The title of this piece is not listed, but it is a Brazilian
Capoeira. The piece is performed by Grupo Engenho da Bahia. The instruments
used are the agogo bells, atabaque, berimbau and voice.
Authenticity in music education has many facets, including
instrumentation, teaching method, and the music itself. Is a particular method
of teaching or performing authentic to the original cultural context, and if
not, is it close enough to be of educational value or does it denigrate the
original tradition. In the case of Capoeira, I think that coming as close to
performing on original instruments and learning in the same manner as
traditional Capoeirists is very important.
Capoeira is by its nature dependent upon both music and
dance. Originally the genre started as a guise for martial arts training for
slaves in Brazil. To attempt to make the music without the dance, or to dance
without the music is a disservice to the art form in my opinion. The instrumentalists
in Capoeira have learned the dance (martial arts) aspect of the art form, and
use their knowledge of it to inform what and how they play. The dancers in turn
listen to the music and move with it – often using it to perform unexpected
maneuvers. It is certainly possible to learn and imitate the instrumental
ensembles through transcription or rote learning, and even to use traditional
western instruments to approximate the sound. In doing so, the communicative
aspect of the music is lost – the instrumentalist and dancer are no longer
communicating, just repeating the same phrase ad nauseum. Removing the dance
from the music also defeats the purpose of the genre. Without paying tribute to
martial arts function of Capoeira, you simply cannot have Capoeira.
Mark,
ReplyDeleteYou make some great points in this week's post. I wholeheartedly agree with much of what you wrote. In the specific case of the Capoeira, there is little purpose for the music without the dance and the dance becomes essentially martial arts without the music. You mentioned that the music could be adapted into a classroom setting, but it would eliminate the purpose of the music. Koops (2010) mentions some methods that involve students experiencing the music in its actual context. I think you have made a valid case for the Brazilian Capoeira being one of those cultural examples. The Capoeira would be exceptionally difficult to teach without a video like the one you posted. Great Post!