| Contents |
Introduction: fieldwork and musical contexts. Field method ; Native contexts for music ; Shamanism and other native musical/spiritual specializations -- The Warao: canoe people of the rain forest. The setting and the people ; Warao cosmology and religion ; Warao view of life and death -- Musical background of the Warao. Music for pleasure ; Music for utility ; Music for theurgy -- Musical and sound-producing instruments. Descriptions, origins, and myths ; Masters of musical instruments ; Crosscultural correlations -- Songs for pleasure. Dakotu song styles and culture dynamics ; The Dakotu dance context: Hohomare (Maremare) -- Lullabies: songs for utility. Hoerekitane song style ; Hoerekitane song texts -- Wisiratu shaman songs. The Wisiratu teachers ; Wisiratu shamanism ; Wisiratu apprenticeship songs ; Hebu illnesses: their causes, symptoms, and treatments ; Wisiratu curing songs ; A Wisiratu shaman's curing ritual performance -- Bahanarotu shaman songs. The Bahanarotu teachers ; Bahanarotu shamanism ; Bahanarotu apprenticeship songs ; Bahanarotu curing songs ; The song of the creator bird of the dawn -- Hoarotu shaman songs. The Hoarotu teachers ; Hoarotu shamanism ; Hoarotu inflicting songs ; Hoarotu curing songs -- Hoa curing songs. Hoa as musical and physical therapy ; Hoa curing songs and the singers -- Hoa magical protection songs. The animals, the ogres, and the song style ; Hoa magical protection song texts -- Hoa magical love songs. Nisahoa ; Marehoa ; Marehoa music and song texts -- Magical songs for canoe building. Large canoe construction: the song style and the ritual ; Small canoe construction: the song style and the process -- Religious festival music. Nahanamu ; Habi sanuka -- Power as music, music as power. Power as conversation: naming ; Power as music: voice masking ; Power as music: thirdness foundation interval ; Power as music: repetition ; Power as music: multipart singing ; Power as music: melodic expansion and microtonal rising ; Music as power: states of consciousness ; Music as power: the belief system ; Music as malevolent power: the myth -- Conclusion: "Ah, such beautiful music!". |
| Contents |
Accompanying CD contents. Traveling song with ehuru drum, Talejo Tovar (1:18) -- Two muhusemoi flutes, nahanamu festival music (:49) -- Two isimoi clarinets, hahanamu festival music (2:02) -- Ensemble music (muhusemoi, isimoi, hebu mataro, sewei) and dance from nahanamu festival (3:07) -- Two versions of dakotu dance song "Iboma Sanuka" (3:20) -- Dakotu dance song "Naniobo" (2:05) -- Two hoerekitane lullabies (2:15) -- Wisiratu shaman curing song (2:15) -- Wisiratu shaman curing duet (3:00) -- Wisiratu shaman curing song (1:55) -- Wisiratu shaman curing ritual (12:53) -- Bahanarotu shaman apprenticeship song (2:15) -- Bahanarotu shaman curing ritual (2:08) -- Bahanarotu shaman "Song of the creator bird of the dawn" (4:50) -- Hoarotu shaman inflicting ritual (3:15) -- Hoarotu shaman curing ritual : solo (3:45) -- Hoarotu shaman curing ritual : duet (5:03) -- Hoarotu shaman curing ritual : trio (5:43) -- Hoa curing song for hatchet cut (1:00) -- Hoa curing song for snakebite (1:26) -- Hoa curing song for snakebite (1:36) -- Hoa curing song for birth complications (2:50) -- Magical protection hoa song against transformed agouti (2:33) -- Marehoa magical love song (2:32). |
| Abstract |
Cultural tragedy often accompanies the death of biological species in the South American rain forests. As fragile as the ecosystem is, however, the culture of the Warao Native Americans (inhabitants of the lower Orinoco River delta in Venezuela) continues to thrive. In this lively blend of musicology, anthropology, and environmental awareness, the author shows that music holds together much of their existence. For the Warao, who live in a rain forest habitat that remains relatively undisturbed by outside influences, nearly all aspects of life include music; it offers diversion, stability, protection, and power. The author divides their musical genres into three categories: music for pleasure, such as dancing; music for utility, including lullabies; and music for theurgy--the largest group, which includes all songs pertaining to cosmology or calling upon supernatural forces. These may include shamanistic songs for curing illnesses or for causing illness and death, as well as songs for love, dreaming, making rain, healing wounds, or for cutting down sacred trees to build large canoes. The author provides musical and textual transcriptions of many songs, which are translated, explained, analyzed, and included on an enclosed compact disk. He presents detailed information about Warao musical instruments, relating them to mythology, describing them (with numerous photographs), and placing them in their circum-Caribbean context. |
| Local note | Joyner-JOYNER MUSIC LIBRARY BOOK ACCOMPANIED BY A COMPACT DISC WITH THE CALL NUMBER: MusicLib Media CD-3150. |
| General note | Accompanied by a compact disc. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 423-430) and index. |
| LCCN | 95046549 |
| ISBN | 0813013909 (alk. paper) |
