So You Want to Sing World Music: A Guide for Performers
ONLINE RESOURCES:
Chapters 2-4 Chapter 5 Chapters 6-7 Chapters 8-9 Chapters 10-11 Chapter 12
Chapters 13-14 Chapters 15-16 Chapters 17-18 Chapters 19-20 Chapters 21-23
Chapter 1 – Singing the Music of the World (Matthew Hoch)
Ethnomusicology and World Music:
- Ethnomusicology (study of traditional music)
- World Music (global popular music)
- Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM)
Viewing the World through a Western Lens
- Alan Lomax and Cantometrics
- “The Magic Wand of Ethnomusicology”
- Analytical Approaches to World Music
- Analytical Studies in World Music
- Analytical and Cross-Cultural Studies in World Music
The Americas
- Indigenous Music of North America
- The United States and Canada: Listening Selections
- The Caribbean: Listening Selections
- Latin America: Listening Selections
Europe
- General Character of European Folk Music
- Western Europe and the Nordic Countries: Listening Selections
- Eastern Europe and the Baltics: Listening Selections
The Middle East
Africa
- Music of Africa
- Sub-Saharan African Music Traditions
- Rhythm in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Music of South Africa
- Africa: Listening Selections
Asia
- Music of India
- Music of China
- South and Central Asia: Listening Selections
- Balinese Monkey Dance (Kecak)
Australia and Oceania
Education and Integration: World Music Pedagogy
- Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy
- Smithsonian Folkways Tools for Teaching
- Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy Video (2017)
- Routledge World Music Pedagogy Series
Further Resources
- Worlds of Music: An Introduction to the Music of the World’s Peoples
- Excursions in World Music
- World Music: A Global Journey
- Music of the Peoples of the World
- World Music: Traditions and Transformations
- Soundscapes: Exploring Music in a Changing World
- World Music: A Very Short Introduction
- Ethnomusicology: A Very Short Introduction
- Oxford University Press Global Music Series
- The Cambridge History of World Music
- UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music
- Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Chapter 2 – Singing and Voice Science (Scott McCoy)
- Your Voice: An Inside View
- National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS)
- National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS)
- The Voice Foundation (TVF)
Chapter 3 – Vocal Health and World Music Singer (Wendy LeBorgne)
- The Vocal Athlete
- The Vocal Athlete: Application and Technique for the Hybrid Singer
- Visualizations for Singers
- Power Performance for Singers: Transcending the Barriers
- Supplemental Bibliography
Chapter 4 – Using Audio Enhancement Technology (Matthew Edwards)
Equipment Manufacturers:
Recommended Equipment:
- SM58 Microphone (with on/off switch)
- Behringer Eurolive B212XL
- TC-Helicon Voice Live Play Vocal Effects Processor
- 10-Foot XLR Cable
Comparisons of Singers (on and off mic):
Tutorials:
Trade Publications:
Chapter 5 – Native American Vocal Music: Tohono O’odham Songs (Erin E. Bauer)
Examples of Eastern Woodlands Songs:
- Iroquois Alligator Dance
- Ojibwe Traditional Drumming
- Choctaw/Chickasaw Revival
- Muscogee (Creek) Hymnal Singing
- Seminole Snake Song
Examples of Plains Songs:
- Blackfoot War Song
- Blackfoot Warrior Dancer
- Sioux Grass Dance Song
- Northern Arapaho Sun Dance Song
- Kiowa Peyote Ritual Song
- Comanche War Dance
- Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Service Songs
- Meskwaki (Fox) Drum Song
Examples of Great Basin Songs:
Examples of Southwest Songs:
- Zuni Buffalo Dance Song
- Navajo/Diné Healing Song
- Navajo/Diné Woman Stands Shining
- Apache War Dance
- Heartbeat of the Quechan Nation
- Akimel O’odham (Pima) Social Dance
Examples of Northwest Coast Songs:
- We Are Nuu-chah-nulth
- Nuu-chah-nulth Wawmeesh Memorial Song
- Makah Canoe Dance
- Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian Drumming
- Haida Song and Dance Performance
- Tsimshian Traditional Dancers
Examples of Arctic Songs:
- Inuit Traditional Music
- Inuit Throat-Singing
- Tanya Tagaq
- Tlicho (Dogrib) Traditional Drumming
- Gwich’in (Kutchin) Fiddle Music
- Tlingit Music: Past, Present, and Future
- A Tlingit Song
- Tlingit Salmon Dance
Examples of Tohono O’odham Songs:
- Tohono O’odham Running Song
- Tohono O’odham Creator Song
- Tohono O’odham Traditional Singing and Dancing
- Tohono O’odham Traditional Dance
- Tohono O’odham Youth Council
- Man in the Maze (short documentary)
Examples of Tohono O’odham Waila Music:
- Tucson Waila Festival
- Tohono O’odham Nation Fair
- Tohono O’odham Waila Project
- Waila! Making the People Happy (Documentary)
Examples of WithOut Rezervation (WOR)
Chapter 6 – Mexico’s Mariachi Vocal Tradition (Juanita Ulloa)
- Mariachi Cobre: “Estrellita”
- Jorge Negrete: “Mexico lindo y querido”
- Lucha Reyes: Song Selections in Bravío Style
- Josefina “Cha Cha” Aguilar: “Atotonilco”
- Josefina “Cha Cha” Aguilar: “La borrachita”
- Linda Ronstadt: “Conciones de mi padre”
- Aída Cuevas: “El pastor”
- Flor de Toloache: “Dulces recuerdos”
- Mariachi Divas: “I Will Always Love You”
- Tomás Méndez: “Cucurrucucú paloma”
- Selena: “Siempre hace frío”
- Linda Ronstadt: “Siempre hace frío”
- Juanita Ulloa: “Corazón de chapulín” (example of head voice for women)
- Miguel Aceves Mejía: “El pastor” (example of falsetto for men)
- Javier Solis: “Sus mejores canciones” (bolero)
Chapter 7 – Popular Music in Brazil: Bossa Nova and Other Genres (Suely Mesquita)
On Brazilian Music and Culture:
- Música Brasileira from A to Z
- Brazil: Sounds and Colours
- Musica Brasiliensis: A Brazilian Folly by Daniella Thompson
- Tropicália: A Project of Ana de Oliveira
Learning Brazilian Music:
Samba:
Bossa Nova:
MPB:
Northeastern:
- Novos Baianos: “O samba da minha terra”
- Zeca Baleiro: “Vô imbolá”
- Alceu Valença: “Na Primeira Manhã”
B-Rock:
Brazilian Funk:
Brazilian Rap:
- Sabotage: “Um bom lugar”
- Racionais MC's: “Diário de um detento”
- Gabriel o Pensador: “Linhas tortas”
- Criolo: “Subirusdoistiozin”
Chapter 8 – Irish Traditional Song: Style, Practice, Context (Joyce & Costello)
Selected Online Archives:
- The Joe Heaney Archive (Cartlanna Sheosaimh Uí Éanaí)
- Folk Music Society of Ireland
- Inishowen Song Project (Irish Traditional Music Archive)
- Irish National Folklore Collection
- Song of the Isles
- TG4 Sean Nós Archive
- Tobar an Dualchais
- Irish Traditional Ballad Index
- University College Dublin Folklore Collection
- Singers and Songs of County Clare (Carroll Mackensie Collection)
Regional Styles:
Neutral Vocal Embouchure:
Head versus Chest Voice:
Nasalization/Throat:
Stressed Voice Production:
Melismatic Ornamentation:
Western Art Style:
Macaronic Song:
- One Morning in June
- By the Dawning of Day
- There’s a Home by the Range on the Moor
- Conla, Dear, Don’t Come Any Nearer Me
Ballads:
- Amhrán na hEascainne (example of a child ballad in Irish – No. 12)
- Streets of Derry (example of a localized child ballad – No. 95)
- Tamlin (example of a child ballad similar in Ireland to other areas)
- Dublin in the Rare Auld Times (example of an urban ballad)
- Well Below the Valley (John Reilly)
Chapter 9 – Celtic and Celtic Pop (Elizabeth Blades)
Historic Roots and Rise in Popularity:
- The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem: “Will You Go Lassie Go”
- The Irish Rovers: “The Unicorn Song”
- Battlefield Band: “The Yew Tree”
- Jean Redpath: “Annie Laurie”
- The Bothy Band: “Do You Love an Apple”
- Cherish the Ladies & Don Stiffe: “The Christmas Letter”
- Capercaillie: “Rann Na Mona”
- Fiona Ritchie: The Thistle and Shamrock
- Clannad: Theme from Harry’s Game
- Clannad: "I Will Find You" (from The Last of the Mohicans)
- Karen Matheson: “Ailein Dunn” (from Rob Roy)
- Lisa Gerrard: “Now We Are Free” (from Gladiator)
- Enya: “May It Be” (from The Lord of the Rings)
Dance and Songs:
Vocal Styles:
- Aine Minogue: “Between the World”
- Lynn Hilary: “Cloudsong” (from Riverdance)
- Dougie Mclean: “Caledonia”
- The High Kings: “The Wild Rover”
- Loreena McKennitt: “The Bonny Swans”
- Celtic Woman: “The Parting Glass”
Chapter 10 – Exploring and Performing Lithuanian Sutartinės (Sarah J. Bartolome)
Musical Examples and Video from Chapter:
- Dvejinė: “Mano vainkikas, judabra” (score) (audio)
- Trejinė: “Lylio lelijo” (score) (field recording) (audio 1) (audio 2)
- Keturinė: “Dūno upē, lylio” (score) (audio 1) (audio 2)
- Translations: (download PDF here)
- VIDEO: Sutartinės: Lithuanian Multipart Songs (2010)
Traditional Sutartinės (additional listening examples):
- Keturinė: “Tu gervela, dai čiūto” (score) (audio)
- Trejinė: “Kas tar teka par dvarelį?” (score) (field recording) (audio)
- Trejinė: “Lioj liepa” (score) (field recording) (audio)
Sutartinės in Contemporary Musical Forms:
- Keturinė: “Dūno upē, lylio” (score) (audio)
- Trejinė: “Lioj lylia, kā, gervela” (score) (audio)
- Guoda Isado: “Čiūto, tūto” (club sutartinė)
Sutartinė Web Resources:
- Sutartinės by Zeononas Slaviūnas (ebook)
- Anthology of Lithuanian Ethnoculture
- Trys Keturiose Tracks
- Lithuanian National Culture Center
Chapter 11 – Exploring Folk Polyphony through Georgian Songs (Matthew E. Knight)
Introduction and History:
- Trio songs by ensemble “Shalva Chemo” and others
- “Chakrulo” by ensemble “Basiani”
- “Mirangula” (song named after a hero) by Chamgeliani sisters
- Soviet-era choir singing an Imeretian song with “big choral sound”
Ethnographic Context:
- “Orovela” by Leila Lagashvili, sung while gathering grapes
- “Jguragish” (hymn) by villagers in Svaneti
- A “Mravalzhamier” sung by some friends at the table
Vocal Style, Intonation, and Challenges:
- “Mravalzhamier” by academic-style ensemble “Georgian Voices”
- A different “Mravalzhamier” by authentic-style ensemble “Sakhioba”
- Audio examples of some ejective consonants
East Georgian Songs:
- Kakheti: "Zamtari” (winter) by ensemble “Lashari”
- Kartli: "Gogo govo shavtvala” (girl with black eyes) by Gonashvili & ensemble “Rustavi”
- Panduri: Medley of East Georgian mountain songs with panduri by Gogochuri sisters
West Georgian Songs:
- Imereti: "Tskhenosnuri” by Princeton University Georgian Choir
- “Samegrelo: "Chela” (bull-driver's song with chonguri)
- Samegrelo: "Harira” by ensemble “Didgori”
- Guria: "Chven Mshvidoba” (peace be to us) by trio from village Makvaneti
- Guria: "Khasanbegura” (Ottoman general song with yodeling) by ensemble “Anchiskhati”
- Guria: "Alipasha” (Turkish general song with yodeling) by ensemble “Adilei”
- Guria: 1960s TV recording of “Shemokmedura Naduri” work song
- Ach’ara: Some Ach'aran songs with bagpipe accompaniment by ensemble “Anchiskhati”
- Svaneti & Rach’a: "Lile" (hymn to the sun) by ensemble “Riho”
Liturgical Music:
Text Box:
- Full concert by Rustavi Ensemble, with dancers
- “Mtiebi” ensemble in “ethnographic theater” concert
- “Anchiskhati” ensemble chanting the liturgy at Anchiskhati Basilica
- Three West Georgian songs by ensemble “Anchiskhati”
Other Polyphonies:
- Russia & Ukraine: Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble in 1970s
- Russia & Ukraine: Cossack choir concert
- Bulgaria & Balkans: "Kuzum Elenke" (“Dear Elene”) by Trio Bulgarka in 1989
- Bulgaria & Balkans: UNESCO introduction to village polyphony of Shoplouk region
- Albania & Epirus: 2015 recording of men's polyphonic singing
- Corsica: Half-hour concert by trio in an old chapel
- Corsica: Men singing paghjella in a bar
- Sardinia: "Tenores di Bitti" talk about cantu a tenore, demonstrate how parts fit together
- Sardinia: "Su Cuncordu Lussurzesu" singing “Miserere”
Chapter 12 – Egyptian Vocal Music (Laura Lohman)
Elements of Egyptian Vocal Music:
- Melodic modes (maqāmāt), with music notation and audio clips
- Table of rhythms (īqā‘āt), with music notation and audio clips
- Takht instruments, description
- Taqsim on the ‘ūd, maqām nahawand
Arabic Pronunciation and Islamic Vocal Performance:
- Introduction to the Pronunciation of Arabic
- Arabic Phonemic Inventory
- IPA and Transliteration Chart of Arabic Consonants
- Quranic Recitation, Shaykh Abdulbasit Abdusamad
- Hisham Abbas: “The 99 Names of God,” with transliteration and translation
- Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhili, overview
- Yā Shādhilī
- Shaykh Mustafa Gamāl: Mulid Sayyida Zaynab
Traditional Music:
- Songs of an Egyptian Peasant, with transliteration, English translation, and commentary
- Musicians of the Nile
- Metqal: “Bus ‘ala el-Halawa”
- Hegazy Metkal, “Bus ‘ala al-Halawa”
- Hamza al-Din: “Helalisa”
- Jerry Can Band
- “Yā Banāt Iskandariya,” performance with transliteration and translation
- Muhammad al-Bakkar biography
- “Māmā Zamānha Gāya”
- “Māmā Zamānha Gāya,” transliteration and translation
- “Zahab al-Layla”
- “Zahab al-Layla,” transliteration and translation
- Shadia: “Al-Hinna Yā Hinna”
- “Ah Yā Zayn”
- “Ah Yā Zayn,” sheet music with transliteration and translation
Classic Singers of the Twentieth Century:
- Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab: “Kān Ajmal Yawm,” performed on Star Academy
- Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab: “Ya msafer wahhdak,” with translation
- Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab: “Lama Inta Nawi,” covered by Ala Azzam
- Sheet music for ‘Abd al-Wahhāb songs
- Umm Kulthum song list
- “Ghannī Lī Shwayya Shwayya,” film clip
- “Ghannī Lī Shwayya Shwayya,” transliterated lyrics and translation
- Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab: “Inta ‘Umrī,” concert performance by Umm Kulthūm
- Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab: “Inta ‘Umrī,” transliterated lyrics and translation
- Riad Al Sunbati, “al-Atlāl,” concert performance by Umm Kulthūm
- Sheet music for Umm Kulthum songs
Popular Music in the Mass Media:
- Hakim: “al-Salāmu Alaykum”
- Hakim: “al-Salāmu Alaykum,” transliterated lyrics and translation
- Hakim: “Ifred Mathalan”
- Hakim: “Ifred Mathalan,” transliterated lyrics and translation
- Shereen Abdo
Chapter 13 – Avaz: The Art of Persian Traditional Singing (Behzad Namazi)
- Abdollah Davami: “Bahar-e Delkash”
- Gholamhossein Banan: “Ey Iran”
- Mohammad Reza Shajarian: “Morgh-e Sahar”
- Shahram Nazeri: Gol-e Sadbarg
- Homayoun Shajarian: “Chera Rafti?”
- Homayoun Shajarian: “Ba Man Sanama”
- Bamdad Falahati: “Saz-o avaz”
- Rastak Ensemble: “Biu Barimesh”
- Hossein Hamedanian: “Mobarak Baad”
- Viguen: “Mahtab”
- Moein: “Man Az Rah Omadam”
- Mohsen Namjoo: “Sanama”
- Darya Davdar: “Mah Pishanoo”
- Chaartaar: “Dar Hasrate Maah”
- See this PDF for more information about these selections.
Chapter 14 – Choral Singing in South Africa (Michael Barrett)
- Musical Example #1: Gezanger and Liederwysies
- Musical Example #2: Polyrhythms
- Musical Example #3: Call-and-Response
- Musical Example #4: Black Singers Singing a European Classical Work
- Musical Example #5: White Singers Singing a Traditional African Song
- Musical Example #6: Zulu War Song and Dance
- Musical Example #7: Zulu Chant Warriors Chanting
- Musical Example #8: “Mbube” (Isicathamiya)
- Musical Example #9: “Qongqothwane,” or “The Click Song”
- Musical Example #10: Umngqokolo (Ngqoko Village)
- Musical Example #11: Traditional Songs with Western Instruments
- Musical Example #12: Lesiba (Blown Mouthbow)
- Musical Example #13: Sesotho Song
- Musical Example #14: Dance by Basotho Women and Traditional Healer
- Musical Example #15: Monyanyako
- Musical Example #16: Afrikaans Music
- Musical Example #17: Peter Louis Van Dijk: "Horizons”
- Musical Example #18: arr. Barrett and Schmitt: “Indodana”
- Musical Example #19: Hendrik Hofmeyr: "Thula Babana"
- Musical Example #20: Koapeng and Williams: “Khutso”
- Musical Example #21: Xhosa Click Tutorial
Chapter 15 – Istibili: Singing and Learning South African Folk Song (Sarah-Jane Gibson)
Historical Overview:
Features of Isitibili, Vocal Style, and Movement:
- Varsity Sing Competition: “Thixo Onothando”
- Varsity Sing: Isitibili
- “Bawo Thixo Somandla”
- Nelson Mandela Dancing
Learning and Understanding the Text:
- Kids Commute - Young Voices Week (background and audio to Pikoko)
- Peacock Song Reinvented by Nhlengelo Caregivers
- Teaching Pikoko: Call-and-Response Exercise
- Drakensberg Boys Choir Singing Pikoko (using "jazz hands")
- ALApella Singing Pikoko (changing movements throughout the song)
Musical Resources:
- Raising the Bar: Traditional South African Choral Music
- Singing in the African-American Tradition
- Freedom Is Coming: Song of Protest and Praise from South Africa
- Choral Folk Songs from South Africa
- Bantu Choral Folk Songs
- Sing Africa Sing
- Soweto Gospel Choir
- South African Folk Song (author’s website)
Chapter 16 – An Introduction to Hindustani Vocal Music (Marged Trumper)
- Tamboura Tuning
- Hindustani Scale
- Kharaj Practice
- Palṭās in khyāl
- Ornamentation
- Explanation of rāga yaman
- Ālāp in dagar Style (rāga asāvrī)
- Dhrupad in dagar Style (composition)
- Dhrupad in darbhanga Style
- Dhrupad Recital with dhamār (composition)
- Dhrupad Style sādrā
- Khyāl Recital (with use of swarmaṇḑal psaltery)
- Baṛā khyāl
- Drut khyāl
- Tarānā
- Fayaz Khan: agra ghāranā
- Bade Ghulam Ali Khan: patiala gharānā
- Jaipur gharānā
- Kirana gharānā
- Thumrī with Dance Sung with Movements
- Fast ṭhumrī
- Slow ṭhumrī from Benares
- Punjabi ṭhumrī
- Tappā
- Composition and Notation
Chapter 17 – Peking Opera (Po-wei Weng)
Chinese Pinyin System:
Peking Opera Vocal Music:
- Xipi Yuanban (西皮原板) – Laosheng role (beginning at 1’03”)
- Xipi Yuanban (西皮原板) – Qingyi role (from beginning through 2’30")
- Xipi Manban (西皮慢板) – Laosheng role
- Xipi Liushui (西皮流水) – Qingyi role
Chapter 18 – Overtone Singing around the Globe (Rollin Rachele)
- Seven Styles of Overtone Singing (Tuvan Throat Singing)
- Overtone Music Network
- Anthology of Mongolian Xöömii
- Dissertation by Johanni Curtet
- The Song of Harmonics (DER Documentary)
- Arthur Miles: “Lonesome Cowboy”
- Blind Willie Johnson: “Dark Was the Night”
- Overtone Singing: Physics and Metaphysics of Harmonics in East and West
- Nestor Kornblum Singing Overtones
- Xhosa Overtone Singing
- Umngqokolo (Ngqoko Village)
- Ngokoko Singing (F–G Fluctuation)
Chapter 19 – World Music in a Choral Setting (Stefanie Cash)
Musical Examples:
- Thomas Tallis: “If Ye Love Me” (Tallis Scholars)
- Veljo Tormis: “Raua needmine” (State Choir of Latvia)
- Northeastern University Choral Society
- Mxolisi Matyila, arr. Nyamezele: “Bawo Thixo Somandla” (Cape Town Youth Choir)
Professional Organizations:
- American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)
- National Association for Music Education (NAfME)
- International Society for Music Education (ISME)
Other Documents:
- Stefanie Cash: “World Music Benefits, Barriers, and Basic Pedagogy”
- NAfME National Standards for Arts Education (2014)
Publishers:
- JW Pepper & Son
- Earthsongs
- Musica Russica
- Musica Baltica
- Hal Leonard
- Santa Barbara Music Publishing
- MPA List of United States Publishers
Chapter 20 – Traditional Arabic Music and the Western Song Recital (Feryal Qudourah)
- Urdu Qasida: “Lab pe aati hai dua”
- Adhan: Muslim Call to Prayer
- Umm Kulthum: “Enta Omri”
- Umm Kulthum: “Al Atlal”
- Mohammad Abdel Wahab: Various Songs
- Fairouz: "Sahrat el Hob"
- Fairouz: "Mais el Reem"
- Ahlam: Arab Idol Performance
- Hans Werner Henze: Fatumas Klage (from Sechs Gesänge)
- Francisco Mignone: Sete líricas sobre poemas de Omar Khayyán
- Fairouz: “Ya Ana”
- Fairouz: “Nehna Wel Amar Jeeran”
- Fairouz: “Habaytak Bisayf”
- “Lamma Bada Yatathanna” (choral version)
- John Tavener: Akhmatova Songs
- Iyad Kanaan: Composer YouTube Page
- Francisco Javier Jáuregui: “The Religion of Love”
- Francisco Javier Jáuregui: "The Religion of Love" (alternate version)
- Tsippi Fleischer: The Coffin with Its Lid Remote (from Girl-Butterfly-Girl)
Chapter 21 – Vocal Versatility in Bel Canto Style (Sperry & Goetze)
Singing in Chest Register
Higher Laryngeal Position
Minimized/Horizontal Pharyngeal Space
- Kishore Kumar: “Aaj Na Jane Pagal Manwa”
- Salamat Sadikova: “Suyuu Jazi”
- Pan Lingxin: “Feng Yang Hua Gu”
Nasality
Yodeling
Overtone Singing
All of the Above
Further Reading
Chapter 22 – Musical Rhythms to Learn, Love, and Share (Patricia Shehan Campbell)
- Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy
- Smithsonian Folkways Tools for Teaching
- Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy Video (2017)
Chapter 23 – Voice Pedagogy: Imagining a Global Future (Matthew Hoch)
- Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA)
- International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT)
- Sumiyabazriin Zagd-Ochir: “Four Mountains” (traditional Mongolian song)
- International Federation for Choral Music (IFCM)
- International Society for Music Education (ISME)
- First International Music Festival at AUS in the United Arab Emirates
- Sufi Night with Ayman Tayseer
