Context is extremely important to understanding and appreciating all music, but especially music that is not familiar. We know that learners are able to grasp an new concept more easily if they can relate it to something they already know and so it is safe to assume the same would be true when learning about new music. If teachers can provide context, like the examples given in Teaching Music Globally in chapters 3 and 4, students will have a much higher chance of retaining information about the song.
My choice for this week comes from Mohamed Mounir, who was known as "the voice of Egypt" during the revolution in 2011. The song is called "Ezzay", which translates to "How Come?" It was adopted by Egyptians sort of as their anthem during the tough time. Here is link to a segment from NPR's "All Things Considered" with more context about the song and the conflict.
If I had not know the context about the song prior to listening to it, I would have likely confused it for simply a pop song with little culture significance. The song uses electronic sounds including an electric guitar, keyboard, and drums. The lyrics compare the country of Egypt to a lover. You can select the CC (closed caption) icon on the video below to get the English translation.
Fabulous choice of song for this week, Stefanie! What a powerful political statement and revolution song. As you mentioned, without the context it is a nice piece but seems like just another pop culture song. Once context is given and the closed caption lyrics are followed it takes on a whole new meaning, depth and context. This is such a great example of the power that just a little bit of knowledge can have to change the course of ones perception and preference. Thank you for making me aware of this piece. I had not heard it prior to your post.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice!! This is an excellent example of how the context can change our entire perception of a piece of music. An outsider would not have any clue of the significance of this piece of music, but knowing the context makes it powerful.
ReplyDeleteStefanie,
ReplyDeleteGreat choice! I am studying Egyptian music for my curriculum unit project, so I found this choice a great connection to some of the reading I am doing. You are right, I listened to the song before reading the context and then re-listened. The initial perception of the song was immediately changed when I understood the context. This is an excellent example. Good Job!