Stepping outside a library in Pakistan, I came across this band of happy young men, dancing, singing and playing wooden sticks.
Usually I share with you a story about one particular trip, or one specific place. This time, I’d like to share some stories about music we have encountered around the world. Be sure to click all links to hear the similar and and yet distinct sounds of each country.
Music seems to be both a universal language as well as a unique expression in each culture or country. Some instruments define a country, like bagpipes in Scotland and the didgeridoo in Australia. And many instruments, tunes or dances are specific to a country or its history, like wooden shoe dancing in The Netherlands as well as its ornate ‘draaiorgel’ - literally meaning ‘turn organ’ - a large music machine on wheels that roams the city streets, mostly in Amsterdam. It has a huge wheel that ‘turns’ the pages of a large cardboard book with holes punched in it, playing the music while the operator collects coins from passerby’s.. A very typical and lovely ‘instrument’. Listen to it here: Draaiorgel Amsterdam.
Hawaiian singing is also very typical and lovely to listen to: Hawaii girls singing. And of course, Spain has its iconbic flamengo dancing…
While in Pakistan, I was fortunate to attend a wedding - a highlight in my life. The music was extraordinary. These men played sitars, flutes and drums while sitting crosslegged for hours! A haunting, Middle Eastern sound…
Not quite as pleasing to our ears was attending a Chinese opera. This type of singing must be an acquired taste. With high pitched singing while acting out stories in elaborate costumes, it’s an ancient music form in China and often based on mythology. You can sample it here, but be forewarned! Chinese Opera
Warmer, softer sounds are produced in other parts of Asia on the gamelan. Specifically in Indonesia and Malaysia, the gamelan is a popular way of making music. It consists mostly of percussion instruments, including xylophone type tubes, bamboo slats, and bronze pots. I was treated to gamelan performances by children in international schools. Listen to its distinct sound here: Gamelan.
While traveling through Mongolia, we were lucky enough to hear people play the unique horsehead fiddle. Mongolians combine their love for horses with a passion for making music. Called the ‘morin khuur’, this fiddle is tied to a Mongolian tale:
‘… about Sukhee who found a young horse beside his dying mother. Sukhee adopted the young foal and took care of him. One day he took part in a horse race and to the dismay of the professional horsemen, Sukhee won the race. Even the local governor, an evil man, was defeated. That night Sukhee found his beloved horse dead, having been shot with arrows. Grieving, his horse came to him in a dream. The horse "told" him to use its bones, skin and tail to create a musical instrument similar to a fiddle. In that way Sukhee and his horse could remain together. Sukhee did so and the instrument is said to have a sad sound.’
I encountered the above string instruments in Myanmar, Ethiopia, Egypt and Canada respectively - similar yet all different and unique. I wonder if women in the other countries play instruments in public?
Of course, grassroots music is often the best. Kids in Kenya sang a song for me (click to listen!) and in Tanzania I loved watching Masaai dancing whereby young men bounce into the air. Adumu, also known as the Maasai jumping dance, lets them show off who can jump the highest and who is therefore the most desirable bachelor.
In Cambodia we watched elegant, almost hypnotic dancing called Apsara, traditionally performed by the Khmer people. Mythology has it that Apsaras were beautiful female creatures that visited Earth from heaven to entertain Gods and Kings with their enchanting dance in which hand gestures are featured. Every single movement of the fingers has its own distinct meaning. Some movements even require dancers to bend their fingers almost back to their wrists. Girls often train for this dance from a very young age, allowing their wrists to bend in unusual ways… Watch Cambodian dancing here.
Another unusual movement happens in Ethiopia where I’ve seen the most bizarre ‘dance’. Eskista (Amharic: እስክስታ) is a traditional Ethiopian cultural dance from the Amhara ethnic people performed by men, women, and children. It's known for its unique emphasis on intense shoulder movement and is dizzying to watch! : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMpK3G1TTAA
Drums, of course, are used by cultures around the globe. I saw the drums above on Canada’s Haida Gwaii, in Jordan and in Morocco. Being invited to a Haida potlatch on Haida Gwaii was another highlight of my life. The drumming, dancing and singing went on for hours.
In Qatar I saw a man, I believe from Oman, playing a conch shell but my favourite music and dancing happened during a local festival on Easter Island. In the video, you may notice that there are almost no spectators. That’s because this festival is for the locals themselves. Everyone dances and participates in this most joyous parade of music: Easter Island Festival.
Michael Jackson sang “Heal the world, make it a better place…” Perhaps, if people all over the world sang and danced together, we’d achieve world peace!