essay
Bushman vocal music: the illusion of polyphony
Language, identity, and conceptualization among the Khoisan • Köln • Published In 1998 • Pages: 359-370
By: Olivier, Emmanuelle.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
In this paper, Olivier examines whether or not the vocal music of the Ju|'hoansi is indeed 'contrapuntal vocal polyphony.' On first hearing Ju|'hoansi vocal music, one is 'struck by the complex juxtapositions of voices, constantly changing...a melodic line emerging while the other voices interlace around it, and then blends into the background whilst another person takes role of leader' (page 360). Through a technique of 're-recording,' Oliver is able to isolate three tessituras, or vocal lines of different pitches, each carrying a different melody, with the basic melody sung in the principal tessitura. Half the vocal music repertoire is sung by healers who obtain their songs when they are asleep or in trance, from the spirits of the dead. The song is embellished both in the dream, but also by other singers once the basic melody is introduced to the public.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Music
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- San
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 2005
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Africa
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Southern Africa
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- essay
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Ethnomusicologist
- Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
- 5: Excellent Primary Data
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard ; 2003
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- no date
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- not specified
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Nyae Nyae region, Namibia
- NotesAdditional notes
- Emmanuelle Olivier
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 369-370)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 98215630
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- San (African people)