Learning Objectives
- Examine Central Asia in terms of diverse identities, such as Mongolia and Northwest Muslim China, Afghanistan, and the former Soviet Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan as well as the Caucasus such as Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, the contested region of Norgorno-Karabagh, and portions of Russia.
- Analyze Mountain Instrumental Music called küü (literally “mood”) from Kyrgyzstan, including the komuz (three-stringed lute), kyl kayak (two-stringed bowl fiddle), choor (end-blown flute made from reed or wood), chopo choor (clay ocarina with three to six holes found in southern Kyrgyzstan), sybyzgy (side-blown transverse flute traditionally played by shepherds), jygach ooz komuz and temir komuz (wooden and metal jew's harp).
- Analyze classical music from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, in particular the Shashmaqam or (six maqam) is a genre of music that includes instrumental pieces, songs, poetry, and dance.
- Examine the historical and cultural importance of the Soorp Badarak, the chief musical expression of the Armenian Apostolic Church from Armenia, a small land-locked country in the Caucasus.
- Examine the unique genre of Georgian secular polyphony in the context of supra, a traditional social gathering where people have a long celebrated meal.
Introduction
Arriving at Zartnots airport in Yerevan, Armenia, the captain of the plane warns passengers that the landing will be a bit bumpy. The runway, like all the roads in Armenia, reveals the results of almost daily earthquake tremors. Soviet-era vehicles make their way through the densely populated streets. Merchants sell Soviet-era "antiques" of toasters, rugs, pottery, and cigarette cases in Yerevan's open-air market, the Vernissage, while duduk players tease with haunting sounds of the past. Music and culture blend beautifully in this soundscape.
Considering the concept of the soundscape (setting, sound, and significance), this chapter will ask the following questions:
- Why do different cultures favor different types of music?
- How is music used in other cultures?
- Why is learning about different cultures a valuable tool for critical thinking?
Ethnomusicology does not simply study music of a particular culture, but studies it from various perspectives. Music is looked at in context and in relation to the cultures that make it.
One of the essential characters of ethnomusicology is fieldwork. Traveling to learn about people around the world is what many people find enthralling about ethnomusicology. Indeed, this curiosity could have drawn you, the student, to an introductory course on world music. Fieldwork allows for new ways for learning and creates an atmosphere where challenges take many forms.
After the 1917 revolution, traditional music was replaced by that celebrating communism and USSR nationalism.
