Chapter 13 - Canada and the United States

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About

Chapter 13 introduces the music and associated cultural activities from North America. With the exception of Cape Breton fiddling, the music sites visited are from regions of the United States, including the Appalachias, Deep South, and Native American reservations. Salsa, originating in New York City, as well as Cajun music from Louisiana, are also discussed. The underlying theme of the chapter is to present music styles generally not considered part of the mainstream from the United States to show the musical diversity of this nation. 

Key Terms

  • Acoustic
  • Anthem
  • Appalachia
  • Ballad
  • Bals de maison
  • Banda típica
  • Banjo
  • Bible
  • Bluegrass
  • Blues
  • Cajun
  • Call and response
  • Cantina
  • Canton
  • Céilidh
  • Clerk
  • Conjunto
  • Creole
  • Cuttin' heads
  • Double-stops
  • Dr. Watts
  • Fais do-do
  • Fasola singing
  • Frottoir
  • Fuging tune
  • Guitar
  • Harmonica
  • Hymn
  • Inuit
  • Juke joint
  • Kattajjaq
  • La la
  • Lined-hymn
  • Long-meter song
  • Mashriq
  • Orquesta (also Banda)
  • Peurt a beul
  • Pow wow
  • Precentor
  • Psalms
  • Reels
  • Reels à bouche
  • Sacred harp
  • Shape notes
  • Singing school
  • Spiritual
  • String bass
  • Strophic
  • Tejano
  • Tejas
  • Timber flute
  • Totem
  • Zouk
  • Zydeco

Flashcards

Practice Quiz

Interactive Listening Guides

Videos

For more world music videos, visit the World Music YouTube Channel.

Buddy MacMaster, Maybelle Chisholm MacQueen and Quinn Bachand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p20qDKGiHdE
Three-Book Shape Note Singing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHPTUqhAbVA
“I’m a Soldier”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swJekkMYsdA
Cajun Music—Crowley Two Step
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J34ZQT7_NM
Pow Wow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s9z3IOpH1g
R-Krew Drum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfS4QhIMoyc
Young Thunder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7SjWxvrLmA

On Your Own Time Links

Links and Further Resources

Canada


Website:
Cape Breton Fiddlers
http://www.capebretonfiddlers.com/
Website:
Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings
http://www.cbfiddle.com/rx/index.html
Website:
Celtic Music Centre
http://www.celticmusiccentre.com/
Popular Artists of Cape Breton Fiddling:
Buddy MacMaster
Natalie MacMaster
Ashley MacIsaac
The Glengarry Bhoys
Jerry Holland

The United States of America


Ballads


Audio:
Jean Ritchie: Ballads from her Appalachian Family Tradition. Smithsonian-Folkways: SFW40145, 2003.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/jean-ritchie-ballads-from/id82497122
Website:
Child Ballads (Lyrics and Tunes)
http://www.contemplator.com/child/index.html
Book:
Child, Francis James. The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Vol. 1 of 5: The Child Ballads. Charleston, SC: Forgotten Books, 2007.
http://www.forgottenbooks.org/  (Search Child Ballads)
Website:
English Folk Dance and Song Society
http://www.efdss.org/
Website:
English Folksongs from the Southern Appalachians
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/english-folk-songs/
Popular Artists of Appalachia (Ballads):
Hedy West
Jean Ritchie
Appalachian Karma
Appalachian Celtic Consort

Lined Hymnody and Shape-Note Singing


Audio:
Indian Bottom Association. Old Regular Baptists: Lined-Out Hymnody from Southeastern Kentucky. Smithsonian Folkways: SFW40106, 1997.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/old-regular-baptists-lined/id118382349
Book:
Cobb, Jr., Buell E. The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2004.
http://www.ugapress.org/index.php/books/sacred_harp/
Book:
Dorgan, Howard. The Old Regular Baptists of Central Appalachia: Brothers and Sisters in Hope.
Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 2001.
Book:
Eastburn, Kathryn. A Sacred Feast: Reflections on Sacred Harp Singing and Dinner on the Ground. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2008.
http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Sacred-Feast,673390.aspx
Website:
Old Regular Baptist Churches
http://pages.suddenlink.net/orb/orb/index.htm
Website:
Sacred Harp & Related Shape-Note Music
http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/~mudws/resource/
Website:
Sacred Harp Musical Heritage Association
http://fasola.org/
Website:
The Sacred Harp Publishing Company
http://originalsacredharp.com/
Popular Artists of Appalachia (Lined Hymn & Shape Note):
Tim Eriksen
Social Harp
Sacred Harp Singers
Word of Mouth Chorus
United Sacred Harp Musical Association

Bluegrass


Audio:
Classic Bluegrass from Smithsonian Folkways. Smithsonian Folkways: SFW40092, 2002.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/classic-bluegrass-from-smithsonian/id261154690
Book:
Rosenberg, Neil V. Bluegrass: A History (20th Anniversary Edition). Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2005.
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/35pyc6pm9780252072451.html
Book:
Rosenberg, Neil V., and Charles K. Wolfe. The Music of Bill Monroe. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2007.
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/66aqb3ty9780252031212.html
Website:
International Bluegrass Music Association
http://www.ibma.org/
Website:
Old Time Music
http://www.oldtimemusic.com/
Website:
Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America
http://www.spbgma.com/
Popular Artists of Bluegrass:
Bill Monroe
Earl Scruggs
Doc Watson
Ralph Stanley
Alison Krauss
Ricky Skaggs
Lester Flatt
Béla Fleck

African-American Spirituals and Gospel


Audio:
Been in the Storm So Long: A Collection of Spirituals, Folk Tales and Children's Games from Johns Island, SC. Smithsonian Folkways: SFW40031, 1990.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/been-in-storm-so-long-a-collection/id260727493
Audio:
Classic African American Gospel from Smithsonian Folkways. Smithsonian Folkways: SFW40194, 2008.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/classic-african-american-gospel/id272149140
Audio:
In Him I Live—The Church of God and Saints of Christ. Lyrichord: LYRCD7423, 1995.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/church-god-saints-christ-in/id49304262
Book:
Young, Alan. Woke Me Up This Morning: Black Gospel Singers and the Gospel Life. Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi, 1997.
http://www.upress.state.ms.us/books/815
Book:
Boyer, Horace Clarence, and Lloyd Yearwood. The Golden Age of Gospel. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2000.
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/62amk2pf9780252068775.html
Website:
Black Gospel
http://www.blackgospel.com/
Website:
Gospel Music Workshop of America
http://www.gmwanational.net/
Website:
Negro Spirituals
http://www.negrospirituals.com/
Website:
Sweet Chariot—The Story of Spirituals
http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/
Popular Artists of African-American Spirituals and Gospel Music:
Mahalia Jackson
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
The Staples Singers
Aretha Franklin
Marvin Sapp
Yolanda Adams
Fairfield Four
The Winans

Country Blues


Audio:
Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings. Legacy Recordings (Sony/BMG Music), 1990.
http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Johnson-Complete-Recordings/dp/B000002757
Book:
Lomax, Alan. The Land Where the Blues Began. New York: Pantheon, 1993.
http://culturalequity.org/alanlomax/ce_alanlomax_books.php
Book:
Oliver, Paul. The Blues Fell this Morning. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
http://www.cambridge.org/gb/knowledge/isbn/item1138125/?site_locale=en_GB
Book:
Palmer, Robert. Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta. New York: Penguin Books, 1982.
http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780140062236,00.html?Deep_Blues_Robert_Palmer
DVD:
The Blues. Dir. Martin Scorsese PBS (Public Broadcasting System), 2003.
http://www.pbs.org/theblues/
DVD:
In Search of Robert Johnson. Dir. Chris Hunt. Sony Music, 1992.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0272834/
Website:
The Country Blues
http://www.thecountryblues.com/
Popular Artists of Country Blues:
Robert Johnson
Charley Patton
Son House
Big Bill Broonzy
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Blind Willie McTell
Blind Blake
Skip James
Blind Willie Johnson
Lightnin' Hopkins
Mississippi John Hurt
Keb' Mo'
Chris Thomas King

Salsa


Book:
Aparicio, Frances. Listening to Salsa: Gender, Latin Popular Music, and Puerto Rican Cultures. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1998.
http://www.upne.com/0-8195-5306-9.html
Book:
Washburne, Christopher. Sounding Salsa: Performing Latin Music in New York City. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 2008.
http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1557_reg.html
Book:
Waxer, Lisa. Situating Salsa: Global Markets and Local Meanings in Latin Popular Music. New York: Routledge, 2002.
http://www.routledge.com/9780815340201/
DVD:
Latin Music USA. Dir. Pamela A. Aguilar and Daniel McCabe. PBS (Public Broadcasting System), 2009.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/latinmusicusa/#/en/hom
Website:
Brown Planet—Musica Latina Fansite
http://www.brownplanet.com/
Popular Artists of Salsa:
Tito Puente
Celia Cruz
Arsenio Rodríguez
Rubén Blades
La India
Oscar D'León
Marc Anthony
Fania All-Stars
Eddie Palmieri
Willie Colón
Héctor Lavoe
Johnny Pacheco

Cajun Music


Book:
Bernard, Shane. Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues. Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi Press, 1996.
http://www.upress.state.ms.us/books/715
Book:
Brasseaux, Ryan André. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Music/MusicHistoryAmerican/?view=usa&ci=9780195343069
Book:
Kilpatrick, Blaire. Accordion Dreams: A Journey into Cajun and Creole Music. Jackson, MS: University of Mississippi Press, 2009.
http://www.upress.state.ms.us/books/1120
Website:
The Cajun French Music Association
http://www.cajunfrenchmusic.org/
Popular Artists of Cajun Music:
Doug Kershaw
BeauSoleil
Geno Delafose
Clifton Cheneir
Balfa Brothers

Native American Music


Audio:
Heartbeat 2: More Voices of First Nation Women. Smithsonian-Folkways: SFW40455, 1998.
http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=2423
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/humma-ha-ba-ba/id151048359?i=151048808
Book:
Browner, Tara, ed. Music of the First Nations: Tradition and Innovation in Native North America.
Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2009.
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/55rxe7np9780252022210.html
Book:
Browner, Tara. Heartbeat of the People: Music and Dance of the Northern Pow-wow. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2009.
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/37cqb5fn9780252071867.html
Book:
Stern, Pamela, and Lisa Stevenson. Critical Inuit Studies: An Anthology of Contemporary Arctic Ethnography. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2006.
http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Critical-Inuit-Studies,671852.aspx
Website:
Canyon Records
http://www.canyonrecords.com/
Website:
Flutopedia
http://www.Flutopedia.com/contents.htm
Website:
International Native American and World Flute Association
http://worldflutes.org/
Website:
Inuit Gallery of Vancouver
http://www.inuit.com/
Website:
Inuit Throat Singing
http://www.ubu.com/ethno/soundings/inuit.html
Website:
Native American Music Awards
http://www.nativeamericanmusicawards.com/home.cfm
Website:
Powwows.com
http://www.powwows.com/
Popular Artists of Native American Music:
Robbie Robertson
Buffy Saint Marie
Martha Redbone
Verdell Primeaux and Johnny Mike
Red Earth
R. Carlos Nakai
Kevin Locke
Joseph Firecrow

Additional Site