DECEMBER 08′
This month features the voice, primarily a cappella, ranging from contemporary to traditional, while making a few stops in between. Covered are two more Folkways records, some radical poetics, and an array of devotional odes that might be just the thing to ease those frenetic holiday consumption blues.
ISLAMIC LITURGY: SONG AND DANCE AT A MEETING OF DERVISHES
First up is this totally amazing 1960 Folkways record that features a meeting of Dervishes in London captured by John Levy in 1959. This music should appeal to anyone interested in traditional vocal styles from the Middle East, as well as those seeking transcendent musical expression. The record begins with some intimate devotional odes on the first side, and then explodes into heavily ecstatic dance-chants on the second side. In particular are the powerful repetitive calls to Allah that then migrate into ecstatic choral breathing patterns, all under-girded by multi-layered vocals that foster a tapestry of sonic exchanges. For me, the record serves as privileged access to a spiritual ritual, rendering as a totally unique presentation of devotional song that is equal parts passion, ecstasy, and communion. Anyone having visited an Islamic country, or a Mosque during services will immediately recognize similarities to the incantations of the Imam, however, the in/out breathing styles on the second side yields a distinctive one-of-a-kind articulation of Islamic musical form.
From the liner notes referring to the second side of the LP:
“In this particular rite the dancers form a circle and take hands, interlocking the fingers. To begin with, breathing slowly and deeply as one man, they lean sharply forwards at each out-breath, and return to the upright at the in-breath, while a singer starts up a rhythmic chant. Later the movement changes, becoming altogether vertical, to the rhythm of quicker and lighter breathing: without raising their feet from the ground, they move down and up, slightly bending and then straightening their knees at the out-breath and the in-breath respectively, with their bodies upright.”
The ritual as explained by Sufis:
In the symbolism of the Sema ritual, the semazen’s camel’s hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white skirt represents the ego’s shroud. By removing his black cloak, he is spiritually reborn to the truth. At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to represent the number one, thus testifying to God’s unity. While whirling, his arms are open: his right arm is directed to the sky, ready to receive God’s beneficence; his left hand, upon which his eyes are fastened, is turned toward the earth. The semazen conveys God’s spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the semazen embraces all humanity with love. The human being has been created with love in order to love. Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi says, “All loves are a bridge to Divine love. Yet, those who have not had a taste of it do not know!”
Folkways Records Album No. FR 8943, 1960
Side A
1. Suratu ‘R-Rahman (4′05)
2. Ode By Shu Aib Abu Madyan (1′24)
3. Ode By Ghazali (1′08))
4. Ode By Ahmad Al-Alawi (0′58)
5. Ode By Ahmad Al-Alawi (2′38)
6. Ode by Ahmad Al-Alawi (1′10)
7. Supplications for Mercy - Second Call to Prayer (Iqamah) (2′30)
8. The Sunset Prayer (Salatu I’Maghrib) (2′32)
9. After the Prayer (2′09)
10. Suratu ‘L-Waqi Ah (2′12)
Side B:
1. Mawlid (1′28)
2. End of the Mawlid (3′20)
3. End of the Tarhib (3′25)
4. Invocation of the Divine Name (1′26)
5. The Sacred Dance (11′18)
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SOUNDS OF A TROPICAL RAIN FOREST IN AMERICA
How many amazing things can one say about The Folkways Records & Service Co. founded by Moses Asch and Marian Distler? A ton actually. In addition to its myriad sound field recording output, Folkways championed indigenous musics from all over the world, including folk and traditional music from North America, sounds for documentary and Super 8 film making, and an array of instructional records (including one devoted to the 12-tone compositional strategy formulated by Arnold Schoenberg). Included on this record are field recordings from a South American rain forest, which features on side A “The Dry Season,” and on side B “The Rainy Season.” Drenched in the lushest forest atmosphere imaginable, we hear vocalizations from some of the oddest sounding creatures likely to find their way on to a long playing record. Produced as part of the Folkways “Science Series” in 1952, these recordings make for a lively document that, although short in individual lengths, is a testimony to the Folkways commitment to all things sound. A lovely array of forest singers are here, all steeped in huge arboreal echoes that reverberate loftily into the canopy above. Stumble past the “Cricket and Dove” over your morning coffee, as you meet and greet “Many Toads” on the way to hear a “Violacious Jay,” a “Flock of Parrots,” and a “Great Rufus Motmot.” Stimulating indeed!
Folkways FX 6120, 1960
Side A: The Dry Season
1. Cricket and Dove
2. Violaceous Jay
3. Black Howler Monkey
4. Parrot
5. Swainson Toucan
6. Cicadas
7. Great Rufus Motmot
8. Cicada, Spotted Chachalaca, Great Tinamou, Wattled Guan, Red Wattled Curassow
9. Toucan and Jay
10. Monkey Chatter
11. Toucan Barbetes
12. Flock of Parrots
13. Waglers’ Toucan
14. Macaw Talk, with Crickets
15. Crested Guans in thunderstorm
16. Chestnut headed Tinamou and Crickets
Side B: The Rainy Season
1. Crickets and Parakeet
2. Crickets and Mourning Dove
3. Small Tree Toad
4. Peepers
5. Flight of Parrots
6. Giant Toad (Bufo Marinus)
7. Many Toads
8. Rain sequence with Crickets and Toads
9. Three Wattled Bell Bird
10. Black Howler Monkeys
11. Tree fall with screaming Monkeys, Parrots and Macaw
12. Tree Toad
13. Big Toad
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THE LAST POETS
The song-poems on this eponymous release have been re-issued on various imprints, and the CD is totally available. However, I recently found an LP copy for 50¢ at an Iowa thrift store, and having decided December would be a good month to feature the voice, I though I should post it.
This is heavy spoken-word stuff, and appears the logical forerunner to contemporary Hip Hop and Rap music styles, and has been credited as such by most folks in the know. Whether or not that’s historically accurate is not of much interest to me, but as an art form designed to mobilize people toward self-realization and constructive change, it most definitely is. The album is a call to action for Black America, away from what the songs imply was a haze of indifference, misogyny, addiction, and self-imposed spiritual poverty, among other things, during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Foreshadowing deeper rifts in the Black community yet to come, these word-songs gave charged meaning to a troubled reality, and were designed to agitate, and thus inspire anyone listening. Revolutionary in tone, but taking into account the notion that revolution is as much a change of consciousness, these tracks are rooted in the self determination of Malcom X’s vision, and the confrontational poetics of “The Revolution of Every Day Life” ala Raoul Vaneigem. Ultimately, the record’s tone and feel are totally original, serving by design to awaken the full potential of a fractured culture immobilized by the oppressive fog of a post 1960’s urban reality. Defying the sometimes kitsch variations on Afro-pride that found their way into segments of 1970’s Black culture, this rhythmic energy is sincere, intelligent, and filled with some harsh realities that resonate on broader human levels.
“The original Last Poets were formed on May 19, 1968 (Malcolm X’s birthday), at Marcus Garvey Park (formerly Mount Morris Park, at 124th Street and Fifth Avenue) in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City. The original members were Felipe Luciano, Gylan Kain, and David Nelson. The group continued to evolve via a 1969 Harlem writers’ workshop known as “East Wind.” Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, Umar Bin Hassan, and Abiodun Oyewole, along with percussionist Nilaja, are generally considered the primary and core members of the group, and appear on their debut release.”
Douglas Records 3, 1970
1. Run, Nigger 1′14
2. On the Subway 1′33
3. Niggers Are Scared of Revolution 5′16
4. Black Thighs 1′31
5. Gashman 2′45
6. Wake up, Niggers 2′49
7. New York, New York 3′36
8. Jones Comin’ Down 2′51
9. Just Because 2′31
10. Black Wish 1′34
11. When the Revolution Comes 1′47
12. Two Little Boys 1′51
13. Surprises 2′09
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TIBETAN BUDDHISM, TANTRAS OF GYÜTÖ: MAHAKALA
It would be hard to feature vocals without including some traditional Buddhist liturgical chanting, and what better source than this Nonesuch Explorer Series LP from 1973, at The Gyütö Tantric College in Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, recorded by David Lewiston. You know the sound… deep, ethereal, transportive, utterly cosmic. It really doesn’t get a whole lot heavier than this, with uniform guttural chants and rhythmic harmonies, these sounds are as fine a tantrist offering to Buddha’s compassion as your likely to hear. The two sides clock in at around forty-minutes, and are nothing short of sheer meditative bliss that is utterly devotional, yet mindfully universal.
From the liner notes:
“The serenity of the Mahakala rite of Gyütö Tantric College is so profoundly moving that it can truly be called the timeless essence of peace.”
“In Tibetan Buddhism, Mahakala, the Great Black Lord of Transcending Awareness, is depicted as a wrathful, even demonic, deity — a seemingly paradoxical way to depict one who is both a manifestation of Lord Buddha’s great compassion and a principal protector of his teaching. Black in color, he bears in his six hands a flaming dagger, a skull containing blood or brains, a trident, a rosary of skulls, a drum, and a leash. Yet the symbolism of this awesome figure is directly linked to his high purpose: to protect sentient beings against all selfishness. The key to his real nature is to be found in the great peace conveyed by the Mahakala rite, for, although Mahakala’s form is wrathful, his essence is complete peacefulness. Mahakala wields a flaming dagger to cut the thread of life of the demons — all that is not and cannot be clearly understood as it rises out of the depths of the psychic life of man, and which not only disturbs, but frequently dominates him.”
Nonesuch Explorer Series, H-72055 (Stereo)
Side One: 18′31
Side Two: 19′24
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TIBETAN BUDDHISM, TANTRAS OF GYÜTÖ: SANGWA DÜPA
This is the second in the Nonesuch series from The Gyütö Tantric College, this time from 1975, also recorded by David Lewiston. Much like the Mahakala, the Sangwa Dupa is a trip into the ultra-bass vocal dimensions of a Tibetan Buddhist monastic enclave hard at work saving humanity from itself. The rite on this record is all vocal, performed totally unaccompanied. These are voices of the ages, directing traffic on the way to the The Noble Eightfold Path. Realize the divine if you can, but don’t leave before you discover the truth, the way, AND the light.
From the liner notes:
“At Dalhousie, where Gyütö Tantric College is now located, over 100 of the 128 lamas and monks are able to perform the chordal chanting; at least three years are required to learn this technique. The senior leaders of the chanting conduct regular classes for the novices, and the monks are frequently heard practicing as they go about their daily chores.
Metrical chanting, recitation in free rhythm, and song are used in the performance of the liturgy. The metrical chanting employs a deep monotone or a brief melodic phrase repeated many times. When two or three monks chant a text they use the same pitch, but when many chant together a number of different sounds may be heard, so that the overall effect tends to be one of indeterminate pitch. Mantras are recited in free rhythm; each monk repeats the mantra at his own speed, giving a jumbled effect to the whole. The song sections are often striking; these slow-moving melodies, sung in unison in the lowest part of the bass register, give an impression of timelessness and profundity.”
Nonesuch Explorer Series H-72064 (Stereo), 1975
Side One: 23′25
Side Two: 17′53
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LAXMI G. TEWARI: MASTER INDIAN CLASSICAL VOCALIST
Here’s an offering from an academic musician who currently teaches at Sonoma State University in California. Trained in Banaras, India, Tewari is not the foremost singer of the Ragam style, but this record is very low-key and filled with delightful renditions of the Raga Samesvari, and the Raga Malkaus. There is gentleness and patience within these interpretations, and Tewari’s particular lilt and timing makes me return to this record again and again; Tewari’s sincerity and passion make these two tracks a digestible companion to almost any activity, day or night. In addition to teaching and having his singing recorded, Tewari has contributed field recordings and research to the Nonesuch Explorer Series, Unesco Records, and the Lyrichord label, which include field recordings of Turkish village folk music. Having seen his name associated with some of the below records, when I saw this one in the stacks I thought I should gave it a try, and I am glad I did.
Discography of field recordings:
– Turkish Village Music, Nonesuch Records, 1972
– Folk Music of India: Uttar Pradesh, Lyrichord Records, 1975
– Nectar of the Moon, Nonesuch Records, 1981
– Folk Music of Uttar Pradesh, India, UNESCO, 1996
– Trinidad: Music from the North Indian Tradition, UNESCO, 1999.
Alam Madina Music Productions, AAMP/LP82-4, 1983
Side A:
Raga Samesvari (23′05)
Side B:
Raga Malkus (24′58)
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THE HARMONIC CHOIR: HEARING SOLAR WINDS
Last up is this totally immersive exercise in the dynamics of vocal range and harmonic modulation. The sonic prisms on this record might best be described by something like if Pauline Oliveros and Terry Riley were a two headed creature that brought some Gregorian chanters to Tuva, got them really high, and then wandered over to Tibet for some twilight tea. Silly I know, but give this a listen and maybe you’ll agree. Anyway, I found this while down in L.A. recently, and figured it would be hit or miss given that I had never heard of David Hykes, and music projects with titles like “Hearing Solar Winds” don’t always deliver. Anyway, as has always been the case, the Ocora label did not disappoint! This record is entirely transcendent and wonderfully elevating stuff. Fusing the styles alluded to above, this transportational device should have you belly up on a fake bear skin rug with a lit hash ball the size of mars filling your night sky. While your at it, you might pose the question how these sounds were NOT generated by any electronic devices, and why this record didn’t hit the minimal drone pop charts, cuz if it did, I totally missed out. Anyway, I’m super glad I found it, and although later offerings by this collective don’t sound as enticing as these two sides, you’ll be glad to give this a listen.
From the liner notes:
Hykes’ music has diverged in several important respects from that of the Mongolian and Tibetans who inspired him. Most significant is his identification and active manipulation of five different levels of “harmonic music”, as follows:
Level 1: The singer holds a steady fundamental note and a steady harmonic, as in Tibetan sacred chant. Level 2: The singer moves the fundamental note melodically and the harmonic moves in parallel with it, as found en passant in some western sacred music, i.e. Bulgarian chant, organum. Level 3: The singer holds a steady fundamental note and creates molodies with the harmonics as in Mongolian Hoomi singing. Level 4: The singer holds a harmonic steady and moves the fundamental note! Level 5: The singer moves both the harmonics and the fundamental! For David Hykes, the significance of the harmonic series as both a source and an aesthetic standard for muical composition lies in its organic lawfulness and porportion. His work begins at the point where a singer can articulate at will various harmonics in the series. From there, it moves towards a living research into the unexplored realms of sound made accessible by harmonic singing, where acoustical order can become truly iconic to what is at once a more precise and a more universal world number.”
Ocora Records 558 607, 1983
Side A:
Part I: Rainbow Voice (0′00)
Part II: Multiplying Voices at the Heart of the Body of Sound (7′25)
Part III: Arc Descents, The Fall (19′23)
Part IV: Gravity Waves (24′23)
Side B:
Part IV: Gravity Waves (0′00)
Part V: Lens by Lens (1′50)
Part VI: Telescoping and The Flight of the Sun (3′50)
Part VII: Two Poles (16′58)
Part VIII: Ascending and Descending (18′59)
Pa