Reggaeton Presentation

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PhrNF2RgfhY
(el general)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=id-NWSgqTzI
(daddy yankee)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Nsji2gQTWF8
(nore)

May 24th

I believe to be part of the subgroup of rap/hip hop listeners that strongly dislikes the modern music established by artists in this genre (when I say modern, I mean the last two years or so). However, one rapper's amazing talent stands out to me and keeps me interested in this type of music: Eminem. Although he has yet to release a new hit single for the past year or so, his greatest accomplishments are portrayed through the music he released at the turn of the century. In these songs, he uses certain techniques to display certain emotions towards fans, politics, other artists, and personal issues.

Firstly, Eminem, in my opinion, has an extraordinary talent that enables him to rap with a very angry tone. In many of his songs he demonstrates his anger toward a certain subject and makes it obvious to the listeners through his loud, livid voice. He often aims at certain topics or themes when he feels bothered by what they represent. Therefore, by expressing himself freely and having the courage to say what he wishes on his albums, he allows his fans to absorb an idea of what he is attempting to project. It definitely helps us understand what he is so furious about, whether it be modern day politics or marriage issues, and further allows us to construct an identity of him through his music.

Although Eminem may seem to be the rebellious, heated rapper, he also has a kind, soft side. Eminem has an 11-year-old daughter named Halie, who he obviously loves dearly. Throughout his last three, bestselling albums, he has dedicated many of his tracks to his young daughter. In fact, of these songs, about five of them are directly aimed toward her. The melody, beat, and his use of voice is much different in these songs than his famous fury songs. Here, we hear a softer, more gentle sound being applied to get a more loving, caring feel. Eminem reflects on the past, mentioning things he wishes he could have done better for his little girl. He goes as far as apologizing to Halie for having such severe problems with her mother. He never fails to remind her of how much he loves her and will always be there for her. To his fans, this basically informs them of his natural, father-like love towards his only born child. His character is much more kind that many would assume. Although he is one of the most prestigious musicians of all time and has dealt with various struggles in his life, he still displays his caring personality to his crowd.

As well as being a very serious musician and portraying himself as a successful rapper, Eminem has also demonstrated that he is quite the comedian. He illustrates this extreme humor through his songs. Eminem has been able to create some of the funniest songs and music videos by ridiculing some famous names in society today. He jokes around about certain activities these other artists take part in and goes as far as making fun of our own President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Eminem actually gained his great fame by establishing a song call "The Real Slim Shady," where he basically aims at all the big names in the "pop" industry. We, as fans, enjoy this type of humor and it allows us to separate Eminem from all other artists in the music business. By creating such songs that seek to embarrass other artists (although it may sound absurd), he makes a clear statement that he does not want to be categorized in the same musical realm as them. His entertaining, crazy behavior also creates (in an indirect manner) the idea that he contained a humorous anger towards certain subjects.

May 17th

I actually enjoyed the scenes we watched from Latcho Drom this week more than the previous week. This week we were exposed (at least in the first scene we watched) to more Westernized instruments in the people's performances. From what I recall, the small musical ensemble constructed in the tiny village was composed of about four or five individuals playing the violin. There was also another man playing an instrument that resemble the accordion, however I'm not fully sure it was. Furthermore, an instrument that looked a lot like the hammer dulcimer was being used by another individual. The people in this scene seem very happy and extremely joyful ; the music played reflects their emotions. The melody of the musical performance seems to be led by the violin and by the flute being played by another man in the back of the group. I'm not too sure what the texture of the piece was but if I were to make an educated guess I would believe it to be homophony or polyphony.

The second scene we witnessed was composed of a young boy and his depressed mother sitting at a railroad station. The Roma people are compacted as a group across the railroad tracks, playing music. Here, we see similarities between this group and the group we saw in the small village. As in the village, we are presented to the violin. However, in this scene, only one individual is playing the instrument. He is followed by other persons playing small, percussion instruments. I believe another person was playing a set of spoon-like instruments (two spoons attached to resemble an idiophone). We also see a concept explained by Brigita today in lecture: the young boy gives the musical group three coins for their performance and merely for cheering up his mom. Brigita explained how performers from this area would play their instruments and sing for viewers at restaurants and other public places (and would get tipped).

Later in the movie, we watched a depressing, mournful scene displaying an older woman sitting by an icy lake. She was apparently a victim of the Holocaust and was showing her emotions by singing in a low, extremely sad voice. This was my favorite scene in the movie because it displayed, by using music, the depression many people of this region went through during the early to mid 1940's. This is, in my opinion, the most powerful scene (emotionally) in the film.

May 10th

Tony Gatlif's brilliant film, Latcho Drom, invites us to journey with a group of "gypsies" from South Asia into the Middle East and parts of Europe. During this trip, we encounter many musical instruments used by various cultures and groups of diverse people. From what I remember, various membranophones, idiophones, and chordophones were presented in the movie. Furthermore, these instruments were played at a very fast pace. We encounter instruments that very much resembled a sitar, yet this specific instrument was played with a bow. In other words, it looked like a erhu (Chinese) but was played like a violin. Another seen actually presented an instrument that looked just like a Westernized violin. In another scene, a young boy played an instrument that resembled the tabla a lot. This membranophone seemed to be a bit smaller, however. A beautiful woman danced along with the young beat the young boy was creating. Also, at the beginning of the film, what seemed like clap sticks or wooden clappers were being maneuvered by the participating individuals. I also recall hearing and seeing a certain instrument that consisted of a string with rings attached to it. I'm not too sure what exactly the instrument resembles but I know it was involved in the musical performances. It is also important to note that dance was very key to the musicians in the film.

I thought Tony Gatlif did a great job in depicting how these "gypsies" tried to absorb the various music cultures they encountered into their own music. He showed how they absorbed these different ethnic practices by using children to trace down what they experienced. In other words, through the eyes of the children, we witness the absorption they undergo with the musics they listen to. They begin to catch on and take part in the mini performances. Also, by allowing the viewers to witness the "gypsies" migrate throughout all these areas, we are able to see how these individuals begin to adapt and enjoy music cultures in different regions.

For some peculiar reason, I found the scene with the little boy playing the tabla-look-alike instrument (with the pretty girl dancing to the melody) very entertaining and interesting. In my opinion, the little boy had a very unique voice. His basic skills with the tabla were impressive as well. Nevertheless, the entire film (at least what we saw) was different in the sense that it steered very far from Westernized musicals and allowed us to experience the adaption of other people's music cultures in another part of the world.

May 3rd

There are various examples in which real life influences film, music, and music videos. Many musicians today write songs and create music videos that argue against certain political aspects and decisions in our country. For example, famous rapper Eminem composed a music video for his hit single "Mosh" a couple years ago that demonstrated his view on the social and political problems in our American society. The video also showed his resentment towards President George Bush and the war in Iraq. It is clear that Eminem maintains a Democratic view. In addition to this track, Eminem created a song called "White America" which also deals with politics. As in "Mosh," his Democratic view are portrayed violently and aggressively. These two qualities make him the famous musician he is today.

Two great examples of films that show occurrences in real life are V for Vendetta and Freedom Writers. In V for Vendetta, a strong, totalitarian government causes a great fighter to eventually overthrow it. Although the period this movie represents is that of Germany's during World War II, movies like these remind us to never commit mistakes like those ever again. The political ideas reflected by this movie entertain audiences but it is clear that Democratic countries, especially the United States, would stay clear from these types of governments. The other movie, Freedom Writers, represents more of a social perspective on real life situations dealing with teenagers. The film shows a handful of students in a dangerous neighborhood and the problems they face everyday. Being that the movie is based on a true story, we get an idea of how life of a teenager in Long Beach is. These two extraordinary movies are influenced by real life circumstances.

Real life is also influenced by entertainment. Many songs and films in our time have influenced the decisions made in society. The movies mentioned above, especially Freedom Writers, have caused organizations and groups to deal with those problems (mentioned in the movies). For example, several schools in the Los Angeles area improved their testing scores after this movie was released. Although music videos show a great deal of situations found in real life, not much of what is said is taken under consideration by groups such as our own Federal Government. There is no doubt, however, that entertainment today depicts the negatives and at times, the positives, in our society.