Music And World

Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift</h2>
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It is no longer a time to associate country music with people in their mid 40s, for artists jumping in this genre is getting younger and younger. One living proof: <a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/taylor_swift/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Taylor Swift</a>. The accomplished country singer and songwriter who began her career while a teenager has spawned an album and several singles that garnered her awards that are commonly dominated by people twice or triple her age. In 2007 alone she was nominated for four different awards, two of them which have successfully been snatched. She took Breakthrough Video of the Year at Country Music Television Awards through her debut single "Tim McGraw", and Horizon Award, a special honor that was presented at 41st Country Music Association Awards for being a promising act. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">Hailing from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Taylor Alison Swift was musically influenced by her grandmother who was a professional opera singer. While living with her parents, the December 13, 1989-born beauty became addicted to singing in contests and talent shows. At 10-year-old, she had entered local karaoke contests and recorded some demo tapes which ended in almost every receptionist desks of Nashville's record labels. Two years later she did the very thing that would eventually make a difference to her world, guitar picking. For four hours a day she would continuously try to master the art of guitar playing until her fingers literally bled. From there, original songs came pouring out along with the growing love of country vibes. She often wrote her lyrics during lessons at school although her reputation as a straight A student was unaltered. Her family eventually moved to Hendersonville, Tennessee where opportunity came in the form of Scott Borchetta. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">While performing at a cafe, Swift immediately struck the attention of the record producer who was on the verge of developing a record label. Amazed, Borchetta thought that she would be the perfect candidate to launch his new company, Big Machine Records. Together with Liz Rose, the then 16-year-old Swift wrote a ballad called "Tim McGraw", which is an ode to her favorite country singer. The song peaked at #6 on Billboard Hot Country Song and even entered the Hot Singles chart at #40. Her self-titled debut album was then released on October 24, 2006 and debuted at #19 on Billboard Hot 200 before eventually peaking at #8. The second single was released to better fate than the first one. "Teardrops on My Guitar"</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">#2 on Hot Country Songs chart. Numerous nominations were immediately coming towards her way, mainly for breaking through the industry with amazingly only one studio album in hand. </span></span></div>
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Not only was she an accomplished singing bird, but she was also recognized for her work. In October 2007 her songwriter peers at Nashville Songwriters Association International voted her to be Songwriter/Artist of the Year, a title that had never been taken by a 17-year-old before. Swift was also nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award in the category of Best New Artist, but ultimately lost to <a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/amy_winehouse/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Amy Winehouse</a>. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">Her second album was planned for a 2008 release, the same year she will complete her home-school program. "</span><a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/music/album/00015136.html" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Fearless</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">" was released in November that year, containing seven self-written songs about love and its complication. The album was graced with the chart success of lead single "Love Story". The song became the second best-selling country single of all time, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The following singles also experienced chart success, sending the album to number one on Billboard Hot 200 chart with almost 600,000 copies sold in the first week. "Fearless" was in fact the top-selling album of 2009. </span></div>
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A Fearless tour was conducted extensively between April 2009 and June 2010, visiting some cities in Australia and Asia as well with rising star <a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/justin_bieber/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Justin Bieber</a> as supporting act on some dates. The tour was filmed for a DVD and Blu-ray release. Road trip aside, Swift gained popularity as well as sympathy from fellow musicians when she won Best Female Video for "You Belong With Me" at 2009 MTV Video Music Award. Her thank you speech was interrupted by <a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/kanye_west/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kanye West</a>, who declared that <a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/beyonce_knowles/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Beyonce Knowles</a>' video was the rightful winner. West received a lot of harsh criticisms for his act and was kicked off from the event. Konwles invited Swift to the stage to finish her speech when she later won Video of the Year. While insisting that Knowles' video was still the best of the decade, he gave a public apology to Swift by saying she was talented. Swift accepted his personal apology to her. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">source:</span><a href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/taylor_swift/biography_2.html" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">aceshowbiz.com</a></div>
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Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift Early Life It is no longer a time to associate country music with people in their mid 40s, for artists jumping in this ...

Maclemore

Eugene 0 artists 12:57 AM

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Maclemore</div>
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Early life</h3>
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Born Ben Haggerty on June 19, 1983, Macklemore was formerly known as Professor Macklemore. He held a prominent place across the country as he emerged as a premier national hip-hop artist with numerous career highlights to his name. Along with his DJ/production partner Ryan Lewis, he garnered critical acclaim, a devoted fan base, and a steadily growing anticipation for his upcoming work. </div>
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Though he came from a musical family, he had a strong passion as a musician. He started writing his own lyrics when he was fourteen during which his friends began calling him Mocklimore. Growing up in Seattle listening to West Coast underground hip-hip, he kicked-start his career as a performer with a self-produced mini album "Open Your Eyes" under the name of Professor Macklemore. </div>
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His first full-length release was in 2005, "Language of My World". It featured production by Rhymesayer's Budo and was well-received by circles who loved his fresh perspective and a striking balance of insight and levity. His career went down from there as he battled substance issues. He went to rehab in 2008 and released "The Unplanned Mixtape" in September 2009. </div>
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After several subsequent years of artistic stagnation and frustration, Macklemore made a commitment to sobriety with a newfound, more intrinsic dedication to his music. He met Ryan Lewis, an accomplished, consummate artist in design, photography, and production. They released the "VS" EP in 2009 and "VS Redux" in 2010, the latter peaking #7 on iTunes Hip Hop charts. </div>
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On their first national headlining tour in the spring of 2011, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis packed houses and sold out a majority of their shows in major cities across the country. They were featured at a significant number of major festivals and showcases, including the 2011 Rock The Bells Tour, Soundset (MN) and Bumbershoot (Seattle). </div>
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They released their debut album "The Heist" as a partnering duo in July 2012. The CD sent them to the runner-up position on Billboard Hot 200 and its single "Thrift Shop" reigned a number of charts including Hot 100. </div>
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The song is the first independently-distributed title to top Billboard Digital Songs since "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" in February 2010. It is also the second independent song to achieve the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, nearly 20 years after Lisa Loeb's "Stay (I Missed You)" in 1994. </div>
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Rap Album at the 2014 Grammy Awards. Its hit single "Thrift Shop" claimed the Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance titles. The duo additionally took home another Grammy in the Best New Artist category. </div>
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In early 2015, Macklemore promised that a follow-up to "The Heist" would come out in the second half of the year. Later in August, he dropped the Ed Sheeran-penned "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)" which was dedicated to his and wife Tricia Davis' daughter, Sloane Ava Simone Haggerty. </div>
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Just a few weeks after releasing "Growing Up", Macklemore shared "Downtown" featuring Eric Nally, Kool Moe Dee, Melle Mel and Grandmaster Caz. The track peaked at No. 12 on Billboard Hot 100. </div>
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The year ended without new Macklemore & Ryan Lewis album. They finally announced their sophomore effort in January 2016. Titled "This Unruly Mess I've Made", the project is set for release on February 26. In late January, "White Privilege II" arrived as the album's second single. Serving as a follow-up to Macklemore's 2005 song, "White Privilege II" sparked controversy and prompted a feud between Iggy Azalea, whose name was featured on the song, and Talib Kweli. </div>
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Though he came from a musical family, he had a strong passion as a musician. He started writing his own lyrics when he was fourteen during which his friends began calling him Mocklimore. Growing up in Seattle listening to West Coast underground hip-hip, he kicked-start his career as a performer with a self-produced mini album "Open Your Eyes" under the name of Professor Macklemore. On their first national headlining tour in the spring of 2011, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis packed houses and sold out a majority of their shows in major cities across the country. They were featured at a significant number of major festivals and showcases, including the 2011 Rock The Bells Tour, Soundset (MN) and Bumbershoot (Seattle). Though he came from a musical family, he had a strong passion as a musician. He started writing his own lyrics when he was fourteen during which his friends began calling him Mocklimore. Growing up in Seattle listening to West Coast underground hip-hip, he kicked-start his career as a performer with a self-produced mini album "Open Your Eyes" under the name of Professor Macklemore. On their first national headlining tour in the spring of 2011, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis packed houses and sold out a majority of their shows in major cities across the country. </div>
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source:<a href="http://aceshowbiz.com/" target="_blank">http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/macklemore/biography_2.html</a></div>

Maclemore

Maclemore Early life Born Ben Haggerty on June 19, 1983, Macklemore was formerly known as Professor Macklemore. He held a promine...

Akon Biography

Eugene 0 biography 12:47 AM

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Akon Biography</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf62hd8NSZM2ButMaMH5PcVKckwcOE0YjHjAYsYKIAaOcrX0nWoF4Yg7GZflDAdCJlusBuKWX8YlLUU2HsXRNc2IsO6ad_17bzKUak4az7kHooX-6_fSIy8DpvHLEA_vDCqjeJFBMm1QCN/s1600/akon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf62hd8NSZM2ButMaMH5PcVKckwcOE0YjHjAYsYKIAaOcrX0nWoF4Yg7GZflDAdCJlusBuKWX8YlLUU2HsXRNc2IsO6ad_17bzKUak4az7kHooX-6_fSIy8DpvHLEA_vDCqjeJFBMm1QCN/s320/akon.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">Aliaune Damala Dakha Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, often going by the shorter Aliaune Thiam, is best known by his fans simply as Akon. Born on April 30, 1973 to legendary percussionist and jazz musician Mor Thiam whose expertise for playing the Djembe, a traditional African drum, has been touted as "unrivaled," he was grateful for his family musical background that later on did helpful in paving the way for him to embark on a musical career and gain success in the industry, making him one of the icons in the 21st century. Born in St. Louis, Akon grew up in Senegal before he and his family returned to the United States and settled in New Jersey when he was seven. While in Jersey City, he discovered hip-hop for the first time by the time he started hanging around with local thugs crowd. Initially attended Snyder High School, the boy did everything against the school regulation and was kicked out after busted for selling guns, bullet and test questions for every test. He later on attended the Bayonne High School though. Hanging with the group, Akon also became popular for his bravery in fighting and was jailed for armed robbery and drug distribution charges. In between time, he used his time to begin writing his own songs.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">Being brought up in an environment that treasures the true artistic value of musicianship and revels in the mastering of instrumental skill, it was Akon's deep rooted love and passion for music that later on encouraged him to record tracks in a home studio upon being freed from behind bars. The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal which eventually released Akon's debut LP "</span><a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/music/album/00004400.html" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Trouble</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">" in June 2004. It was this set that catapulted him to international stardom, thanks to the hit single "Locked Up," written based on his experience of serving a three-year jail sentence for grand theft auto, that brought him a Sixshot Award for Best Single of 2004, shared with rapper </span><a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/styles_p/" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Styles P</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">. The other hit singles spawned by the album include "Lonely," which was actually Bobby Vinton's old track entitled "Mr. Lonely," that successfully topped the UK charts in 2005, "Belly Dancer (Bananza)," "Pot Of Gold," and "Ghetto". "TROUBLE evolved from the struggles I went through and what I did and am still doing to correct those things," Akon said about his debut album. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">Akon gained more popularity after being featured in </span><a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/young_jeezy/" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Young Jeezy</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">'s debut album, "</span><a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/music/album/00011870.html" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">", on the song "Soul Survivor" which became a top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100. In perhaps the best effort he had, sophomore album "</span><a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/music/album/00024889.html" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Konvicted</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">" that was released on November 14, 2006, raised his fame meter even higher, made it enough for him to be considered one of the prominent musicians at that time. Its first single "Smack That," featured </span><a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/eminem/" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Eminem</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;"> in the rapping, shot to #2 in Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed on the post for five consecutive weeks. "I Wanna Love You", the second single off "Konvicted," was released in September the same year. Featured a collaboration with </span><a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/snoop_dogg/" style="border: 0px; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Snoop Dogg</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14px;">, this single topped the U.S. charts for two consecutive weeks, earned Akon's his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and Snoop's second. The first two songs may be lifted due to the collaboration, but Akon proved that his solo effort "Don't Matter" could also reign at #1. Akon, indeed, reached the highest peak of his career with his being nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at 49th Annual Grammy Awards for "Smack That." Unfortunately, he lost to collaboration in "My Love." </span></div>
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While thriving with his solo career, Akon was also noted for his collaboration with <a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/gwen_stefani/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gwen Stefani</a> in her hit "The Sweet Escape." Before touring as a solo, he jumped in Gwen's Sweet Escape Tour in the first half of 2007. At one point, unfortunately, Akon was heavily criticized after performing racy dance with an underage girl during a concert in Tobago. Claimed to have no idea for the girls' age that manipulated the venue, a nightclub only allowing 18 years and above, he took the "blame" anyway and wrote a song "Sorry, Blame It on Me," released it in August 2007 and shot its music video at the same time. Since the song was created after "Konvicted" has hit the street, a special edition of the album was made with the inclusion of "Sorry, Blame It on Me." Titled "<a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/music/album/00031743.html" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Konvicted (Deluxe Edition)</a>", the set was released on August 28 the same year and covered in it the song "Rush," featured <a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/kardinal_offishall/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kardinal Offishall</a>, which appeared in the blockbuster movie "<a class="submenu" href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/movie/rush_hour_3/" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Rush Hour 3</a>" (2007). </div>
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source:<a href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/akon/biography_2.html" target="_blank">aceshowbiz.com</a></div>
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Akon Biography

Akon Biography Early Life Aliaune Damala Dakha Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, often going by the shorter Aliaune Th...

Adele Biography

Eugene 0 biography 12:47 AM

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Adele Biography</h2>
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Early life</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0hJWMKyrNxG-dGFX9Ge0K12uDqHom2NnnCY0sZKIWH8A6nIl0WcpPSSwROgpQ1wtbfWqyCOADX-pLI9bLsqKkNqJpLwVyZneDsUw4s6lQl5E9A3yq1K_HgzQrwBBOOmtWKw88rYvLHyA/s1600/adele.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0hJWMKyrNxG-dGFX9Ge0K12uDqHom2NnnCY0sZKIWH8A6nIl0WcpPSSwROgpQ1wtbfWqyCOADX-pLI9bLsqKkNqJpLwVyZneDsUw4s6lQl5E9A3yq1K_HgzQrwBBOOmtWKw88rYvLHyA/s320/adele.jpg" width="320" /></a>Adele is not one for being pigeonholed. She has broken through the music industry at a relatively young age, particularly owing it to her distinctive voice. She was born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins on May 5, 1988 in Enfield, North London. She came from a non-musical family but a very supportive one. Adele said that her mother used to set up a stage show for her in their own home with Adele being the performer and her mother's friends being the audience. </div>
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Like many teenagers swept with the Spice Girls fever in the '90s, Adele too liked to impersonate the all-girls band. She was also a fan of British singer Gabrielle whose songs she liked to cover. One day, her father's friend who happened to be a dance producer praised the color of her voice and thus Adele's spirit was lifted. </div>
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She tried to cover Blondie's "Heart of Glass" and once she got a hold of a real mic, she knew it was her destiny to be a singer. "As soon as I got a microphone in my hand, when I was about 14, I realized I wanted to do this," she later on recalled. "Most people don't like the way their voice sounds when it's recorded. I was just so excited by the whole thing that I wasn't bothered what it sounded like." </div>
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Personal Life</h3>
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Her secondary school life was not particularly cultivating for her singing career, only when she entered The BRIT School did she gain much more. Enrolling at the school that had graduated famous names like Amy Winehouse, Kate Nash and Leona Lewis, the young singer was lucky to meet an inspirational singer named Shingai Shoniwa which later on joined the band The Noisettes as the vocalist. Living next door to Shoniwa, Adele often made use of the opportunity to jam around with her and she confessed later on that Shoniwa made her "want to be a writer and not just sing Destiny's Child songs." </div>
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Career </h3>
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To boost her singing career, like many other hopeful musicians, Adele opened a MySpace account where she can display her songs and demos and ask for feedbacks. By 2004, she was already a popular singer on-line but only two years after that did she gain wider opportunity to showcase her talent. After graduating from BRIT school in May 2006, she toured around with affiliates Jamie T, Jack Penate, and Davendra Banhart. Through Jamie</div>
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T's indie label, Pacemaker Records, she released an album called "Hometown Glory" that was only available on 7 inch vinyl format. </div>
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By that time, Adele was already a commodity for music executives that many have tried to sign a contract with her. It was XL Recordings that finally met the line. Adele released her debut album, "19", in U.K. through the label in January 2008. The LP went straight to number one on U.K. Albums chart, thanks to the popularity of its lead single "Chasing Pavements" that also received a unique music video. The album was then prepared for U.S. market with the release date set on June 10, 2008. </div>
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In 2009, she was nominated for four Grammys and won two of them; Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Two years later, she dropped a second album "21" on January 19 in the U.K. "I'm very excited, nervous, eager, anxious but chuffed to announce my new album! It's taken a while and it knocked me for six when writing it," she said of the new release. "It's different from '19', it's about the same things but in a different light. I deal with things differently now." </div>
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"I'm more patient, more honest, more forgiving and more aware of my own flaws, habits and principles. Something that comes with age I think. So fittingly this record is called '21'. The whole reason I called my first album '19' was about cataloging what happened to me then and who I was then, like a photo album you see the progression and changes in a person throughout the years." </div>
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"21" then became Adele's biggest album to date. It ruled the Billboard Hot 200 chart for multiple weeks and earned the singer a total of six Grammys at the 2012 Grammy Awards, including the coveted Album of the Year. It additionally spawned several hit singles that dominated Billboard Hot 100, including "Someone Like You", "Rolling in the Deep", "Set Fire to the Rain" and "Turning Tables". </div>
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Later that year, Adele confirmed that she'd written "Skyfall" for the 23rd James Bond movie of the same title. The song went on to become another hit for the singer, debuting at No. 8 on Hot 100 and being nominated for several prestigious awards. It won the Best Original Song trophies at both the 2013 Golden Globe Award and the 2013 Oscars. </div>
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source:<a href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/adele/biography_2.html" target="_blank">aceshowbiz.com</a></div>

Adele Biography

Adele Biography Early life Adele is not one for being pigeonholed. She has broken through the music industry at a relatively young ag...

Arabic Music and Its History

Eugene 0 international music 12:37 AM

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Arabic Music and Its History</h2>
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Arabic music can, broadly speaking, be divided into two styles, which can be clearly differentiated from one another: popular music, and so-called classical music. The following article is a simple introduction to the basics of Arabic music.</div>
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In the ninth century Arabic music was already highly developed. At that time the Arabs already had an extensive musical repertoire, a musical history recorded in writing, and well-trained musicians and singers who stimulated the musical life of the courts.</div>
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In Arabic music the scale, like that in the West, consists of tones and semitones, but can also move in quartertones. Whereas in European music the smallest interval is the semitone, it is therefore possible in Arabic music to make far smaller tonal steps. This is what characterises the typical sound of Arabic music: it repeatedly plays around the notes in slight variations, without the musician losing sight of the keynote. </div>
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Two of the most important things all Arabic music has in common are a delight in improvisation, and the predominance of melodic forms. A melody is usually sung by a solo voice, which may also be accompanied by a choir. Polyphony, such as we are accustomed to in Western orchestral music, does not exist in classical Arabic music. The basis of Arabic music is the maqam or mode. The term maqam originally means ‘pedestal’, ‘step’, or simply ‘location’. It was also used to designate a gathering in which poems were recited; later, a musical gathering was also called a maqam. In classical Arabic music theory, the maqam indicates the pitch of an Arabic scale, comparable with the ancient ecclesiastical modes, or the two modes of flat and sharp in European music, although the individual shifts in tone can, as mentioned above, be smaller than a semitone. Arabic music, however, has more than ten different modes. Furthermore, as a complete piece of music, what differentiates the maqam entirely from its European counterparts is that the musician has complete freedom with regard to the rhythm and the potential for introducing variations. This is hardly possible in European music. Here a particular rhythm is prescribed, the melody for which can be modified freely.</div>
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The maqamat</h3>
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Many musicians and music theorists of the Arab world ascribe specific states of feeling to particular maqamat. Thus, for example, mourning is often expressed by the maqamat ‘hijaz’ and ‘saba’. The mesmerising beauty of the beloved and all her charms are usually dwelt on in the maqam ‘bayati’.</div>
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Arabic music does not measure itself in terms of technical perfection, but by the degree of intensity and emotion in the tone, feeling, ornamentation, performance and singing. The Western musician repeatedly practises a piece as it is written in the sheet music until he is able to play and interpret it perfectly. The classical Arabic musician, on the other hand, is only able to access the music through its ‘soul’ and what it stimulates within him. If he touches this ‘soul’, he surmounts all other difficulties. Here, then, a great deal of personal initiative is required from the interpreter. He improvises, not sticking to the basic form of the piece of music but varying it according to the time of day or the occasion - for the same piece can sound quite different played at midday or at night, as it is being performed in a completely different atmosphere.</div>
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This has far-reaching consequences. Classical European music was written down in notes, which to this day is not the case for classical Arabic music, as the same maqam is always improvised and performed in a different way.</div>
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One of the most important classical music forms in the east of the Arab world is the waslat. It consists of a series of compositions and improvised instrumental and vocal pieces, which are all played in one and the same maqam series. The waslat always begins with an instrumental piece, which may be a sama'i or a bashraf. Both forms are played by the entire orchestra and are similar in form, but differ in rhythm. They could, however, be compared with the overture in a European suite. Between the individual songs of the waslat, taqsim are played: these are solo pieces for one instrument only, which enable individual soloists to demonstrate the range of their improvisational skill.</div>
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This is followed by a group of up to eight vocal pieces with instrumental accompaniment. The texts of the songs are mostly ancient poems, generally from the Middle Ages, which were written to go with a particular melody.</div>
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In northern African countries another form of classical music has established itself: the nouba. This is a specific, large-scale musical form of Arabic-Andalusian music. In the cities of the Maghreb countries Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, the nouba has retained its characteristic form to this day. The nouba is an important large-scale musical form comparable with the European suite. It usually consists of five parts, called mizan, which are each characterised by a particular fundamental rhythmic pattern. The individual sections are named after these rhythmic patterns. The nouba consists of different musical themes, which are not woven together as is often the case in European music; however, stylistically and melodically, as in the European suite, they create a whole.</div>
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Song and poetry</div>
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The key starting point for Arabic music is song. In Arabic musical tradition there is hardly any music without song. Music and poetry are so closely woven together that to this day it is difficult to discover the names of the composers of classical Arabic music. We often only know the names of the singers and poets. If purely instrumental pieces are played at all, it is usually as an introduction to a song. Polyphonic elements, like those typical in European music, have therefore scarcely been able to establish themselves.</div>
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The figure of the singer is central to any musical group, and bears a huge responsibility. She (or he) must not only be a talented singer; she must also have a strong, beautiful voice that is capable of representing a counterpart to the orchestra. In the Arab world the musical experience a singer, with her ensemble, conveys to her audience is referred to as tarab. The term signifies exhilaration, ecstasy, or euphoria. It is a mood created by the song and the music, which culminates in a feeling of happiness bordering on intoxication. The tarab can transport the entire audience; sometimes people weep or groan in pain when the singer sings of her lost love. Other listeners jump up and loudly cheer on the performers. The degree of intensity of the tarab depends primarily on the voice and manner of performance of the singer. According to temperament, mood, and occasion, the singer not only allows herself the freedom of creative artistic interpretation but does in fact improvise. </div>
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A singer’s career is usually characterised by a thorough training in Koran recitation according to the traditional rules of song. There are hardly any singers who have subsequently become famous who have not undergone the hard schooling of Koran recitation; for the musically modulated performance of the suras is part of the cultural heritage of classical Arabic music. Just as many European singers who want to specialise in baroque music make a thorough study of Renaissance and baroque choral music, many Arab classical music singers choose the route of Koran recitation. This is why until the 1950s almost all well-known singers and musicians bore the title ‘Sheikh’, which in this case designates a religious dignitary.</div>
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The traditional orchestra for classical music, called al tacht, consists of three main instruments: the oud, the qanoun and the nay, to which was later added the Arab violin, the kamanija. The oud, the Arab short-necked lute, provides both the rhythm and the melody in Arabic music. It has been celebrated by many Arab poets, and is the foundation of Arabic music theory.</div>
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This is complemented by the qanoun. It is similar to a zither but has movable bridges, which enable it to produce numerous micro-intervals. It has 78 strings, and its name essentially means ‘the law’ – an expression of Pythagorean thought, which establishes a connection between the relations between intervals in general, particularly in music, and the composition of the cosmos. </div>
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The nay is a wind instrument used in classical Arabic music. To the European ear, its sound is similar to that of the panpipes. The nay was originally a wooden pipe with a total of seven holes. It is thus able to play the pure Oriental tonal sequence, unlike, for example, the piano or the organ, which cannot play quartertones. The ensemble also includes a variety of rhythm instruments such as the daf, the darbouka and the riq.</div>
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The encounter with Western music</h3>
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Classical Arabic music was nurtured and handed down for centuries in Persian culture and in the Arab and Ottoman Islamic empires. From the mid-nineteenth century onwards it was confronted with Western music – primarily by way of British colonial policy – and absorbed new elements as a result. However, during the First World War and the resulting rise in nationalist sentiment, people began to turn again more strongly to their own musical roots. The Egyptians in particular took the opportunity to develop from the Arabic tradition a new kind of music.</div>
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In 1932 the first international Congress of Arab Music was held in Cairo. Arabic music experienced a kind of rebirth. The congress is regarded to this day as one of the most important stages in the development of recent Arabic music history. Numerous musicians and musicologists from all over the Arab world as well as from Turkey, Persia and Western Europe met here for the first time to consider in detail the subject of Arabic music and engage in intercultural dialogue and exchange.</div>
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Important personalities from all over the world were invited: well-known music critics and composers like Béla Bartók, Paul Hindemith or Henri Rabaud; musicologists such as Erich Moritz von Hornbostel, Robert Lachmann or Curt Sachs, Orientalists like Henry George Farmer or Alexis Chottin. Renowned Arab classical musicians also came, such as Sami Shawwa from Aleppo, or Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab from Egypt. Famous poets were invited, too. And of course there were performances from the best-known Arabic classical music groups of the time, who came from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.</div>
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The congress cleared the way for a new type of Arabic music. It was anchored firmly in its indigenous traditions, and had rediscovered its own foundations. At the same time, Arab musicians and composers had gained considerable freedom of movement. Their orientation towards the modern age, very soon integrating new methods and techniques, was seen by many as an expansion of musical possibilities. Modern European music, for its part, adopted from the Orient not only the ancient art of the quartertone but also its variety of rhythms and timbres.</div>
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The most important subject addressed at the congress was the introduction of Western instruments into Arabic music. The subject occasioned a great deal of discussion, because it would mean having to alter the Arabic scale. There were those in favour, who saw it as an opportunity to renew Arabic music, to introduce more harmony and polyphony, as well as extending the orchestra.</div>
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But there were also those who opposed the idea. They feared that Arabic music would lose its identity as a result. They argued that Western instruments were not suited to the reproduction of the quartertone so typical for Arabic music. Time, however, has shown that a fusion of these instruments was possible. There were even musicians who built a special piano capable of playing a quartertone.</div>
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Those in favour argued that many ideas and instruments later developed in Europe had actually originated in the Orient. They had come to Europe centuries earlier, and were now returning to Arab culture in a different form.</div>
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The rabab, a precursor of the violin, for example, came from the Arab cultural realm to Europe, where its register and quality of sound were considerably improved upon. As early as the seventeenth century, Arab musicians and composers began to introduce the European violin in Arabic music ensembles to accompany the rabab. In the nineteenth century the rabab was largely replaced by the violin, which produced an audibly better tone. Modern Arab musicians were already using it in the twentieth century as a matter of course. The violin was thus the first European instrument to be incorporated into Arabic classical music.</div>
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Nonetheless, composers were happy to include Western harmonies and Western instruments, such as the violin, cello, and double bass, in their repertoire, and this was the start of the modern Arabic music we have today.</div>
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source:<a href="http://www.goethe.de/ges/phi/prj/ffs/the/a96/en8626486.htm" target="_blank">www.goethe.de</a></div>

Arabic Music and Its History

Arabic Music and Its History Arabic music can, broadly speaking, be divided into two styles, which can be clearly differentiated from ...

Irish Traditional Songs

Eugene 0 international music 12:36 AM

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What is traditional?</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcrzT6QLEVYUKz5kyJZAlxmAbuakrHOp8Lq3VJ4kDDLJIEdOKqyWLeStk2g7vhRilukuRNajA81cByCj-eFF3EHIBssYur7sTXCtns3HykREmGR-Vp7RY3NrvYNiHkcUEGWMyPSJIGIke/s1600/e8f98a72-95ad-4199-bc43-078117013a6e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQcrzT6QLEVYUKz5kyJZAlxmAbuakrHOp8Lq3VJ4kDDLJIEdOKqyWLeStk2g7vhRilukuRNajA81cByCj-eFF3EHIBssYur7sTXCtns3HykREmGR-Vp7RY3NrvYNiHkcUEGWMyPSJIGIke/s320/e8f98a72-95ad-4199-bc43-078117013a6e.jpg" width="320" /></a>The first point derives from the music being labeled "traditional". What does this mean? For every player/singer, there is a definition, but the prime common factor is typically some notion of "age"-it's being an "old" form of music. As Einstein might indicate to us, time is relative. Look at the Bunting, Joyce and Petrie Collections (the works of the early "great" collectors). They all invariably describe certain tunes as "ancient". This is the typical terminology of the "antiquarians" of their day (which they all were themselves). BUT, how old is old and ancient? A house in North America built in the 1700s is rare and considered very old. Alone in the small town in which I live, Ballyshannon in County Donegal there are several of them. How old is ancient? When Christ was born! That is a pretty good stab at ancient. Twice a day every weekday, I drive by a man-made religous structure that was very old when Christ was born!</div>
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We have a notion about "traditional" Irish dance music as being ancient. Certainly we have read as much in the great collections. The evidence (and this is critical and forms the basis of investigation into this subject) can only be derived from published collections and other literary accounts of what was played at various periods and it must be noted that these sources also contain their inaccuracies. If publications are examined through time, there is a clear indication that the body of tunes we now generally consider as traditional were composed in the 1700 and 1800s. For some, this is old, for others, it is hard to conceive of this as being ancient, and therefore not traditional.</div>
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Those who don't accept that this is old enough to be "traditional" often discount this music and maintain that the "traditional music of Ireland" was the music of the harpists, a tradition which has died out in a direct aural, passing-on tradition. They commonly note that this music was music which was revered and was performed in venues of high status.</div>
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What the latter view fails to recognise is that running exactly parallel with the harp history was a history of performance of music amongst the general public and there are numerous accounts of this music. In short music performed in houses by ordinary people on such instruments as primitive fiddles, flutes, pipes and whistles. I would call this music as traditional as the music of the harpists. It has evolved directly into today's dance music which we discuss so passionately on the IRTRAD-L list. Personally I suspect that the "elite status" of the harp is true but also masks the performance at citizen level. I base this on accounts of harpists (at the end of the period) who note that while they certainly played for the upper echelons of society, they also did so for the general public with warm receptions.</div>
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Furthermore, if one were to argue for the sole elevated status of harpists, they would in fact find themselves in difficulty. Much of the evidence for this high standing comes from State Papers, not in patronised harpists amongst royalty. In these same papers are accounts of pipers (presumably playing mouth blown pipes) holding equal status!</div>
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Repressive laws designed to stamp out a Gaelic order lifestyle played a large part in the decline of the harp tradition but it is worth while to note that with the demise of the national musical symbol came a quick replacement of it in the upper echelons of society by the uilleann pipes. Over a short period of time, the harp was wiped out and pipers quickly filled the gap with "patronised pipers" and "gentleman pipers" emerging rapidly as a distinct musical group which performed in the vacant venues left by the harpists.</div>
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In short, to say that the true "traditional" music of Ireland died with the harpists is to fail to recognise the parallel tradition of dance music played by the ordinary public on instruments which have been evolving in an unbroken development history to today's instruments.</div>
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The origins of the different dance metres  </h3>
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There have been great debates about the evolution of the "traditional" dance music repertoire which we now generally agree as forming "traditional" Irish music. One fact of outstanding importance is that there are little facts to go on thus, our view of how we have what we have is from one point of view, purely speculative and from another, the result of a great deal of careful investigation and logical conclusion based on the tested information available.</div>
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A mathematician will argue very strongly that the number of music time signatures must be very limited since once you start assigning the number of beats to a bar starting up from one, you quickly meet numbers divisible by a smaller number and thus technically repeat a signature you've already accounted for. For example 1, 2, 3, the next number 4 is divisible by two and so is only a variant of 2, 5, the next number, six, is divisible by three so is only a variant of another time signature etc.</div>
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As a result of this mathematical fact there are only really a limited number of basic rhythms available (though I fully accept complex rhythms can easily be generated without a lot of effort using unusual number combinations). So, in Irish music we wind up with hornpipes, jigs, reels, highlands (or fling/schottische variants), barndances, strathspeys (even Coleman played them!) slides, single jigs, slip jigs, mazurkas and polkas (I exclude airs as we are dealing with dance music). Indeed, these are only the common forms; there are also other forms such as set dances (extra bar versions of key signatures already accounted for above), waltzes, rondos, etc.</div>
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Although the vast quantity of performed traditional Irish dance music is now done in the absence of dancers, tracing the history of the musical rhythms is inexorably entwined with the history of the dances. It is now widely acknowledged a critical agent in the spreading of traditional (not contrived by cultural committees, etc.) dances were military regiments. They brought dances with them they knew from their own countries as well as those they picked up in others. The significance of these can still be seen in the names of some of the sets still danced in traditionally strong dancing areas, such as The Caledonian (after a Scottish regiment) and The Lancer (after the French De Lancier regiment).</div>
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The history of the introduction of each of these rhythms into the performed "tradition" varies between complex to trace and simple to trace. For example, the introduction of the Polka into western European folk (Breathnach's definition of folk please, not to imply "Guns & Bullets" ballads etc.) idiom music is relatively easy to trace. It exploded into the repertoire with the sudden mass popularity of the Swedish singer Jenny Lind. Such was her notoriety that not only were polkas named after her, but polka dances were created and named after her.</div>
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Jenny Lind was primarily a singer, but her career was very much pushed by a new type of PR to emerge then. They made her a SOCIALITE. That is she performed on stage and was then invited to private (publicly covered in news terms by "Social Columnists") parties by influential, socially prominent people.. There was much dancing at these things and Jenny became well known for her preference for dancing a polka. (Jackie Small has done a good bit of digging on this one). As such, she was very much a "popularising vehicle" for the polka.</div>
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The mazurka is a dance of eastern European origin, commonly credited to Poland. It more than likely entered Ireland through the military route but never gained a great foothold with the exception of Donegal. It certainly arrived by the middle of the last century and possibly earlier.</div>
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The date of the strathspey is easy to fix as its invention in Scotland is well documented. James Oswald printed the first strathspey in book 3 of his Pocket Caledonian Companion series in 1745. Its journey to Ireland was more than likely rapid, having only a sustained effect in the northern half of the country. Whether it gave rise to the highland, or whether the highland previously existed and used strathspeys as a melodic base to "compose" new highlands, would now appear to be impossible to determine.</div>
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source: <a href="http://www.standingstones.com/cmaoitm.html" target="_blank">www.standingstones.com</a></div>

Irish Traditional Songs

What is traditional? The first point derives from the music being labeled "traditional". What does this mean? For every playe...

Traditional Korean Music

Eugene 0 international music 12:36 AM

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<span id="ctl00_ctl00_cphMain_cphSubMain_ucNavigation_laMenuContent">A brief introduction of traditional Korean music </span></h2>
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- The Wonsamguk Period </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqvKYJbYGofoQGefJe4AS2omwLbOfYkuwSlFhgQ3aYLbHuVk1a_46Fv6Aue09jlgTv566sx0pLUi-VJHDkBcYzcyQZQoNqWW338jcPRC-cIXAeMPNdvZCsZTyBLVb7G68S6y_CBAwBTVy/s1600/99413-004-CFF7B68B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqvKYJbYGofoQGefJe4AS2omwLbOfYkuwSlFhgQ3aYLbHuVk1a_46Fv6Aue09jlgTv566sx0pLUi-VJHDkBcYzcyQZQoNqWW338jcPRC-cIXAeMPNdvZCsZTyBLVb7G68S6y_CBAwBTVy/s320/99413-004-CFF7B68B.jpg" width="320" /></a>In the Old Stone Age, primitive songs, in general, had been one of the economic means for hunting. So, their view of the world was unilateral. As the New Stone Age arrived, farming made changes in people's life. Songs developed into mantras and hymns while being combined with religious elements. In addition, group dances were performed during wars, farming, working, and funeral ceremonies. These kinds of composite arts developed before the Three Kingdoms period.<br />
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Mahan, a tribal country during the Wonsamguk period, that occupied the present Jeollabuk-do, was an agricultural society. It had seasonal festivals during seeding and harvesting periods. According to the Mahan part of the Wei history in 'Samgukji' ('A History of the Three Kingdoms in China'), people in Mahan paid tribute to God after seeding in May and enjoyed songs and dances with liquor and did the same in October. Therefore, it is our understanding that, at the 'Good Harvest Ritual' in May, religious songs and dances were performed. <br />
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- The Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC-668 AD)  </h3>
During the Wonsamguk Period, music was strongly religious and associated with sorcery. In the Three Kingdoms Period, music was frequently used in national ceremonies to show the authority of the royal family. Goguryeo bordering on the continent had active exchanges with China, including music. For example, chilhyeongeum, or a seven-stringed instrument, was introduced from China to Goguryeo, which renovated the musical instrument to build the 'geomungo', or a six-stringed instrument, transmitted to the present. Besides, Baekje began to have a great influence on the musical circle of Japan from around the 6th century. There was a proof of this influence in that 'goemungo', made by Goguryeo, is actually called 'Baekjegeum' or 'kudara koto' in Japan. In particular, songs and dances of Goguryo were introduced to the Chinese countries of Su and Dang. Baekje developed the mask dance from China and introduced it to Japan. Silla had a rich musical legacy with popular 'gayageum', or a 12-stringed musical instrument, made by Ureuk in Gaya.<br />
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After unifying the Three Kingdoms, Unified Silla freely incorporated cultures of Goguryo and Baekje and had active exchanges with Dang in China, so as to import its advanced culture, reflecting it in the culture of the country. As a result, the music of Unified Silla had succeeded the musical legacies of the Three Kingdoms and added something external to develop a unique musical culture. <br />
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<br />- The Unified Silla Period (668-935) </h3>
Hyangak, or the representative music of Unified Silla, was completed with musical instruments of the three kingdoms, including Goguryeo and Baekje, and was featured with three kinds of stringed instruments (gayageum, geomungo, hyangbipa) and three kinds of wind instruments (daegeum, jonggeum, sogeum). Accepting musical instruments of the previous three kingdoms meant adopting the musical tones and musical structures made and played by those instruments. Therefore 'hyangak', of Unified Silla, can be featured by a variety of musical tones played in the music of Goguryeo and Baekje. Accepting those various musical tones played a critical role in developing new types of musical culture that the noble society, the major class for appreciating music with royal families in the center, demanded. <br />
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- The Goryeo Period (918∼1392) </h3>
The musical culture of Goryeo can be summarized into the three kinds of 'hyangak', transmitted from Unified Silla and developed during Goryeo, 'dangak', introduced from gyobangak of Song, a Chinese country, and 'daeseongak', introduced to Goryeo in the 12th century. Also, there were small trends of music, such as 'gochwiak', field music for the noble class, and 'giak', or instrumental music evolved from performing arts.<br />
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'Hangak', 'dangak', and 'aak' were developed with strong support from major music appreciators of royal families and the noble class. However, a variety of entertaining arts, stunts, and instrumental music called 'baekhuigamu' also formed a small stream of music at that time, meeting the cultural demands from the noble class as well as from commoners, including merchants and craftsmen. According to the music section of 'Goryeoseo', or the 'History of Goryeo', instrumental music is called 'giak-baekhui' and 'giak-jabhui'; and 'jabgi' is called 'jabhui', 'gamu-jabhui', 'gamu-jabgi', or 'baehui-gamu', meaning "entertaining arts and stunts". These instrumental music and entertaining arts and stunts were composite performing arts including songs, dances, and stunts as shown in their titles. Therefore, they are considered as important in music history as well as in the history of play and dance. <br />
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- The Joseon Period (1392∼1910) </h3>
Music of Joseon was blooming for a long time, which is known with hard evidences of comprehensive historical musical facts. Various genres of music created and developed by Joseon have been transmitted to the present as a significant part of Korean music. The music history of the Joseon period is featured by the royal music organizations rearranged, the musical instruments reinvented, a musical tuner called 'yulgwan' that was made, the musical theories organized, a new music notation that was developed, 'dangak-jeongjae' and 'hyangak-jeongjae' (court dances) that were created, and the musical scores and books published. Above all, the unique landmark of the music in this period is the creation of 'aak' (court music) and 'jeonganbo' (musical score).<br />
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Through the latter half of the Joseon period, folk music emerged. 'Aak', 'hyangak', 'dangak', and 'gochiak' were transmitted to the latter period. Also, the middle and lower classes outside the palace also enjoyed their own music with new musical concepts called 'jeong-ak', or court music, and 'minsog-ak', or folk music. The rich middle class, including petty officials, translators, and also the rural gentility, supported folk music. Only with their strong support, 'pansori', or traditional Korean narrative songs, bloomed, and many tributaries of folk music took root, developed, and were transmitted among commoners.<br />
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▶ By genre </h3>
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It is accepted in general that traditional Korean music is divided into 'jeong-ak', or court music, and 'minsog-ak', or folk music. 'Jeong-ak' was played in high-class music salons supported by scholars, and it included court music, songs, old forms of Korean verse ('sijo' and 'gasa'), and 'Yeongsan-hoesang' (a music score of court music). Therefore, 'jeong-ak' is generally called "court music". If folk music can be described as "being like bulgogi (marinated beef with sweet soybean sauce) that immediately waters the mouth", jeong-ak can be expressed as "being like rice and gimchi together that have no zesty relish but with which one cannot be fed up and feel tastier by taking the time to chew". That is, folk music is expressive, but jeong-ak is aesthetic in temperance just like the phrase of 'nagiburyu, aeibulbi', meaning "happy but not too much excitement, sad but not too much grief'.<br />
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source:<a href="http://www.koreamusic.org/LangEn/TextDetailView.aspx?MenuCode=201050200" target="_blank">www.koreamusic.org</a>

Traditional Korean Music

A brief introduction of traditional Korean music - The Wonsamguk Period In the Old Stone Age, primitive songs, in general, had be...

HIstory of Chinese Musis

Eugene 0 history 12:15 AM

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Development</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahYi8ZUXMpC4kCIvB-QNCrApbTl_anpJcn04EhAQooI4grqhuo4Mlb4RWgsYhKqhCIBTKImbADUXc_8agASIVcqP506E0ARKDle1JKRUiU3THA76PQ_8EmDvo-SBdxcJcbHYpKSVc6DGB/s1600/Naxi_Musicians_I.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahYi8ZUXMpC4kCIvB-QNCrApbTl_anpJcn04EhAQooI4grqhuo4Mlb4RWgsYhKqhCIBTKImbADUXc_8agASIVcqP506E0ARKDle1JKRUiU3THA76PQ_8EmDvo-SBdxcJcbHYpKSVc6DGB/s320/Naxi_Musicians_I.jpg" width="320" /></a>Traditional Chinese music can be traced back 7,000 - 8,000 years based on the discovery of a bone flute made in the Neolithic Age. In the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, only royal families and dignitary officials enjoyed music, which was made on chimes and bells. During the Tang Dynasty, dancing and singing entered the mainstream, spreading from the royal court to the common people. With the introduction of foreign religions such as Buddhism and Islam, exotic and religious melodies were absorbed into Chinese music and were enjoyed by the Chinese people at fairs organized by religious temples.</div>
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In the Song Dynasty, original opera such as Zaju and Nanxi was performed in tearooms, theatres, and showplaces. Writers and artists liked it so much that Ci, a new type of literature resembling lyrics, thrived. During the Yuan Dynasty, qu, another type of literature based on music became popular. This was also a period when many traditional musical instruments were developed such as the pipa, the flute, and the zither.</div>
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During the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing Dynasties (1644 - 1911), the art of traditional opera developed rapidly and diversely in different regions. When these distinctive opera styles were performed at the capital (now called Beijing), artists combined the essence of the different styles and created Beijing opera, one of three cornerstones of Chinese culture (the other two being Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese painting) which continue to be appreciated even in modern times.</div>
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Besides these types, Chinese peasants were clever enough to compose folk songs, which also developed independently with local flavor. Folk songs described working and daily life such as fishing, farming, and herding and were very popular among the common people.</div>
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Traditional Musical Instruments</div>
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They can be divided into four categories: stringed instruments, percussion instruments, plucked instruments, and wind instruments. The following are just a few of them:</div>
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Horse-Headed Fiddle</div>
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The Horse-headed fiddle is a bowed stringed-instrument with a scroll carved like a horse's head. It is popular in Mongolian music. With a history of over 1,300 years, it even influenced European string music when Marco Polo brought one back from his travels through Asia. Its wide tonal range and deep, hazy tone color express the joy or pathos of a melody to its fullest.</div>
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Horse-Headed FiddleHorse-Headed Fiddle</h3>
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The Mongolian people bestowed upon their beloved horse-headed fiddle a fantastic legend: during horse-racing at the Nadam Fair -- their featured grand festival--a hero, Su He, and his white horse ran the fastest, which incurred the envy and wrath of the duke. The cruel duke shot the horse dead, and Su He grieved so much that he met his horse in a dream. In the dream, the horse told Su He to make a fiddle from wood and the hair of a horse's tail, and to carve the head of the fiddle in the shape of a horse's head. The lad followed the horse's advice and when he finished, the fiddle produced an extremely vivid sound. From then on, people loved this instrument and composed many songs for it.</div>
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Lute (Pipa)</h3>
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Originally named after the loquat fruit, the earliest pipa known was found to have been made in the Qin Dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC). By the the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), the pipa had reached its summit. It was loved by everyone--from the royal court to the common folk--and it occupied the predominant place in the orchestra. Many well known writers and poets created poems and mentioned it in their works. Bai Juyi, the master poet, vividly depicted the performance like this: rapid and soft notes mingled were just like big and small pearls dropping onto the jade plates.</div>
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Afterwards, the pipa underwent improvement in playing techniques and structure. Players then changed from holding the pipa transversely to holding it vertically, and from using a pick to using the fingers to pluck the strngs directly. In modern times, the volume and resonance has also been improved. The traditional work 'Spring Moonlight on the Flowers by the River', which has a history of over one hundred years, has brought harmony and a sense.</div>
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Erhu</h3>
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The Erhu, also called 'Huqin', was introduced from the western region during the Tang Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), it was refined and improved and new variations appeared. It was also an important instrument for playing the melody of Beijing Opera.</div>
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When playing, the player usually stands the Erhu on his lap, and moves the bow across the vertical strings. The well-known music 'Two Springs Reflect the Moon' was created by the blind folk artist Liu Yanjun, also named A Bing by the people. Though he could not see anything of the world, he played his Erhu using his heart and imagination. This melody conjures up a poetic night scene under the moonlight and expresses the composer's desolation and hope.</div>
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Flute</h3>
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The earliest flute was made from bone over 7,000 years ago. In the times since then, most flutes were made of bamboo, which allowed even common people to play it. By covering the holes and blowing through the side hole while moving the fingers flexibly between the six holes, a sound will be produced that is leisurely and mellifluous like sound from far away. This always reminds people of a pastoral picture of a farmer riding on a bull while playing a flute.</div>
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source:<a href="https://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/arts/chinese-music.htm" target="_blank">travelchinaguide.com</a></div>

HIstory of Chinese Musis

Development Traditional Chinese music can be traced back 7,000 - 8,000 years based on the discovery of a bone flute made in the Neolith...

Music of Mexico

Eugene 0 international music 12:14 AM

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Music of Mexico</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_Y9I3ryq1UxcuQokpi7C-irCM-y9rLwqUbGdfV_CpcovwmOKEOMQU3E_wtJOVIVQAezmULvMaWNa28cZowUBs1PKsiI1f49VJVid87YzIDxpTcYt8qSIt5k2HuG3fjrwMj96J9-RIplh/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_Y9I3ryq1UxcuQokpi7C-irCM-y9rLwqUbGdfV_CpcovwmOKEOMQU3E_wtJOVIVQAezmULvMaWNa28cZowUBs1PKsiI1f49VJVid87YzIDxpTcYt8qSIt5k2HuG3fjrwMj96J9-RIplh/s320/hqdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a>Mexico has a musical history that is full of cultural contrasts, with many different musical styles and influences. Dating back more than a thousand years before any contact was made with Europeans in the 16th century, the area was dominated by the Aztec culture, a culture that maintained an important and complex musical tradition.</div>
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After Cortes’ invasion and conquest, Mexico became a Spanish colony and remained under Spanish dominion for the next two hundred years, incorporating their Pre-Columbian roots together with the lasting influence that came with the Spanish. Both folk and classical music have drawn from these, and regional styles reflect these traditions. The Spanish regime also imported African slaves, adding a third dimension to the areas music.</div>
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Mexican Son:</div>
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Mexican son first appeared in the 17th century and is a fusion of indigenous, Spanish and African traditions, much like Cuban son. But in Mexico, the music exhibited lots of variation from region to region, both in rhythm and instrumentation.Some of these regional sones include son jarocho from the area around Vera Cruz, son jaliscenses from Jalisco, son huasteco, son calentano, son michoacano, etc.</div>
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Mariachi:</h3>
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We tend to think of Mariachi as a style of music, but it's actually a group of musicians. There is some disagreement about where the name 'Mariachi' comes from. Some music historians believe that it is derived from the french "mariage" (marriage) and indeed, such groups formed and still form an essential part of weddings in Mexico. An alternate theory posits that the word comes from a Coca Indian word that originally referred to the platform on which the orchestra performed.</div>
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The mariachi orchestra is composed of at least two violins, two trumpets, a Spanish guitar, and two other types of guitars - the vilhuela and guitarron. The ‘charro’ suits worn by the band members are attributed to General Portofino Diaz who, in 1907, ordered the poor peasant musicians to don these outfits in order to look good for a visit by the U.S. Secretary of State – and the tradition lived on.</div>
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Evolution of Mariachi:</div>
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There is no one type of music that mariachis play, although they are closely tied to ranchera music. Originally mariachi and ranchera were mostly about romantic themes, but as the Mexican economy worsened, the haciendas could no longer afford to have their own mariachi band on the premises and they let the musicians go. As a result of unemployment and harder times, the mariachi began to change themes, singing about revolutionary heroes or current events.</div>
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By the early 20th century, mariachi previously known only through their various regional styles began to coalesce into a uniform musical genre, one that became recognizable throughout all of Mexico. That was due, in large part, to musicians Silvestre Vargas and Ruben Fuentes of the mariachi group "Vargas de Tecalitlan" who made sure that the popular music was written down and standardized.In the 1950s, trumpets (and sometimes a harp) were introduced to the orchestra, and that instrumentation is what we currently find in mariachi bands.Mexico has a musical history that is full of cultural contrasts, with many different musical styles and influences. Dating back more than a thousand years before any contact was made with Europeans in the 16th century, the area was dominated by the Aztec culture, a culture that maintained an important and complex musical tradition.</div>
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Choro and Sertaneja Music from Brazil</div>
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Choro and Sertaneja music are only two of the most popular forms of Traditional Latin American music coming from Brazil. Choro developed in Rio de Janeiro during the 19th century. It became popular in the 1930s but it lost its appeal during the Bossa Nova boom. Choro is usually played with guitars, flute and cavaquinho, a combination that makes this style quite pleasant to the ear.</div>
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Sertaneja music is a traditional style equivalent to Country music in the US. It is, indeed, quite popular in Brazil but not outside the country. Sertaneja has its origins in the sertao and caipira music, two traditional Brazilian music styles. In addition to Choro and Sertaneja, Brazil has many more traditional rhythms that include Maracatu, Afoxe, Frevo and Forro, among others.</div>
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Cumbia from Colombia</h3>
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Cumbia is Colombia's most well known contribution to Traditional Latin American music. This rhythm was born in the Atlantic coast of the country during the 19th century. Cumbia offers a heavy percussion which is nicely combined with large gaita flutes. Despite being a Colombian rhythm, Cumbia has been extensively adopted as a musical expression in modern Mexican popular music.</div>
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source:<a href="http://latinmusic.about.com/od/countrie1/p/PROBASICS17.htm" target="_blank">latinmusic.about.com</a></div>
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Music of Mexico

Music of Mexico Mexico has a musical history that is full of cultural contrasts, with many different musical styles and influences. Dat...

History of Nepali Music

Eugene 0 international music 10:51 PM

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History of Nepali Music </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8J4VIUJbuxUGnBoVEqngTRlL2xFteevVOHrZX8dFLksmeO2_VJ0APIRsxgJ6afeTWJ8a7gNNCtW2TcvEhzxrccKcaEil2meuKsEkB54ULZ53aBe186oA-SibpmynrIkGbQjK0wM-mMrTg/s1600/nepali-musical-instruments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8J4VIUJbuxUGnBoVEqngTRlL2xFteevVOHrZX8dFLksmeO2_VJ0APIRsxgJ6afeTWJ8a7gNNCtW2TcvEhzxrccKcaEil2meuKsEkB54ULZ53aBe186oA-SibpmynrIkGbQjK0wM-mMrTg/s320/nepali-musical-instruments.jpg" width="320" /></a>Music of Nepal refers to the various musical genres of Nepal. With more than fifty ethnicity, the music of this country is a highly dispersed phenomenon. Although genres like pop, rock, folk, and Classical music exist, a huge number of such genres are yet to be cataloged. Many musical bands exist in Nepal, with a huge number in Kathmandu – most of the recent ones focused in pop and rock. Rap has been known to emerge on the charts from time to time.</div>
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Medieval Era</h3>
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Newari Music developed and flourished during this era. The Malla kings were known for their interest in arts. Drama created during those eras is accompanied by music. Many of the guthis of Kathmandu valley have their origin in this era. These guthis maintain the musical genres established during that era. Dāpā music, a type of Newari bhajan is believed to have originated in this era.</div>
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Modern History</h3>
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The modern history is a very short one. At times when big and private music companies where mushrooming the Western cities, Kathmandu got its first radio station, Radio Nepal in the year 1952. Since then Radio Nepal has expanded to become the dominant radio station all over the country, which helped in the uprising of many key figures in the field, notably Shiva Shankar, Natikaji, Narayan Gopal, Arun Thapa Magar (also known as Arun Thapa), Dharma Raj Thapa, Jhalak Man Gandarva, and in the female arena Koili Devi Mathema, Tara Devi, Aruna Lama, Gyanu Rana.</div>
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Those music genres which have roots in Nepal can be considered as indigenous Nepalese music. This includes:</div>
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Newari Music</h3>
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Newa Music, also spelled Newar Music, is traditional music developed in Nepal by the Newars. The musical instruments mainly consist of percussion and wind instruments.</div>
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The Instruments</h3>
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The instruments can be categorized as:</div>
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Membranophones:</div>
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Dhimay, Paschima, Khin, Kwonchakhin, Damakhin, Dhaa, Nayekhin, Dholak, Nagara, Kal dab dab</div>
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Chordophones:</div>
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Piwancha, Sarangi</div>
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Aerophones:</div>
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Bansuri, Baye, Mwaali, Ponga, Kaahan</div>
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Idiophones:</div>
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Taa, Babhu, Chhusyaa, Kaynpin, Bhusyaa</div>
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Traditional music</div>
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The traditional Newar music has been arranged into a particular schedule [6]. One of the dominant forms of traditional Newar music is ‘Dapha’. Dapha music is a classical newar music that probably originated during late ‘Lichhavi Period’ and flourished in the ‘Malla period’. Basically, the songs of Dapha music are devotional songs based on classical ragas. Dapha music is played by bands known as ‘Dapha Khalah’ that may be associated with a traditional groups called ‘guthi’. According to the ragas certain songs are played at certain season or time of day. The songs generally narrate or depict the mood of the particular season.</div>
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Gurung Music</h3>
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The Gurung have a very rich tradition of music and culture. Gurungs have an ancient tradition of Rodhi where young people meet, sing and dance to folk songs, and share their views. Young men and women at Rodhi often sing call-and-response songs called dohori, which are largely improvised. Some musical dances like Ghantu and Chudka are still in existence, and are still performed in many Gurung villages. These dances are many hundreds of years old, and are performed either solo or in a group. Music also plays a big role in the Gurung ritual of Argum, which is performed when someone in the community dies.</div>
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These traditions are still very much alive in rural Gurung villages. Gurung films are also popularizing some of these songs and dances.</div>
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Tamang Music</h3>
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Tamang community is well known for Damphu, traditional instrument. Tamang selo music is based on the usage of Damphu and Tungna. It is said that British people got an idea of making Drum Sets from Damphu during their stay at India. Western and Indian instruments are also found in some modern Tamang Selo music. Recently due to the re-mixing trend of classic Nepali songs, Tamang Selo tuned songs like changba hoi changba, Man chadey Maichyang lai have been a hit in Nepali radio stations. Also, Modern artists like Sindhu Malla, Raju Lama,[1] Avinash Ghising, Roj Moktan, Bijay Lama, etc. have used Tamang Selo tunes in their songs and those songs have also been a hit.</div>
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And Kirat (Paddy dance, Chya:brung(drum dance), sakela, sakewa and Chandi Naach), Sherpa, Maithili and other music are considered as indigenous Nepalese music</div>
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Dohori</div>
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In Nepal there are different kind of music. Among them one cultural type of song is called dohori. Dohori is Nepali Folk song. This is unique type of song in world. Dohoro means from two side,or a debate. This debate is in rhythm, and involves quick and witty poetry.The two teams in Dohori usually involves boys in one group girls in the other.The song is started with a question usually from the boys side. The girl follows the question with a quick response and continues the musical conversation. Dohori songs can last for long time. The length of the Dohari depends on the quick thinking ability of the players. Some Doharis have lasted as long as seven days. People celebrate the entire night singing the Dohari.They start singing in evening and end at dawn. Love and marriage are usually the topic of the debate. The male expresses his love or feelings to the girl in the song and girl may or may not respond positively for various reasons.</div>
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source:<a href="http://www.inasociety.org/history-of-nepali-music/" target="_blank">inasociety.org</a></div>

History of Nepali Music

History of Nepali Music Music of Nepal refers to the various musical genres of Nepal. With more than fifty ethnicity, the music of thi...

Tupac Shakur

Eugene 0 artists 10:20 PM

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Tupac</h2>
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Synopsis</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKpPhz3Yw80ohpWIn7X9Vc4jLajLO_oERUmKf1XhhBK1bPO1sSredDIcYDkb86fHk-VcIBQche3KYosp0sP-zQ0iBLl8NYrdrT75bMne2IGtF_hHufsoFJBadYFrn32-6RI4B-YZ3XGPN/s1600/1000509261001_2050821238001_Bio-Biography-Tupac-Shakur-SF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKpPhz3Yw80ohpWIn7X9Vc4jLajLO_oERUmKf1XhhBK1bPO1sSredDIcYDkb86fHk-VcIBQche3KYosp0sP-zQ0iBLl8NYrdrT75bMne2IGtF_hHufsoFJBadYFrn32-6RI4B-YZ3XGPN/s320/1000509261001_2050821238001_Bio-Biography-Tupac-Shakur-SF.jpg" width="320" /></a>Born in New York City in 1971, Tupac Shakur, known by his stage name 2Pac, was an American rapper. Shakur has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. Most of Tupac's songs are about growing up amid violence and hardship in ghettos, racism, other social problems and conflicts with other rappers during the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry. Shakur was shot and killed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1996.</div>
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Early Life</h3>
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Shakur has become a legend in hip-hop and rap circles for his talent, his violent behavior, and his brutal death. The son of Black Panther activists, Shakur was raised by his mother Afeni Shakur. She was actually in jail on bombing charges during her pregnancy with Tupac. She was later acquitted in the case. He had no contact with his biological father, Billy Garland, until he was an adult.</div>
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According to The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, Shakur was originally named Lesane Parish Crooks, but his moniker was soon changed to Tupac Amaru Shakur. "Tupac Amaru" means "shining serpent." He had a difficult childhood, moving frequently around in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and the Bronx. Shakur received an education in radical politics from his mother, but he also saw some of life's hardships through her struggles with substance abuse. In his youth, he explored acting by becoming a member of the 127th Street Ensemble, a Harlem-based theater company.</div>
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As a teenager, Shakur attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he took acting and dance classes, including ballet. While living in Baltimore, he discovered rap and began performing as MC New York. In the late 1980s, Shakur and his family moved to the West Coast. He joined the Oakland, California-based hip-hop group Digital Underground, which earlier had scored a hit with the song "The Humpty Dance." Shakur appeared on two of the group's recordings—1990's This Is an EP and Sons of the P before going solo.</div>
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Debut as 2Pac</h3>
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In 1991, Shakur emerged as a solo artist—using the name 2Pac—with his debut album 2Pacalypse Now. The track "Brenda's Got a Baby" reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. His second album, Strictly 4 My N. I. G. G. A. Z., crossed over to the pop charts, with singles "I Get Around" and "Keep Ya Head Up." The album went platinum, selling more than a million copies.</div>
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Around this time, Shakur made his film debut in the 1992 urban crime drama Juice with Omar Epps, Samuel L. Jackson and Queen Latifah. He showed his softer side in Poetic Justice (1993), which was billed as "A Street Romance." Shakur starred opposite Janet Jackson in the film. The following year, he played a drug dealer in the basketball drama Above the Rim.</div>
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Controversy</div>
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2Pac became quite a sensation, earning praise for his musical and acting talent as well as condemnation for his explicit, violent lyrics. Many of his songs told of fights, gangs, and sex. He appeared to be living up to his aggressive gangster rap persona with several arrests for violent offenses in the 1990s. In 1994, he spent several days in jail for assaulting director Allen Hughes and was later convicted of sexual assault in another case. Shakur himself fell victim to violence, getting shot five times in the lobby of a recording studio during a mugging.</div>
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The next year, after recovering from his injuries, Shakur was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in the sexual assault case. His third solo album, Me Against the World (1995), started out in the number one spot on the album charts. Many critics praised the work, noting that tracks like "Dear Mama" showed a more genuine, reflective side to the rapper. The possibility of an early death runs through several songs on this recordings - something that many have seen as a chilling moment of foretelling.</div>
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After serving eight months in prison, Shakur returned to music with the album All Eyez on Me (1996). He was reportedly released after Death Row Records CEO Marion "Suge" Knight paid a bond of more than $1 million as part of Shakur's parole. In his latest project, Shakur as the defiant street thug was back in full force on this recording. The song "California Love" featured a guest appearance by famed rapper-producer Dr. Dre and made a strong showing on the pop charts. "How Do You Want It" also was another smash success for Shakur. It appeared to be a golden time for Shakur.</div>
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Besides his hit album, Shakur continued to pursue his acting career. He landed several film roles around this time. He co-starred with Mickey Rouke in the 1996 crime drama Bullet. Before his untimely death, Shakur completed work on two other projects—Gridlock'd and Gang Related—that were released in 1997.</div>
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source: <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/tupac-shakur-206528#controversy" target="_blank">biography.com</a></div>

Tupac Shakur

Tupac Synopsis Born in New York City in 1971, Tupac Shakur, known by his stage name 2Pac, was an American rapper. Shakur has sold mor...