I love music. Ok, yes, there is some music I don’t love. That’s probably true for all of us. But I do really enjoy most music.
Here are four selections of music that I love from different countries. There’s lots more from these countries and other countries that I love, but I thought I’d share just these four.
The Philippine Islands. The “Tinikling”, pronounced TIN-ih-kling, is the national dance of the Philippines. This video shows the longer, complete version of the dance. When I was growing up here (1953 thru 1959), my brother and I both learned the dance, although it was a shorter version that we learned. The people holding and moving those bamboo poles do NOT wait to see whether the dancers’ feet/ankles leave the area before clacking the poles together. Ouch! You either learn that dance fast … or you don’t dance that dance. 🙂 The tinikling is danced all over the Philippines, in big cities and tiny villages.
Turn your sound on just a wee bit. This first video is a bit loud. 🙂 For the videos after this first one, you can adjust your volume appropriately.
Magsaya!
Scotland. “The Banks of Spey” is a Scottish reel composed by Gerry Holland. The river Spey is in central/north Scotland and flows into the salt water of Moray Firth, east of Inverness. Some of the towns in central/north Scotland along the river Spey are Fochabers, Ordiquish, Craigellachie, Kingussie, and Inverdrui. I was in Kingussie in 2007, on a trip with a friend of mine … it’s pronounced “king-YOO-see”. It’s absolutely gorgeous country, so I wish there was video of that part of Scotland that played along with this tune, but please enjoy the tune and imagine the peace of rich green hills of trees and heather and thistles and bluebells. Sìth do na h-uile.
Spain. Carlos Montoya plays “La Virgen de la Macarena”, a pasodoble (two-step) tune. Sometimes the song is said to be about a woman who prays to the Virgin of La Macarena (a popular image in Seville) as the woman hopes to win the love of a gypsy. Sometimes the song/music is said to be a popular tune played during the entrance of bulls at a bullfight. ¿Quién sabe?
Hawaii. George Kahumoku, Jr., plays “Queen’s Jubilee”, slack key guitar from the album “Drenched by Music”. I truly adore this. Aloha i na mea a pau!
What music do you love? Do you listen to music often? Do you play music instruments? There is so much music online now, on YouTube and other websites. Go listen/play and enjoy whatever it is that makes you happy.
I hope you enjoy the music here. Please go find/play what pleases you even more. Maybe music can change the world, eh? and make this world a kinder place.
I believe music COULD change the world, if every child had access to music, instrumental or choir. While in school. Learning to work together while creating something beautiful builds a person and changes them for the better.
I’ve really come to enjoy African music. Instead of trying to figure out what’s good, an easily accessible CD or YouTube is the playlist from The Power of One. Lots of powerful voices, not always in your standard keys, lots of rhythm, lots of drive. Love it.
My grandda was born/raised in Scotland. My grandmum was born/raised in Ireland. So I love that tune about the river Spey. But I also loved the Hawaiian tune, so peaceful, and I’ve read that the original, native people there were peaceful. The sounds and cadences are different than I’m used to, but it’s really lovely!
I played the tuba in my small town high school marching band, oomp-pa. I had just a few notes I had to memorize for each song. Cool! But as an “older” adult now, I find I love all sorts of music. One of the favorite movies of my wife and me is “The Power of One”. The music is super! And yet a really good friend of ours plays the organ at a “conservative” church in a really big city closeby. We don’t go to church, but when he gives a concert, we’re there. As Dawn says … let’s teach our kids to learn together while creating something beautiful together. What all of us share in this country is so much greater than our differences. And I do mean ALL of us, all ethnics, all backgrounds, all beliefs, all countries of origin. We are ALL immigrants except for the native tribes. I’m usually a Republican voter, but not this year. I just don’t understand the Republican party these days. Ok, nuf said! ha!
Music is really important.