Understanding Samba-Reggae music from Brazil

Transcription

1 Understanding amba-reggae music from Brazil Year 7 amba-reggae music from Brazil, sometimes used as carnival percussion music (for Cultural Understanding procession and dance) 1.a What is this music you want type of music from a specific area of north-eastern Brazil, reflecting its original roots in Reggae frican styles more clearly than the European-influenced Batucada amba from Rio to explore with the pupils: locate its place in society music deliberately influenced by indigenous people and their frican cultures as they sought to reclaim amba from European influence. and culture precisely ometimes used to enhance the colourful style of carnival - extrovert, flamboyant and brash, though less obviously so than Rio amba Expectation of Pupils identify and explore musical devices and how music reflects time, place and culture. understanding: Level relationship Learning how this music: rew out of a 1970 s political movement (Black Pride), and awareness of the need to support Cultural Understanding and strengthen fro-brazilian communities 1.b Not just for performance by a samba school : although focussed around informal percussion What is this music for what groups called blocos, they often have a wider community remit with an active social focus is its purpose, its context, what does it try to achieve Performed largely (in some blocos, exclusively) by black Brazilians of frican descent herefore have specific tempi, instrument sets and lyrics to reflect the local context Critical Understanding 1.3a What do you want pupils to learn about this music (and develop personal views about as they work through the unit) Integration of Practice 1.1a he range of musical conventions, processes and devices that make it unique o underpinned by a strong, medium-tempo -beat rhythm o rhythms have a strong off-beat emphasis o syncopated rhythms layered over the top of this o sets of instruments with distinctive timbres o a call and response structure to mark out sections of the music o breaks being taken by different sets of instruments within the band feature of one musical element, providing key knowledge about the distinctive character of the music o Rhythm: knowledge and understanding of syncopated rhythm patterns How to develop one skill that is required to access the music practically o Ensemble Performing: maintain individual parts within a complex set of rhythm patterns, take turns to solo (understanding issues of balance), and lead or follow the leader s cues Critical Understanding 1.3b What sort of learning do you want the pupils to engage in: closed, guided or open? How will you bring in references to or chances to explore other, related music? ssessment criteria: Understanding (see key concepts above) How to develop listening, reviewing and evaluating skills; and how to integrate these with other learning so that they inform practical work o eeing and hearing different forms of amba (eg Batucada Maracatu), so that the distinctive nature of one version can be compared with the norm Closed: he focus here is on learning how to play an existing piece, with set parts. lthough there are opportunities for creativity, most of the work is based on playing the given piece. Pupils will show their understanding of samba-reggae by relating it to its origins in outh merica, and comparing it with other similar forms of music making (including Reggae and frican drumming music). hey recognise how the music reflects a specific social context, and why this form of samba is consequently slower than the more well-know samba from Rio. hey understand how the music still has a strong underlying beat, syncopated rhythms, and structures marked out by call and response techniques and varied instrumental textures. hey try this out in ensemble performances, showing an awareness of the contextual implications and controlling the music s devices with the support of teachers, other musicians or their peers. ll pupils will be starting to develop this understanding; some will be secure in their understanding; and a few will be starting to move beyond this understanding

2 Knowledge of elements Practical skills Rhythm: ll students will know how syncopated rhythms are created. ome students will be able to show and or articulate the difference between syncopated and nonsyncopated rhythms. few students will understand how several syncopated rhythms can be layered together to create cross-rhythms. Ensemble performing ll students will know how to play their part within the ensemble, following the leader s cues ome students will know how to take a solo and balance their part against the others few students will be able to lead the ensemble, directing the performance with clear signals and maintaining their own part at the same time (Pupils work outside re there drummers (having lessons, or self-taught) who can take leadership roles? the classroom?) Blocks of activities to develop learning You could: Explore simple percussion rhythm ideas, using body percussion and or junk sounds: how can simple ideas be structured into a complete piece? nd how do ensembles play together (leaders, visual and aural cues, shared sense of pulse, etc) Investigate the differences between straight and syncopated rhythms Learn either of the two pieces provided (see Resources section), ideally by ear or using notation if appropriate Encourage some students to create their own sections breaks Watch and listen to some of the example video and audio files Liaise with PHE and or humanities subjects to explore the social contexts of the amba-reggae movement Prepare a performance for a suitable occasion (outdoors event: school fair, town centre event, etc) Hire HM instrument set, with or without workshops from expert tutor Resources Pequenas Criaturas a amba-reggae piece with simpler rhythms Rhythm Map more complex rhythms to form the basis of a student-constructed piece amba-reggae information sheet Pictures of typical amba instruments with names Resources web links NB all web links below are given as examples only. heir inclusion here does not imply that they have copyright clearance for live use within an educational context. amba-reggae information and examples: (basic information) (information about one of the most famous groups) (Olodum site but in Portuguese language) (play or download Olodum tracks) (good video of a small group playing away from the main carnival procession) (Olodum playing with Michael Jackson: copyright warning above is particularly relevant!) (Olodum playing with Paul imon: copyright warning is again relevant!) alvador Bahia Carnival information and examples (basic info on city where most famous amba-reggae carnival takes place) (video info on alvador Bahia Carnival: alvador Carnival uide has some appropriate background place, routes, size of the event, etc) (first minute or so of imbalada: Cachaça shows percussion on the lorry, the scale of the procession and how the samba rhythms have been combined with song styles, including other modern musical styles) ocial contexts information for the amba-reggae movement (in Portuguese only: by searching for afroreggae in oogle, a translated version can be viewed ) For more advice and guidance (including possible loans of amba equipment), please contact Hampshire Music ervice: music.service@hants.gov.uk Phone

3 amba Reggae: 'Pequenas Criaturas' (small creatures) amba Reggae is slower and more laid-back than Batucada. s its name suggests, it has a strong 'back beat'. Leader (whistle) anzas amborims RepiniquesCaixas gogos urdos grass - hop - per grass - hop - per grass - hop - per grass - hop - per (hand) (stick) grass - hop - per grass - hop - per grass - hop - per grass - hop - per J J croak - ing toads and frogs Big hai - ry green cat - er - pil - lar RIN RC 3 Repiniques only but - ter flies - and moths, where did they come from? but -ter-flies and moths were once... x3

4 RC 7 (over main groove) 1 3 OPPIN mi - ni beasts are real - ly cool! BREK 1: solo one section of the group by stopping all the others. While they play, use the sequence below over the top to restart everyone else. 11 RC 19 BREK: BI 5: Count in beats with the whistle whilst showing 5 fingers. his break leads straight back into the main groove. RC

5 RHYHM MP MENU MB REE BRZILIN CLVE (BO CLVE) could be played by tambourims - definitely by repeniques (brackets=hand) 1 e + a e + a 3 e + a e + a * * * * * you re a (mon) -ster (but) you re (groo) -vy ON CLVE (Cuban) could be played by tambourims definitely by repeniques 1 e + a e + a 3 e + a e + a * * * * * you re a (mon) -ster (but) you re cool other YPICL CIXREP PERN 1 e + a e + a 3 e + a e + a * * * * * * * * (cold) chic -ken (cold) chic -ken (cold) chic -ken (cold) chic -ken 1 e + a e + a 3 e + a e + a * * * * * * (you) are a (mon) -ster yeh ba -by 1 e + a e + a 3 e + a e + a * * * * * (you) are a (mon) -ster (but) you re (love) -ly When using sticks (usually thin, nylon, whippy sticks) on rep, decoration is widely used e.g. open drags ( grace notes in quick succession) on off beats. For example the 3 rd and th stick notes of the top pattern, the 3 rd stick note of the bottom patterns. Caixas might bouncebuzz these notes.

6 MB REE his music comes from the North Eastern state of Bahia, where in every way (culturally, spiritually, socially, historically) life is linked more closely with its frican heritage. he European influence as found in Rio and ao Paulo is less obvious. amba reggae represents an effort by Bahians to get back to a celebration of fro Brazilian life. Bahians had taken samba (amba de roda) to the south in the early 1900s where over the following decades it was blended with European music (e.g. military marches) to form what we now call Carnival, Parade or Enredo amba. amba Reggae is performed by blocos and, since the 70s, is closely associated with a Bahian black politicalcultural movement. Key fingerprints of style: Emphasis on off beat; straighter (less syncopated) lines and clave patterns reater emphasis on middle and larger drums (multiple small surdo parts) less emphasis on (even absence of) shakersbellstambourim If binary pulse in surdos 1+ (like traditional batucada samba) then Baby surdos (coutador) have busy, syncopated, longer lines (almost melodic) urdos often work together as a unit to create bass lines riffs ypically medium tempo (steadier than BatucadaEnredo) Key amba Reggae groups: Ile iye (70s) Olodum (80s) imbalada (90s) In the UK Inner ense (Manchester based, but now defunct) + others Information provided by Dan Priest, HM tutor, for amba Reggae workshop at 011 secondary music conference

7 Instruments in the amba Band (most pictures taken from HM amba sets, available for hire) imbal Repenique urdo Caixa anza ambourim Reco-reco gogo