MUSIC AND USSSSSSSSS

Hello friends!!

this was my pretty view of our winter weather:

This has been such a fun journey writing this blog for our class, and I am very excited to share these last tunes. Before I get to this playlist, however, here is a link of a playlist of all the stuff we had in class that you can find on Spotify. 

Diverse Cultures 2026 Playlist                         

(please dignify the hours I spent making this with a click)

This prompt certainly was more difficult to encounter because I had to freely explore and be confident in making any decision about what to say.... what I am saying is this was a good exercise in using my brain cells and being my own vessel of education. Curating my own education for this mini blog post, if you will. 

One of the places I automatically wanted to go to was Russia- mostly because whenever I remember my Duolingo exists, one of my favorite languages to do is Russian (because the alphabet is fun). My first selection I have been debating using but ultimately chose because it is a good intro one and is fitting because of our recent weather (which apparently has been named Fern?)

ГРАЙ - В объятиях Мары 

Grai- In the Embrace of Mara

The Grai is a Russian folk metal band (dare I say syncretism? because folk melodies, Russian flute with a drumset and electrcic guitar) that I really like mostly because any time there is a successful combination of any type of flute and metal, I am happy. Interestingly enough this whole song is about THE COLD WINTER... The wooden flute in the beginning is called the Pyzhatka, looks like this (however they might also be using in some other peices another flute called the kalyuka...:

Doesn't the sound of it in the beginning of the song make you think of the icy cold outside? 

Some of the lyrics might help you cope with our cold weather:

White winter, came without asking,
Came fierce, covered with snow's silver .
Turned my soul and my heart into ice,
Covered the river with frozen tears.
Fierce winter took in Mara's embrace.

Mara/Morana/Marena is a Slavic mythology goddess associated with the rebirth and death of the cold of the winter. I think it's interesting how many cultures take the wintertime to reset, perhaps as a coping mechanism for the bitter cold and much of the danger that can come out of a long cold winter. (Modern, Russia is in Asia i think i hope) 

Another place I was hoping I could at least try to do was Ireland, because my name literally means Ireland. I wanted to go more Gaelic if I could... 

So I've actually also heard this song before and I thoroughly love this recording of Allison Helzer singing it. I came across is one a deep Spotify rabbit hole long ago, but the sweetness and simplicity of the song is what made me love it so much. 

(okay i just found the second recording and was excited that she decided to be on top of a mountain and sing because yes i support outside music videos)

It is translated from Gaelic to "the boatman" -and the supposed man on the boat is the unrequited (though some places say requited) lover of a young lady who misses him when he is out at sea. (Fear a’ bhàta | Terre Celtiche Blog) One source calls the song an iorram song meaning the song to the oars, and the rhythm flowing like rowing a boat has- i can hear it can you?). Our lady who wrote this in maybe the 19th century Sine NicFhionnlaigh of Tong says in the first lyrics "Oh my boatman, na hóro eile, My farewell to you wherever you go". Which is just oh so sweet, and I think that might be why is was able to last so long orally and then written down, becoming quite popular over time. Normally I hear this with some sort of plucked chordophone and a voice, and not much else, but sometimes a fiddle joins in different recordings that I've seen. 

The song ends with the lyrics 

"I often ask people on boats

Whether they see you or whether you are safe,

Each of them says

That I was foolish to fall in love with you."     

(Europe, Traditional)

OKAYYYY onto places I did not premeditate to explore...

I just looked at the map and found 2 places we had really never been and that I have basically no idea about and place number 1 was Kazakhstan.

The first interesting thing I learned (Kazakh Folk Music) was that though like many other cultures the traditional music history wasn't documented because of oral tradition, but their instruments were well documented, because the instruments were used to give signals when hunting or during rituals. The kobyz and dombra are their token stringed instruments (I like the kobyz because it kind of looks like a heart):

here was my favorite Kazakh dombra piece I found:

I think the melody is called "Alkissa Kui" and it is a traditional dombra piece. I chose it because I felt like it showed the spirit of the instrument and I liked how I could hear a different texture from the strings that made it sound different than just an acoustic guitar. I also chose this because the dombra traditional repertoire is the "Kui" genre that was distinct from Western music prior to the 19th century when Russia in some ways pushed Kazakhstan music to become more Westyish.  (Traditional, Kazakhstan -Asia)

The final stop on my virtual adventure is Ethiopia, a place I only know because it has a cool name. Little did I know, the first thing I would find is a cool instrument called the Begena- which is a really buzzy sounding string instrument of Ethiopia that is for the "zema" or spiritual part of Ethiopian music.  

It has 10 strings and is in the lyre family. Alemu Aga is described to be the master of the begena, and has dedicated much of his career to sharing the music of this instrument and continuing this rich tradition. While the buzzy sounds of the instrument was a new experience for me, I think it is really wild to just watch how the instrument is played. 

The rare timbre of this instrument I think sounds better when the singer joins in because then there seems to be this cool balance with the human vocals. 

I think the title of the song was Ende Jerusalem, or End of Jerusalem, which through that journey taught me the language spoken in Ethiopia is called Amharic. However, Ethiopia is very linguistically diverse, with over 80 languages spoken there so that is fun for trying to figure out words. 

Alemu very nicely explains the instrument in this video:

I did not expect much of the instrument parts to be named after various different people or parts of Christianity like the 10 strings for the 10 Commandments, and the soundbox named after Mary. This made more sense to why they call the instrument "King David's Harp"

(Traditional, Ethiopia -Africa)

Thank you for joining me as I explored the familiar and the unfamiliar music of other countries! 

I think it is exciting when we get to share what is new and special to us. I couldn't keep the fun of this assignment all to myself, and when I told my mom what was keeping me typing on this laptop she goes "oh can you put in the hu???" 

so this here is my mother's favorite song from Mongolia- Yuve Yuve Yu

(the energy is everything for us)

Peace!