Category Archives: Musical

Folk Song/Lullaby – Los Angeles, CA

Nationality: Hispanic
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Glendora, CA
Performance Date: April 30, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

“Duermese mi niña, duermese me ya, porque viene el viejo y sella llevará.”

“Go to sleep my baby, go to sleep now, because the old man will come and take you.”

Kianni told me that when she was a small child, her grandmother would sing this short folk song to get her to go to sleep.  Although the lullaby seems like it could frighten young children and instead have a reverse effect, Kianni said that she never felt afraid from hearing it.  Instead, it was presented in more of a humorous and joking way rather than another childhood admonishment and coax to get the children to obey their elders; in fact, as a child Kianni said she even started to feel soothed by it.  Now, it reminds her of her grandmother, her Abuela, and it brings back fond memories of her early childhood.  Thus, this lullaby serves as a piece of folklore that connects Kianni to elder generations as well as to the Mexican culture.  And although this folk song is similar to other bedtime sayings, such as those concerning a bogeyman or a ‘tiger witch,’ it maintains its difference in its tone and attitude towards the subject.  It is possible that Kianni did not feel the typical fear that accompanies such a bedtime warning because her grandmother spoke in a comforting tone, but she reiterated that even as a young girl, she recognized the meaning of the song and personally never felt frightened from its message.  It is also significant that Kianni still remembers the lullaby and its exact words as her grandmother said them, even now as an adult.  This shows the lasting impact that childhood folklore can have on an individual as well as its power to culturally link several generations together.

Internet Culture

Nationality: Mexican, Jewish
Age: 16
Occupation: Student
Residence: Bonsall, CA
Performance Date: April 21, 2008
Primary Language: English

(Romanian words. Doesn’t actually mean anything in Romanian, just works with the    music. Original Song by O-zone.)

Maya Hi, Maya Hu, Maya Ha

Maya Haha, Maya Hi, Maya Hu,

Maya Ha, Maya Haha

Ross Chris Newman – Famous Numa Numa Dance

In 2004, Gary Brolsma never thought that a video that he created in his bedroom would become a national internet phenomenon. Let alone a video not even in English and the performance merely being a glorified lip sync. The video popped up on a site named www.newgrounds.com. After only a few months of being online, the video recorded over a million hits. And after 6 months the video had been viewed tens of millions of times world-wide with many “Numa Numa” impersonations popping up everywhere trying to copy the original. While none were quite as good as Gary’s, they were valiant efforts.

After a year went by Gary Brolsma was featured on a CNN broadcast and on the Today Show, the shows asked him questions about his influence in making the video and also toured his home. The craze for the “Numa Numa” guy was so intense that he eventually created a new Numa video and posted that online as well. He named his new video, “New Numa, the Return of Gary Brolsma.” It was evident that Gary put much more post-filming effort into this video because unlike the first one, there were special effects and video editing. The response to this video was equally as insane as the first. In the first week of its lifetime online, it had already succeeded in reaching over one million hits; a feat normally not possible in prior internet culture and unheard of as early as five years ago.

With the advent of his New Numa video, Gary also created his own website commercializing his name and his Numa dances. The website is called www.newnuma.com. He decided that he was not going to be the only unknown to receive internet attention. Because of his great success in becoming an internet icon, he prepared a Numa Numa song/dance contest. Where the winners would receive $50,000 in prize money and have the chance for internet stardom. It is nice knowing that there are people such as Gary Brolsma who choose to give a chance to other unknown internet surfers to possibly have their chance to be an e-lebrity.

This new internet cultural phenomenon is being seen all over the world with hundreds of people deciding to put their own personal antics online and wait to see what other people say about their performances. Perhaps this will be the new method that humor is transferred because of the fact that it allows normal people around the world to express their comedic talents and have millions of people be able to view it. If they are lucky enough, they might even have the chance to become an icon just like Gary Brolsma.

Annotation:

Newspaper Article:

Los Angeles Times Los Angeles, California: Dec 3, 2006 pg. E.4

Original video can be found at the following website. http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/206373

Other sites where this video is located are at the following.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=60og9gwKh1o

New Numa Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gg5LOd_Zus&feature=related

Numa Three

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGXiN-_BCts&feature=user

Numa Numa Spoofs

http://youtube.com/watch?v=L7si10ipel0 (3 million views)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=N6j475XI1Xg (7.5 million views)

Original Song by O-Zone. (Dragostea din tei)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BgU_m3SuYPE

Drinking Song

Nationality: Scottish, Lebanese
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: February 17, 2008
Primary Language: English

Rugby Drinking Song

Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause he’s got holes in his hands

All x2: Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause he’s got holes in his hands

Chorus: Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves.

Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause his father fixes matches

All x2: Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause his father fixes matches

Chorus: Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves.

Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause he only has 12 friends

All x2: Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause he only has 12 friends

Chorus: Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves.

Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause he only drinks red wine

All x2: Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause he only drinks red wine

Chorus: Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves.

Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause he only knows ten rules

All x2: Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause he only knows ten rules

Chorus: Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves.

Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause the cross would give him flashbacks

All x2: Jesus can’t play rugby ‘cause the cross would give him flashbacks

Chorus: Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves.

All x3: God we’re only kidding

All x3: Jesus saves

According to the informant, Matt the song is sung to the tune of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. Matt says the rugby team he is a part of sings the song at after game celebrations and really anytime the team gets together to drink. While singing team members may only hold their cup in their left hand. The song is not definite in length or form. According to Matt the first line of each verse can be started by anyone, who has an idea for why Jesus can’t play rugby. To start a new verse a person must put their cup on their head and then say the line they have come up with. If the team approves of the line, they repeat it and the song continues. However if the person messes up or the team disapproves of the line, they dip their hands in their drinks and flick their drinks upon the person who messed up while chanting, “Redeem thyself” until the person come up with a suitable line. Matt says the song lasts until no one can come up with another verse or until the team simply gets bored of singing the song.

Matt told me that the song is a really good way for the team to bond and enjoy having a few beers together. The song is always performed in a very jovial manner. Everyone has fun while singing it, even if they are forced to redeem themselves. He thinks that the song will likely live on as a rugby team tradition. Although he identifies himself as a Catholic, he doesn’t see the song as blasphemous because it is sung in a light and joking manner. He also says the song is really more about rugby than about Jesus. Matt was taught the song, after joining the rugby team, at a post practice get together. He said it was easy to learn and made him feel connected to the team

The song is obviously a very good way for the team to come together and bond. The slightly socially taboo nature of the song makes the participants feel all the more close. The song makes use of many puns that are formed by comparing bible terminology to rugby terminology. The song is a way to demonstrate knowledge of rugby and to show an individual’s creativity through the creation of a funny lyric. The song is a way for the teammates to blow off a little steam after a game or practice and enjoy a few drinks.

Children’s Song – Korea

Nationality: Korean
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seoul, Korea
Performance Date: April 27, 2008
Primary Language: Korean
Language: English

“Hak gyo jong ee, dang dang dang, uh seo mo yi za, sun shang nim ee wo ri lool, gi da ri shin da”

“School bell is dang dang dang (ringing), let’s gather around, our teacher is waiting for us.”

Kwangsub told me that this is a traditional Korean children’s song. He said that he first learned this from an elementary school text book. But now he thinks kids probably learn it when they are in kindergarten. He said that lots of people know the song and it isn’t just taught in school or learned from books. He thinks that its purpose might be to teach children to be prompt and on time getting to class.

I think that Kwangsub is right when he says that the purpose of the song might be to teach kids to be on time when they are at school. It is similar to English songs that are meant to teach children how to do things or to help them remember things. It seems like this Korean song is analogous to songs like the “Clean Up” song that was featured on the Barney television show many years ago, and is now widely used without reference to the show.

Korean Children’s Song

Folk Song – Jewish

Nationality: Jewish
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 26, 2008
Primary Language: English

Folk Song- Reciting the Torah

There is something very interesting I discovered about the Jewish religion once I learned more about folklore.  In folklore, a group of people may learn a joke, a legend, or even a recipe without being taught.  They don’t go to class for it, but somehow, everyone knows.  The same concept pertains to the reading of the torah or the prayer book in synagogue.  I never learned the tune of each song in the Torah from the Rabbi.  In fact, I never learned it from anyone.  Going to temple for holidays, Hebrew school, and various other occasions made it possible for me to naturally pick up everything in the Torah.  Each congregation has their own melodies to songs, and at mine, everyone knows them without even thinking.  I think this is a perfect example of Folklore.  In fact, I have even passed on these melodies to kids younger than I am.  Whether my version was slightly different or not, I will never know.  But maybe one hundred years down the line, people will be reading out of the Torah with a slightly different tune because of my minor change.

This concept of Torah melody is strange.  I never thought about it until this assignment, but it really is a great example of folklore.  I cannot pinpoint one person or multiple people who taught me each song, but somehow I know them all.  I must have learned them sometime before my Bar Mitzvah, but the exact date cannot be determined.  I do not know what to think of different melodies for each congregation.  I think the Torah is open to interpretation, so therefore, I think the reading of it is too.

The fact that each congregation has a different way of singing songs in the prayer book and Torah gives a sense of identity to the people who belong.  Just knowing Hebrew itself connects people of the temple to Judaism and Israel.  Whether or not God wanted to have one set way of reciting his words, it is apparent that they will always change.