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letra de popular music of latin america (syllabus, excerpts) - russell cobb

course description and objectives:

this course will focus princ-p-lly on popular forms of music traditionally -ssociated with certain regions or countries. among others, these will include corrido in mexico, salsa and son in the caribbean, samba and bossa nova in brazil, tango in argentina, as well as latin american versions of rock and hip-hop, which have all travelled beyond the places where they originated. while tracing their origin and development, they will be placed in the context of the cultures from which they emerged, with a view to understanding the meaning they have in that context, both as expressions of popular life and culture and as symbolic capital that has in some cases been appropriated by processes of commodification and the formation of national and regional ident-ties

the course is conducted in english. no knowledge of spanish or portuguese is required. all readings will be in english and translations of song texts will be provided as required

objectives:

• develop a historical and theoretical knowledge of latin american popular music
• improve critical thinking and writing sk!lls
• develop a public research project that will annotate the lyrics to one significant artist or group in latin american popular music, to be hosted on rapg*nius.com
• appreciate the wide variety of music in latin america and its role in the region’s history

texts:

access to internet and course website (required)
headphones or speakers for intensive music listening (required)
• i am providing all the music and texts for free through ecl-ss, so do yourself a favour and invest in some quality headphones that will allow you to concentrate and enjoy the richness of the music. here are some suggestions

grade distribution:

cl-ss journal hosted on wordpress blog and (average one blog entry
every two weeks) 15%
individual presentation of a “subgenre” 10%
cl-ss partic-p-tion 10%
exam #1 (oct. 18) 20%
exam #2 (nov. 29) 20%
rap g*nius portfolio (dec. 6) 25%

cl-ss blog (15%): found at http://albertamusica.wordpress.com/ this your sp-ce to reflect on readings and discussions. entries should consist of 200-300 words (around one page) commenting on an aspect of the cl-ss that you want to discuss in more depth. writing here can be informal, but it must be original and must be focused on our topics. you might pose questions or venture some diverging opinions. although you have a certain amount of freedom to post, you must post by the due dates listed in the daily work schedule. there will be no credit for posts after cl-ss time on the due date. there is zero tolerance for plagiarism here, as well as in the more formal writing -ssignments

individual presentation (15%)
presentations will be given on a topic of interest by each student, for 15-20 minutes. each presentation will also include a 2 minute -ssessment (a quiz on your information, for example) to be given to the rest of the cl-ss. presentations will be -ssessed based on content, organization, time management, and engagement with the audience. students will choose one musical genre or movement from a list and present their findings on that topic on the day listed in the syllabus

cl-ss partic-p-tion (10%): students are expected to come to cl-ss with reading and listening done before cl-ss and to engage with lectures and discussions. more than three unexcused absences will result in a 10% loss of the partic-p-tion grade for each subsequent absence after three. eating, texting, or emailing during cl-ss will automatically lower your partic-p-tion grade 10%. cl-ss attendence is especially important to understand the music in its context. students will evaluate themselves at the end of term. partic-p-tion will be evaluated holistically and based on cl-ss attendence, partic-p-tion in group activities, and reaction on ecl-ss forums (which is especially important if you are shy)

test #1 (20%) : this test will be held on oct. 18 and will cover the first half of the content covered in the term. it will come straight from readings, screenings, and discussions. there will be short answers, no longer than a paragraph each

test #2 (20%) this test will be held on nov. 27 and will cover the second half of the content covered in the term. it will come straight from readings, screenings, and discussions. there will be short answers, no longer than a paragraph each

non-csl students: rap g*nius artist annotation (25% final portfolio)
for the final project, students will be annotating the work of one latin american artist or music group on the website rap g*nius, which is an open-source database of annotations of lyrics

csl students: (20% for segment and reflection paper; 5% for cl-ss presentation of segment)
students will produce a segment on edmonton-based music and/or dance for programa nosotros or cjsr’s cjsr edition news program. this will be accompanied by a 4-5 page reflection paper on the student’s experience

…

unit one: what we talk about when we talk about music

wednesday, september 4
introductions. what is popular music? what is latin america? a note about our pioneering work with rap g*nius and csl projects

friday, september 6
what we talk about when we talk about music
• visit from rodrigo loyola of programa nosotros
read:
• jacques attali, “noise”
• richard middleton, “music studies and the idea of culture”
do:
• post your favourite song of the moment on the blog. after reading “noise” how does your feeling about the song change (or not)?

monday, september 9
read:
• catherine den tandt & richard young. “tradition and transformation in latin american music.” the cambridge companion to modern latin american culture. ed. john king. cambridge: cambridge university press, 2004. 236-57
listen
• carlos chavez, “sinfonia india”
• heitor villa-lobos, bidu sayão – “bachiana nº 5” – cantilena

unit two: mexico

wednesday, september 11
the corrido
• visit from matt from cjsr
read:
• hernandez, guillermo e. “what is a corrido?
listen:
• “la cucaracha”
• “la adelita”
• “viva obama!”
presentation on the mexican revolution: professor

friday, september 13
the bolero
read:
• mark pedelty, “the bolero: the birth, life, and decline of mexican modernity”
listen:
• “noche de ronda” agustin lara
• “noche de ronda” trio los panchos with eydie gormé
• « farolito » agustin lara
presentation on danzón:

monday, september 16 (last add/drop day)
mexican rock en español
read:
• hoslten, mark, “rock and roll en español”
• esterrich, carmelo and murillo, javier h. “rock with punk with pop with folklore: transformations and renewal in aterciopelados and café tacvba.”
listen:
• los aterciopelados, “la cuchilla”
• café tacvba, “madrugal”
• café tacvba, “ingrata”
presentation: rock en español in colombia: juliana cortes

wednesday, september 18
the narcocorrido
do:
• cl-ss journal# 1 due on word press site. see above for details
read:
• john macdowell “the ballad of narcomexico”
listen:
• los tigres del norte, “contrabando y traición”
• el komander, “el ejecutor”
presentation: banda music:

friday, september 20
tijuana reborn
read:
• madrid, alejandro l. “navigating ideologies in “in-between” cultures: signifying practice in nortec music.”
listen:
• nortec collective, “tijuana makes me happy”
• nortec collective, “tijuana br-ss”
• nortec collective, “bar infierno”
presentation: norteño music norma

unit three: brazil

monday, september 23
workshop on annotating for rap g*nius

wednesday, september 25
origins of brazilian popular music
read:
• garcia, thomas, “the choro, the guitar and villa-lobos.”

listen:
• heitor villa-lobos, bidu sayão – “bachiana nº 5” – cantilena
• ernesto nazareth, “odeon”
• donga, “pelo telefone”
• ary barroso, “aquarela do brasil”
presentation on the birth of samba:

friday. september 27
carmen miranda
read
• james mandrell, “carmen miranda betwixt and between, or, neither here nor there”
listen:
• carmen miranda, “o que é que a bahiana tem?”
• carmen miranda, “the lady in the tutti frutti hat”
watch:
• how music works: rhythm – accent & syncopation
presentation: carmen miranda as queer icon: tyler hamblett

monday, september 30
blame it on the bossa nova
read:
• kariann goldschmidt, “doing the bossa nova”
listen:
• joão gilberto, “bim bom”
• stan getz and charlie byrd “desafinado” url
• joão gilberto, “só danço samba”

wednesday, october 2
• workshop #2 on rap g*nius

friday, october 4
tropicália
read:
• dunn, christopher. “in the adverse hour: the denouement of tropicalia.”

listen:

• caetano veloso, “e proibido proibir”
• gilberto gil, “questão de ordem”
• os mutantes, “baby”
presentation on brazil’s miltary dictatorship (1964-1983):

monday, october 7
from rebellion to musica popular brasileira
read:
• charles a. perrone, “nationalism, dissension, and politics in contemporary brazilian popular music”
listen:
• milton nascimento and lo borges, “para lennon e mccartney.”
• chico buarque and milton nascimento, “calice”
presentation on “jovem guarda” and brazilian pop: jaqueline odera

wednesday, october 9
• review for midterm

friday, october 11
• midterm in cl-ss #1

monday, october 14
• thanksgiving day. no cl-ss

unit four: from an ajaíco to a melting pot: caribbean musical forms and transculturation

wednesday, october 16
read:
• fernando ortiz, “cuban counterpoint”
• william luis, “afrocubanista poetry and nicolas guillen”
listen:
• -rs-nio rodríguez, “dame un chacito pa’huele”
• septeto nacional, “songoro cosongo”
watch:

monday, october 21
read:
• firmat, gustavo pérez. “latunes.”
listen:
• xavier cugat, “mambo no.5”
• perez prado, “mambo no. 5”
• perez prado, “el manisero (the peanut vendor)”
presentation on salsa—bismarck garcia

wednesday, october 23
read:
• moore, robin. music and revolution: cultural change in socialist cuba. (read introduction, ch.1-2 )
listen:
• album: cuba va!: songs of the new generation of revolutionary cuba (alexander street press) (listen to the whole album)

friday, october 25
• discuss and final paper topics, brainstorm topics. google hangout with dr. jeremy dean, education director of rap g*nius
do:
• complete reading journal entry on blog. be prepared to read and discuss your reaction to revolutionary music in cl-ss
presentation on merengue in the dominican republic: emma scullion

monday, october 28
• moore, robin. music and revolution: cultural change in socialist cuba. (read ch. 8 and conclusion)
listen:
• orishas, “a lo cubano”
• charanga habanera, “el temba”
• charanga habanera, “gozando en la habana”
• buena vista social club, “chan chan”

unit five: tango and new song from the southern cone

wednesday, october 29
tango and nationalism
read:
• donald castro, “the m-ssification of the tango: the electronic media, the popular theatre and the cabaret from contursi to peron, 1917-1955.”
listen:
• carlos gardel, “volver”
• carlos gardel, “mi buenos aires querido”
• osvaldo pugliese, “la yumba”
presentation on the carlos gardel phenomenon: daniela munoz

friday, october 31
new tango
read:
• chris goertzen, maría susana azzi, “globalization and the tango”
listen:
• astor piazzolla, “adios nonino”

monday, november 4
nueva canción in chile
read:
• nancy morris, “canto porque es necesario cantar: the new song movement in chile, 1973-1983”
listen:
• quilapayún (con victor jara) – plegaria a un labrador
• mercedes sosa, “gracias a la vida”
• violeta parra, “la carta”
presentation on contemporary chilean music: lindsay gingrich

wednesday, november 6
rock and the dictatorship
read:
• holston, mark. “rock and roll in español
listen:
• los enanitos verdes, “lamento boliviano”
• los fabulosos cadillacs. “matador”
presentation on the military dictatorship and music in argentina: ian brownlie

friday, november 8
• hand in prospectus for artist annotation (one artist and at least three songs)
• in cl-ss screening on bbc doc-mentary about tango and the economic crisis in argentina

monday, november 11
• remembrance day, no cl-ss

wednesday, november 13
tango and the economic crisis
read:
• luker, morgan james. “tango renovación: on the uses of music history in post-crisis argentina.”
listen
• orquesta típica fernandez fierro, “cuesta abajo”
do:
• write a reaction in cl-ss journal blog about the bbc doc-mentary

friday, november 15
and still they tangoed…
read:
• alma guillermoprieto, “and still they tangoed”
listen:
• gotan project “la gloria”
presentation on tango as a dance:

unit six : border musics: straddling genres and nations

monday, november 18
salsa
read:
• abreu, christina d. “celebrity, “crossover,” and cubanidad: celia cruz as “la reina de salsa,” 1971-2003.”
listen:
• celia cruz and the fania all-stars, “quimbara,”
• fania all-stars with hector lavoe, “el cantante”
• t-to puente, “oye como va”

wednesday, november 20
hip hop
read:
• tickner, arlene b. “aquí en el ghetto: hip-hop in colombia, cuba, and mexico.”
listen:
• control machete, “humanos mexicanos”

friday, november 22
read:
• jon wolseth and florence e. babb, “youth and cultural politics in latin america”
listen:
• calle 13, “latinoamérica”
• ana tijoux, “1977”
presentation on genre of music not covered in cl-ss:

unit seven: conclusions: papers, presentations, consultations

monday, november 25
• review for midterm #2

wednesday, november 27
• midterm #2

friday, november 29
• student consultations in office

monday, december 2
• student consultations in office

wednesday, december 4
• csl presentations

friday, december 6
• reflective papers or artist annotations due at 5:00pm

- russell cobb

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