being rather unmusical, gaining only little joy of actual music and listening much rather for lyrics than for musicality.
Thus no surprise how oriental singing often times being of not much more finesse than monotonous muezzin cacophony.
Interesting besides, how popular muezzins ( who tour the islamic wolrd highly paid like rock stars ) seem to have sensed the monotony themselves and started sculpturing their singing after melodic sections from good old western hits. - While the uncapable just drawning their calls in reverb fx. Really weird to recognize patterns of Pink Floyd, M.M.E.A., John Denver etc. in those cries over the roofs of oriental cities.
The simplicity of that kind of music leaves its traces in the differenciating ability of the people who grew up with it. All used to that slim musical niche they cannot feel the beauty outside of it. Yet, while auditioning the most pulling, rocking and singing pieces the world has originated someone grown up exclusicevely with his local Asian style won´t be moved by that "strange sound" at all. Some even explained to me that it would be sounding "out of tune" to their ears.
Like say The Beatles or Simon & Garfunkel being out of tune, you know.
- A phenomenon somewhat like with techno and hiphop kids after all.
Anyway, I think to completely understand what the original poster of this thread feels.
That cante at time fits very well, being much more attractive than the vocals it once derived from; but I wouldn´t sit down to listen to exclusive cantes over a longer while. And while it is understood that the flamenco guitar developed as accompany to it, the latter definitly being the much more musical and manifold element of it.
The funny thing is how it has been Oriental ( Arabian and Indian ) music that merged with European one to in the end comprise the most colourful and vivid folk music ever.
Which is why I feel sorry for how Oriental music stagnated and never advanced. Without a doctrin that reviled all things zest for life like singing & dancing, you bet that there would be some complex and diverse Eastern music in place today.
Ruphus
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