Week 6 Posting

During our in-class viewing of Latcho Drom, we watched three main scenes of the Rom people's migration from India to Western Europe:
1) the nomads celebrating under the full moon
2) a celebration with a couple dancing in Egypt
3) a takht ensemble playing in a teahouse in Istanbul, Turkey

In all three scenes, I noticed that there was always some type of chordophone, as well as a drum, whether it was a membranophone or an idiophone. In addition to these instruments, there was always the human instruments of clapping (idiophone) and the voice (aerophone).

The first scene showed the Rom people migrating out of India, westward toward Central Asia and the Middle East. The most notable aspect of this scene's music, in my opinion, was the singing of the young boy. I noticed that his voice was clear and powerful, and he sang in a confident manner, using frequent ornamentation in his singing. In addition, there were drums that appeared to be made of wood with membranes stretched over the top, small metal idiophones, small finger cymbals, and a type of lute. It also appeared that the women used their jewelry, the many bracelets on their arms and wrists, to produce a sharp, metallic sound. There was also an older man singing primarily in the direction of two younger women, who seemed to think his performance was amusing. Most of the dancing in this scene was performed by females. A noteworthy dance performance was that of the young woman dancing under the tree, while some other men accompanied her. The music in this scene had a strong Indian flavor. The lute is quite reminiscent of Asian music, both from East Asia and South Asia.

The second scene showed three young children/adolescents scrambling to watch a celebration inside a house. The little girl danced by herself, listening to the music, while one boy climbed up a tree and played along on his homemade rebaba, apparently made from a gourd, and the third boy peered into the window to watch the performance. This scene was different from the first in that the music was primarily performed indoors. Inside the building, we could see a rather crowded room with many performers as well as many people in the audience. The focus centered on the couple dancing in the middle of the room. I noticed a violin (kaman) being played, wooden clappers, an idiophonic drum played with a wooden stick, small cymbals, and clapping as well. In this scene the music had much more of a Middle Eastern, Egyptian style. I also noticed, in particular, the rebaba, which reminded me of the erhu we had learned about when studying Chinese music, and the rebab in the Balinese gamelan. I was impressed by the widespread nature of this bowed instrument. This scene showed people who were wholeheartedly absorbed in the music, which gave me an idea of how significant music was and is in their culture.

The third scene was introduced by a family who sold flowers and chili peppers for a living in Istanbul. We see the young boy and girl watching music being performed in a teahouse. The little girl dances along, while the young boy looks like he's itching to play along or clap to the music. This scene showed a takht ensemble with signficant Western influence, in terms of the instruments used. I noticed a clarinet, a nay (end-blown flute), a riq (tambourine), a kaman (violin), an 'ud (plucked lute), a qanun (zither), and a small hand-held drum. The significant thing about this scene, in my opinion, was the active audience participation. Nearly all of the men sitting at their tables turned their attention toward the front of the restaurant, where the ensemble was seated and performing, and all of the audience clapped and swayed to the music, clearly enjoying it very much. The music in this scene showed Turkish and Western influence, as shown in the setting and instruments of the ensemble. The zither here is similar to the zheng in Chinese music, but it is of Egyptian origin, having evolved from an Egyptian harp. The lute here, like the one in the first scene, reminded me of those in Asian music as well.

Watching this movie has been quite interesting so far. I have enjoyed seeing how the Rom people have absorbed the musical style of each region they have come across and inhabited, using that region's music to make a sound that belongs uniquely to the Rom. It's clear that music is an integral part of their culture. I am looking forward to watching the rest of the movie to see the people's journey into Western Europe.